I'm not sure what qualifies for the America's Sweetheart. I think it would be racking up a number of gold medals (and not just one) with continuous super hype from the media.
I do not see any skater to live up to my proposed criteria.
I can imagine that there is a Japan's Sweetheart and a Korea's Sweetheart.
I think the problem is not so much the skaters as it is the skating audience. The critical mass of skating frenzy doesn't seem to be there right now. The big sports seem to be the team sports plus what I call the noisy sports: auto racing and wrestling, where they bellow and throw each other.
If we could get a gold medal skater who sang pop ballads, maybe that would pull in viewers. Kind of like Taylor Swift on skates. I know that seems unlikely...though, come to think of it, Korea has one.
MICHELLE KWAN JR.
I'm kidding, I'm kidding.
I vote for Mirai Nagasu. She's a sweetheart of U.S. Figure Skating already. I believe she's getting there (in terms of becoming THE sweetheart), especially with her fourth place finish at the Olympics.
Yeah Mirai.. she needs consistency though..
This is an opinion question. There is no contest for America's Sweetheart. However, only the media can boast such a title, if enough ovations are given at the competitions sites. The ISU nor the USFS will not name the sweetheart, but carry on with it for the sake of off-season trivia.
Evan Lysacek is famous right now due to his gold medal win. he deserves the accolades of course and i guess would be considered one of America's Sweetheartsit's just interesting to me because i don't ever recall a male figure skater being recognized like this but then again Scott Hamilton and such were before my time.
Last edited by Figga; 06-05-2010 at 08:27 PM.
To be our sweetheart, Americans would have to know him/her at some time other than the Olympics.
Evan is getting a little media attention, but, thanks to Sonia Henie (America's first sweetheart), the sport became a 'little girl's sport'. and the younger the little girl is, the bettter. That's the story of America's skating sweetheart. Skating Men do not have a chance. Button had his time in the limelight and nowadays few fans remember his prowess on the blades. And within the Sport, one has to acknowledge John Curry as the most accomplished figure skater of his time, and for all time. Who does? Curry defined Jackson Haines' musical contribution.Originally Posted by Figga
Evan Lysacek is famous right now due to his gold medal win. he deserves the accolades of course and i guess would be considered one of America's Sweethearts
So, imo, in America, little girl's rule. So keep your eye on the Juvenile Division.
Well, there are plenty of big burly adult male athletes that get a lot of media attention and fan adoration. Folks like LeBron James and Peyton Manning. We just don't refer to them as "sweethearts." (Well, actually, I guess we do. Never mind....)
Anyway, I don't begrudge the young ladies a sport where they can have their day in the sun without getting shouldered aside by their big brothers.
Well said
The title "America's Sweetheart" may have originated back in 1931 from the Broadway show of the same name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America...heart_(musical)
Maybe the term appeared before that as well. Was Mary Pickford Amerca's first Sweetheart?
Yikes, Mary was born in Torontobut had the good sense to move to the USA
http://www.neh.gov/news/humanities/2.../pickford.html
The title "America's Sweetheart" is not something that we can assign to an athlete or an actress, but depends on circumstances.
Shannon Miller, and the girls of our '96 gymnastics team became "America's Sweethearts."
Peggy and Dorothy for sure and I guess a few other skaters but to a lesser extent. Kristi may not have been given as much adoration as Peggy and Dorothy, but over the years she has certainly become a beloved American skating icon.
I don't know if I have ever heard Michelle or Sasha referred to as "America's Sweetheart" - atleast not in the same way Peggy and Dorothy were.
Typically the term has been used alot for starlets - Julia Roberts, Meg Ryan and Sandra Bullock all held that title at one time. Some of the press tried to label Lindsey Vonn with the title but I don't think it really stuck.
Was Amelia Earhart "America's Sweetheart"? She was wildly popular in her day.
What about young Chrissie Evert? Any others come to mind?
Last edited by janetfan; 06-06-2010 at 11:17 PM.
Yes, Pickford was "America's Sweetheart," though I don't know whether she was the first ever. As for skating sweethearts, I do remember feeling a bit resentful that Kristi wasn't accorded the title as Peggy and Dorothy were. I suspected at the time that it was because she was Asian American, but thank goodness, I think that's less of an issue with the passage of time. In any case, Kristi has actually grown in national popularity through the years, partly because of her pro career and partly because of Dancing with the Stars. What factors will make sweethearts out of our current skaters, I wonder?
Here is possibly America's first sweetheart - The "Swedish Nightingale", Jenny Lind.
"After the first performance, a few naysayers -- including poet Walt Whitman -- surfaced. But Lind generally received rave reviews. The $10,000 in concert proceeds she donated to charities, including the Fire Department Fund and the Lying-in Asylum for Destitute Females, helped cement her position as America's sweetheart. After more than 30 shows in New York, Lind struck out across America, where she performed to enthusiastic audiences everywhere. Jenny Lind mania swept the nation. Schools, bridges, and other public edifices were named after the Swedish Nighingale, as were numerous consumer products, from pies and cigars to bonnets and whiskies."
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/foster/...ts/p_lind.html
As to skaters - it is possible times have changed and not sure many care if Mirai , Ashley and Rachael can hit the CoP levels.
Last edited by janetfan; 06-07-2010 at 05:36 AM.
Does America's sweetheart have to be American? Russian gymnast Olga Korbut charmed the USA via television at the 1972 Olympics.
Why aren't U.S. promoters aren't all over Yu-na Kim? Kim is probably too busy being Korea's sweetheart, but still...
and let's not forget Nadia who had a much bigger impact than Olga.........
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXYEw6t2o_M
and Nadia even had her own song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ttc9aCSRqEY
I was wondering the same thing about Yuna. Nike, an American corporation is in a perfect position to use Yuna in ad campaigns in the USA. If they haven't it could be contractual - but I suspect after test marketing they don't see her yet as a good vehicle for the US market.
Are there Nike ads/commercials for Yuna shown in Canada? She is probably better known there because of her training situation and Brian Orser.
Last edited by janetfan; 06-07-2010 at 10:01 AM.
Agreed! America's sweetheart does not have to be American which is why I chose Henie for figure skating.
Your selection of Olga Korbut is interesting, yet I would have chosen Nadia Comeci of Romania. Nadia gave the world the first 10 in any judging sport, and it is used constantly in all sorts of dialogue.
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