The Entertainers: Misha Ge and Jason Brown

Mrs. P · Nov 17, 2014

During the Rostelecom Cup broadcast, Johnny Weir made an interesting comparison between Misha Ge and Jason Brown.

Driving that comparison, was the fact they both opted to not have a quad in their programs. In addition they were both did quite well. Jason wasn't perfect, but did well enough and Misha was clean. They also scored nearly the same score.

I also think they are similar because they both love entertaining the audience and really feed of the energy of that audience. They are also both quite popular despite their lack of the quad (and the 3A -- Misha also struggled on that jump).

Johnny said one curious comment that I wanted to discuss. Misha, he said (I'm paraphrasing), likes to have a certain look -- that is why he picks out the costumes and does his own choreography. He then said that Jason, on the other hand, is open to doing different things. He didn't really specify what he meant by that.

In any case, I thought it would be fun to discuss them --- many people have talked about Jason relative to Joshua Farris due to their similar career trajectory, but I think a Misha Ge/Jason Brown analysis is a good one as well.

Also both have been the subject of Mashable pieces and gained some attention during the Olympic season:

Misha:http://mashable.com/2014/02/14/misha-ge-winter-olympics/
Jason: http://mashable.com/2014/01/14/figure-skater-jason-brown/

For