Figure skating needs CPR | Page 5 | Golden Skate

Figure skating needs CPR

louisa05

Final Flight
Joined
Dec 3, 2011
That's what I am wondering. I don't think corn-fed and wholesome sells any more, or even pretty.

This. I think all of that is too generic in the Gaga/ Kardashian world we are now in. Generic blonde girls don't sell no matter how pretty. Plus there is the backlash against them even among skating fans. In 2009 and 2011, Alissa Czisny was torn apart on some fan boards for being a pretty white girl and her wins were attributed to nothing but that.
 

heyang

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
That's what I am wondering. I don't think corn-fed and wholesome sells any more, or even pretty.

When Kristi won her OGM, she did not get as many endorsements as anticipated and several parties suggested it was because she is of Asian descent. Of course, this was also before skaters were allowed to sign contracts before 'retiring' and there was some anti-Japan sentiments, as well as her OGM occuring before the figure skating BOOM.

However, also, consider that Nancy Kerrigan had many more major endorsement deals than Kristi, including Disney. Nancy also may have gotten some of those jobs because of her pre-Olympic celebrity whack and/or from having better representation.

Michele didn't win OGM, but she has had a lot of endorsements due to her graciousness in 'defeat', her celebrity status as the reserve skater if Tonya were barred from the Olympics and her longevity in the sport.

However, i don't recall Tara getting huge endorsements post OGM - perhaps because she was a child when she won???

Sarah - no major endorsements beyond the initial post OGM buzz. Don't know why her story wasn't buzzed into a Cinderella winner. perhaps 'tarnished' somewhat by her results post OGM? or Sarah eschewed the spotlight?

Kind of hard to second guess since there are a lot of variables involved.

I think Gracie will get some signficant endorsements if she wins OGM because she is pretty and because it's been a long time since the US had an OGM in Ladies' figure skating.
 

CanadianSkaterGuy

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 25, 2013
In your scenario of an easier program getting more penalized for falling, then Juvenile level skaters should take the biggest hit because their programs are the easiest. I completely disagree with this. You could have a Juvenile skater who's inconsistent on the harder skills at that level (and is maybe working on skills for being a competitive Intermediate while getting consistency on those super-hard juvenile level elements) who takes a bigger hit than they do right now for falling on a 2A, gets disgusted with the scoring system because they were the best skater but took a huge hit for the fall when it happens (let's say they fall 3/10 competitions with one of those being Regionals and miss making it to Sectionals but the increased penalty for falls because their program is "easy" compared to Seniors) and quits (it's not out of the realm of possibility at that age) the sport. This skater could have gone on to be one of the very best elite skaters out there, they were working on the really difficult elements at the "right" age and had the right body structure and work ethic...

I was being facetious and referring to junior/senior level skating. A fall should come at the same price to all skaters. And I think your scenario is really hypothetical. Plenty of skaters who do harder jumps place lower than skaters who perform cleanly but have easier jumps. Skaters should do the jumps that they're capable of. If they fell on their double axel, the would also have the -3's in GOE, and at juvenile levels (in Canada at least) the falls are less severe at lower levels and you get bonuses for rotated triples.
 

CanadianSkaterGuy

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 25, 2013
Well the difference there is that Gracie has more talent in her pinkie fingernail than Danica Patrick could ever hope to have in a whole lifetime of bodies...

Do you even know who Danica Patrick is? If you did, you'd realise how insulting that statement is. Danica is the most successful woman in the history of car racing. You don't understand the talent, toughness, and mental fortitude that it takes to be a race car driver - especially one that competes against men. She's the only woman to actually win an indy car series against men, placed 3rd in the Indy 500, and was the first woman to win a NASCAR pole and turned in the fastest qualifying lap (of a man or woman) in the Daytona 500 since 1990. Gracie will be lucky to even be half the talent and phenomenon that Danica Patrick is. Hah, and worse, you picked the fingers as a point of comparison. :laugh:
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
I will take that bet. The top ten highest paid female athletes last year were seven tennis players, race car driver Danica Patrick, Yuna Kim (seventh at 7 to 9 million dollars) and, in tenth place, a golfer at about 6 million. Gracie would essentially have to earn as much as Kim to make the list.

On the men's list, there is no one in an Olympic sport. (Boxer Floyd Mayweather is number 1 at 85 million -- all from winning two fights, 0 from endorsements). I believe that, as the Olympics gradually fade away -- especially the winter Olympics -- no Olympic athlete will ever make the list, Kim being a astonishing anomaly.

My jaw dropped at Floyd Mayweather, except then I remembered reading years ago that boxing was actually the highest paid sport of all. Kind of amazing, when you think of it, because it's not the mainstream sport it was in the thirties (remember all those movies with "pugs" as the main or important characters) or even the sixties, with Ali. When most people think "household name sports hero" these days, Floyd Mayweather would not be the first name out of their mouths.

Yeah, skating in this country, unless someone is as glamorous as Kim and becomes a media star as well as a star athlete, will not net anyone, even a ladies' singles OGM winner, the kind of bonanza that the other athletes on that list take in.
 

ice coverage

avatar credit: @miyan5605
Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
My own personal view is that, while a ladies OGM in figure skating will result in significant financial rewards for just about any skater, there is a fairly wide high-low range. Given Gracie's young, pretty, blonde, wholesome, corn-fed, Midwestern and All-American image, the sky will be the limit for her post-OGM commercial potential. If she is not tainted by scandal during that time, she'll have to fight off would-be sponsors with a stick, and will, I think, make far more than the gymnasts you mentioned.

This is, of course, purely ignorant speculation on my part, but one that I'm willing to tangibly back.

I hope that in 2013/2014/2018, hair color -- artificial :eek: ;) or otherwise -- is 100% irrelevant.

And compared to other American ladies, Gold does not have any kind of monopoly on prettiness. (Or on "All-American"-ness, whatever the heck that means.)

Perhaps McKayla Maroney is the gymnast who is the best model for what might help American skating's popularity.
She happens to be extremely pretty, but her refreshing personality and candor -- not to mention her excellence in her sport -- are what captured her country's (and even the world's) imagination.

That's what I am wondering. I don't think corn-fed and wholesome sells any more, or even pretty.

Agree. Shaun White was mentioned in another thread on basically the same subject. Other than his half-pipe dominance, I think his "light-up-the-room" personal charm explains his popularity more than his distinctive looks. :cool:
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Mathman, any idea how much Nastia Liukin and Gabby Douglas have been paid since winning their all-around gymnastics golds at the Olympics?

Way less than Kim, no doubt.

And would you guess that the earning power of an American lady who wins the Olympic skating gold would be approx. in the same range?

I don't think any skater of any nationality will ever match the Yuna Kim phenomenon.

Sonia Henie was reportedly worth 50 million dollars when she died. This was back in the 1960s when 50 million dollars was actually some money. :laugh: She got rich from movies and real estate investments. When Janet Lynn signed with Ice Follies she was the highest paid woman athlete in the world for one year. Dorothy Hamill was immensely popular, but later lost a substantial amount of money when she invested in Ice Capades.

I think the richest U.S. ice skater is Scott hamilton. I don't know if this web site knows what it's talking about, but they have Scott's net worth pegged at 30 million dollars.

http://www.celebritynetworth.com/dl/tara-lipinski-net-worth/

Here are some others.

Brian Boitano - 18 million
Kristi Yamaguchi - 18 million
Evan Lysacek - 10 million (Evan's my guy, but I don't believe it. ;) )
Peggy Fleming - 8 million

Michelle Kwan - 8 million. (It doesn't say how much Mrs. Claiborne Pell IV is worth, but "old money" counts twice. :) By the way, Mr. Pell has just completed the White House Fellowship that he beat Michelle out of -- as Michelle said, "I lost the fellowship but I got the fellow" -- and is now serving in the U.S. Department of Education in charge of international and foreign language instruction. Pell is fluent in Arabic, Chinese, and Spanish.

Dorothy Hamill - 5 million
Tara Lipinski - 4 million

U.S. men skaters are doing as well as the ladies!

Gabby Douglas - 3 million
Shawn Johnson - 9 million
Nastia Liukin - 2 million

Shaun White - 20 million

Mathman -- negative $3.29.
 
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karne

in Emergency Backup Mode
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 1, 2013
Country
Australia
Do you even know who Danica Patrick is? If you did, you'd realise how insulting that statement is. Danica is the most successful woman in the history of car racing. You don't understand the talent, toughness, and mental fortitude that it takes to be a race car driver - especially one that competes against men. She's the only woman to actually win an indy car series against men, placed 3rd in the Indy 500, and was the first woman to win a NASCAR pole and turned in the fastest qualifying lap (of a man or woman) in the Daytona 500 since 1990. Gracie will be lucky to even be half the talent and phenomenon that Danica Patrick is. Hah, and worse, you picked the fingers as a point of comparison. :laugh:

Don't you patronise me pal. Of course I know who frigging Danica Patrick is. I've been watching and been involved with motorsport since I was four years old. Danica Patrick is one of the most over-hyped, over-rated, useless drivers I've ever seen. Her career is based solely on the fact that she apparently looks good in a bikini. She's a rubbish driver. Her pole at the Daytona 500 was pure car. Notice how she hasn't done anything else since? There are other women in motorsport who are far more deserving of the attention and accolades that Patrick gets. Look at Johanna Long in Nationwide. Improving steadily and surely, never making a big fuss or a big deal over the fact that she's a woman, just focusing solely on racing. Look at Pippa Mann and Simona de Silvestra in Indycar. I have the highest respect for de Silvestra because last year she had a massive shunt in Indy 500 practice, put her hand up and admitted it was her fault, and driving with major burns and other injuries, qualified for the Indy 500. Not exactly something your run-of-the-mill male racing driver does all that often either!

Don't you ever be condescending towards me about motorsport, pal. I may be a girl. But I KNOW motorsport. More than you can say I'm sure.
 

Robeye

Final Flight
Joined
Feb 16, 2010
That's what I am wondering. I don't think corn-fed and wholesome sells any more, or even pretty.
Now you're scaring me. You're beginning to sound like Mr. Potter of Bedford Falls :laugh:.

Joking aside, my view is not that corn-fed and wholesome doesn't sell; it's that it's no longer the only thing that sells. There is no question that a wider range of traits, in looks/ethnicity/personality/etc. are now potentially marketable, reflecting the more diverse composition of America since George Bailey's day.

The following are some random thoughts addressing the interesting and stimulating points of view of the various posters who have commented on this question, including Mathman, golden411, Olympia, karne, heyang, louisa05, and others:

IMHO, the combination of corn-fed/wholesome etc. etc. with a ladies figure skating gold medal will be a huge marketing draw, even in this age of audience segmentation. I will even suggest a parallel from Simon Cowell's parallel universe: Jackie Evancho.

Just a couple of weeks ago, I was watching Susan Boyle's videos on Youtube for the very first time (I'd never heard of her before then; but that first audition vid for "Britain's Got Talent" was astounding, and, I admit, emotionally affecting). She is the poster-child for the "We Are the World", politically correct idea that there is no limit to the type of diversity that can appeal to audiences.

While exploring the Susan Boyle phenomenon, I happened to see the links to Jackie (who I was also learning about for the very first time; does that sound unbelievable?). I watch these kinds of TV shows only rarely, and have never understood the appeal of the vast majority of so-called winners, but these two were, for me, genuinely interesting. Susan for the back-story, and Jackie because she is the very definition of precocious talent. I mean, at first I thought she was a twenty year old with a hormonal disorder.

Anyway, the point is this: I understand now that Jackie has become a breakout star. Certainly her vocal talent explains much of her success. But my guess is that her doll-like (and blonde; I don't know whether it's natural or not ;)) looks, and squeaky-clean, wholesome image were also a key contributor to her appeal and success.

The marketing archetypes that a Jackie Evancho or a (hypothetically OGM-winning) Gracie Gold represent are still, I think, very much alive and kicking, and to dismiss this is to fail to distinguish between the pragmatically diagnostic and the normatively prescriptive.
 

ForeverFish

Medalist
Joined
Aug 21, 2012
I hope that in 2013/2014/2018, hair color -- artificial :eek: ;) or otherwise -- is 100% irrelevant.

And compared to other American ladies, Gold does not have any kind of monopoly on prettiness. (Or on "All-American"-ness, whatever the heck that means.)

Perhaps McKayla Maroney is the gymnast who is the best model for what might help American skating's popularity.
She happens to be extremely pretty, but her refreshing personality and candor -- not to mention her excellence in her sport -- are what captured her country's (and even the world's) imagination.

Agree. Shaun White was mentioned in another thread on basically the same subject. Other than his half-pipe dominance, I think his "light-up-the-room" personal charm explains his popularity more than his distinctive looks. :cool:

Remember Shawn Johnson? 2008 Olympic champion on the balance beam and winner of DWTS? That's what many people (and I) think of when the term "All-American" is brought up. A cute, down-to-earth, smiley girl with a sunny disposition and a can-do attitude.

I think part of the reason why Gracie hasn't reached McKayla Maroney-levels of fame is because she hasn't had time to grow accustomed to the spotlight that's suddenly been thrown on her. After she gets more comfortable with the constant media attention buzzing around her head, we'll see the real Gracie emerge. And, once she puts more personality on the ice, she'll win the crowd every competition.

If I may go the superficial route for a moment, I'd dare to suggest that, of the current crop of American ladies, Gracie is by and far the most "conventionally" beautiful. In that blue FS dress, she can pass for a Hollywood star, which is what the press loves. If she ends up winning OGM in 2018, I don't doubt that figure skating's popularity would soar tremendously in the US. It probably won't reach the coverage that it enjoyed during MK's career, if only because the public got to watch MK blossom from a wee little prodigy into one of the biggest names in skating history, but Gracie IS the next star of US skating. IMO, of course.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
I haven't seen any statistical analysis, and Lord knows I haven't done any myself, but I wonder which is more common:

  • A dominant short program win essentially puts the competition away... or
  • Tightly packed short program results where someone down in 6th place is only 5 points down, and can still has a very reasonable chance to win.

That's a great question. Here is some doodling with last season's marks. Let's pick an arbitrary number (I chose 8 points for men, 6 for women, 7 for pairs and dance) and say that if you are farther behind than that after the short program then you can't win the event on your own. That is, no matter how well you skate in the LP the leader has to mess up for you to win overall. How many contenders "make the cut" and become captains of their fate, or at least lieutenants?

Under 6.0 the answer is always two. Here is how it worked out for CoP scoring last season.

Skate America
Men, 0
Ladies, 2
Pairs, 2
Dance, 1

Skate Canada
Men, 2
Ladies, 4
Pairs, 0
Dance, 1

Cup of China
Men, 2
Ladies, 5
Pairs, 1
Dance, 2

Russia
Men, 0
Ladies, 5
Pairs, 0
Dance, 1

France
Mens, 2
Ladies, 2
Pairs, 2
Dance, 1

NHK
Men, 1
Ladies, 0
Pairs, 2
Dance, 0

Grand Prix Final
Men, 3
Ladies., 3
Pairs, 1
Dance, 2

Four Continents
Men, 4
Ladies, 0
Pairs, 1
Dance, 1

Europeans
Men's 2
Ladies, 1
Pairs, 1
Dance, 3

Worlds
Men, 1
Ladies, 4
Pairs, 4
Dance, 1

Conclusion...?
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Remember Shawn Johnson? 2008 Olympic champion on the balance beam and winner of DWTS? That's what many people (and I) think of when the term "All-American" is brought up. A cute, down-to-earth, smiley girl with a sunny disposition and a can-do attitude.

You just described Kristi Yamaguchi. :)
 

ice coverage

avatar credit: @miyan5605
Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
I do not want to be rude or disrepectful to Gold or Evancho or any other young lady, so cannot say much more than that I remain unconvinced that Gold has superior star quality above and beyond other American ladies.

The U.S. is in the second term of an African-American president. Last I checked, he and the much-admired First Lady do not have blond hair. ;)

Shawn Johnson was my favorite gymnast at the 2008 Olympics, and yes, I agree that she is "All-American." (Thanks for not making hair color a prerequisite, ForeverFish.)
For me, Johnson and Maroney each had an irresistible vibe. IMHO, Gold does not belong in the same sentence with them.
Agree with Mathman that Yamaguchi also is "All-American." As is Wagner, as is Gao, etc., etc. :yes:

I don't know whether "conventional" beauty is foolproof as a marketable commodity. To some eyes, "conventional" would be generic, boring, dull, tired, you get the idea.

Agreed that everything here is my subjective opinion too -- no more and no less subjective than anyone else's.

[Robeye: If you liked Susan Boyle, I hope that you came across Paul Potts too. :)]
 

zschultz1986

Final Flight
Joined
Mar 18, 2013
COME ON MATHMAN, USE YOUR MATHS :p

Averages 2012-13: Besides Leader (w/Leader)

Men: 1.7 (2.7)
Ladies: 2.6 (3.6)
Pairs: 1.4 (2.4)
Dance: 1.3 (2.3)


BTW, Under 6.0 the answer is always 3 (or are you talking about besides the leader? Were you including the leader in your tallies, or not? I'm going to assume no, because you have zeros for some of the disciplines in some of the events.) Since there are no QRs, you can be 3rd, win the free, and win the event. (1.5 + 1 = 2.5 = .5 + 2)

MY conclusion: When a field is considered "open" (that is, no CLEAR favorite/multiple contenders) there is less division between places, hence, more people "with fate in their own hands". When a fields has one or two clear favorites (i.e. Dance: V/M & D/W) it is much easier to score their shorts on another level for them to be all but untouchable, given they skate up to their potential (don't S*** the bed)

The more accurate picture of the difference between 6.0 and IJS (I believe) would be to do some kind of analysis of fluidity of position (how easy it is to jump up given an excellent performance, or if a poor performance is reflected in the final position. Say, take average of the sum of the absolute values of the difference between Final Placements and the Short Program Placements of the top 10 places from each event.) This would have to be done for each year, separately, and would also have to be done for 6.0 years as well. However, it is far too late for me to do that kind of in depth analysis, maybe I will tomorrow.

I'll do the men from 2013 Worlds as an example for you all, if you wanna do it yourselves:

|1 Final - 1 SP | = 0
|2 Final - 2 SP | = 0
|3 Final - 7 SP | = 4
|4 Final - 9 SP | = 5
|5 Final - 3 SP | = 2
|6 Final - 4 SP | = 2
|7 Final - 8 SP | = 1
|8 Final - 11 SP | = 3
|9 Final - 5 SP | = 4
|10 Final - 6 SP | = 4

(0 + 0 + 4 + 5 + 2 + 2 + 1 + 3 + 4 + 4)/10 = 25/10 = 2.5 (The top 10 places moved around an average of 2.5 spots from their SP placement to their Final Placement)

Now I would try and average all of the results together (you can do just Worlds, or you can do every major event in a year and then take the average of all the events) from each discipline (separately: i.e. Men's Avg, Ladies Avg, Pairs Avg, Dance Avg) across a quad or two of IJS and try and find a data block of similar size from 6.0 and compare the results. If, as we have been told, that IJS lends itself to more fluid results... the IJS average should be markedly higher than the 6.0. Anyone care to do the statistical calculations (Mathman? :) )
 

Robeye

Final Flight
Joined
Feb 16, 2010
I do not want to be rude or disrepectful to Gold or Evancho or any other young lady, so cannot say much more than that I remain unconvinced that Gold has superior star quality above and beyond other American ladies.

The U.S. is in the second term of an African-American president. Last I checked, he and the much-admired First Lady do not have blond hair. ;)

Shawn Johnson was my favorite gymnast at the 2008 Olympics, and yes, I agree that she is "All-American." (Thanks for not making hair color a prerequisite, ForeverFish.)
For me, Johnson and Maroney each had an irresistible vibe. IMHO, Gold does not belong in the same sentence with them.
Agree with Mathman that Yamaguchi also is "All-American." As is Wagner, as is Gao, etc., etc. :yes:

I don't know whether "conventional" beauty is foolproof as a marketable commodity. To some eyes, "conventional" would be generic, boring, dull, tired, you get the idea.

Agreed that everything here is my subjective opinion too -- no more and no less subjective than anyone else's.

[Robeye: If you liked Susan Boyle, I hope that you came across Paul Potts too. ]
I certainly appreciate your point of view, golden411. The comments on the apparent hue of Gold's roots was a kind of short-hand, throw-away line, but you seem to have become quite attached to it, so allow me one further comment to your comments: the example of the President and the First Lady is, if I do say so, a bit of a red herring, if the implication is that we have somehow finally become a color-blind society. Your exhortation to celebrate with a group sing of Kumbaya is, I think, slightly premature. I would venture that the Obamas would not endorse this, and as accomplished a personage as Colin Powell has more or less said that this is not yet the reality in America.

Kristi Yamaguchi came to realize this when it became apparent that she would not enjoy quite the level of acclaim or monetary reward as her predecessors. Have we made fundamental progress since Kristi's time? Yes. Are such issues now negligible? President Obama's re-election notwithstanding, I think not.

If you find it difficult to agree that longstanding cultural biases still have totemic (and commercial) power, then let us agree to disagree. I will merely say that such biases are still subtly ingrained, even in the language ("fair-haired boy"). Don't shoot the messenger, please. You might want to direct your satirical ire at Pope Gregory the Great. He's the one who started it all, you know ;).

OT: For some reason, I find McKayla Maroney annoying. Perhaps I cannot get past the iconic image of her Olympic discontent (something like this :eek:hwell:).

Also: I did run across references/vids to Paul Potts, but haven't actually viewed them yet. One feel-good, light-concealing bushel at a time is probably the limit that my constitution can take :biggrin:.
 

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
For those not yet saturated with Feel Good stories, here's Paul Potts' audition, singing Nessun Dorma, (and he won, eventually, too)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k08yxu57NA

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Potts

I would not choose "corn-fed" as an adjective to describe Gracie Gold, since that designation that does not simply denote MidWestern (which she is). It also implies that the girl is rather porky. Gold does not have a spare ounce on her.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corn-fed

It also implies that the girl is a countrified person, a hick, and I doubt that applies to Gracie either.
 
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Joined
Aug 16, 2009
I do not want to be rude or disrepectful to Gold or Evancho or any other young lady, so cannot say much more than that I remain unconvinced that Gold has superior star quality above and beyond other American ladies.

The U.S. is in the second term of an African-American president. Last I checked, he and the much-admired First Lady do not have blond hair. ;)

Shawn Johnson was my favorite gymnast at the 2008 Olympics, and yes, I agree that she is "All-American." (Thanks for not making hair color a prerequisite, ForeverFish.)
For me, Johnson and Maroney each had an irresistible vibe. IMHO, Gold does not belong in the same sentence with them.
Agree with Mathman that Yamaguchi also is "All-American." As is Wagner, as is Gao, etc., etc. :yes:

I don't know whether "conventional" beauty is foolproof as a marketable commodity. To some eyes, "conventional" would be generic, boring, dull, tired, you get the idea.

Agreed that everything here is my subjective opinion too -- no more and no less subjective than anyone else's.

[Robeye: If you liked Susan Boyle, I hope that you came across Paul Potts too. :)]

Definitely Kristi Yamaguchi is "All-American." It's one of the aspects of America that gives me both pride and hope. The thing about Shawn Johnson (another face of all-America) is that she has that brilliant smile and a lot of charisma. She really does shine, and it's not because she's blonde. In fact, to me, the heiress to her crown as scintillating, charismatic gymnastics star is Gabby Douglas. Another incandescent smile, and a face whose expressiveness pulls me in.

One moment that made me realize that the term "all-American" meant so much more than its limited earlier connotation was when the old TV show Lois and Clark was cast. In the old days, Superman always had blue eyes. (Originally in the comic book, this was for practical reasons: blue, a primary color, was easier to "register" than any other color, because it required only one plate in its printing.) But for this show, the producers cast Dean Cain, who has brown eyes. They didn't make him wear blue contact lenses. Dean Cain isn't just dark-eyed; he's one quarter Japanese. When I read that, I have to say that my heart leaped up. It meant on a deep symbolic level that the icon of mainstream America was someone with all of America in his soul.

So hooray for Gracie Gold, and she is indeed beautiful, but thank God, it's not just her. The spectrum is wide!
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
In the state of Washington, where cattle are raised on alfalfa, there is a dedicated campaign to denigrate corn fed.
 

Robeye

Final Flight
Joined
Feb 16, 2010
For those not yet saturated with Feel Good stories, here's Paul Potts' audition, singing Nessun Dorma, (and he won, eventually, too)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k08yxu57NA

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Potts

I would not choose "corn-fed" as an adjective to describe Gracie Gold, since that designation that does not simply denote MidWestern (which she is). It also implies that the girl is rather porky. Gold does not have a spare ounce on her.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corn-fed

It also implies that the girl is a countrified person, a hick, and I doubt that applies to Gracie either.
Honi soit qui mal y pense. I'm a Gracie booster. The term can be used in either a positive or negative light, depending upon the context. Contra your Wiki reference, I was not utilizing the term as a pejorative, but primarily in the sense of a Midwesterner who looks strong and healthy, which I think should be fairly clear from the manner of its use in my post. A hick? No. "Uncomplicated" is probably closer to the image I was trying to convey. Porky? Definitely not. My description of Gracie led off with "pretty". The nuance I was reaching for was the solid good looks of a New World valkyrie.
 
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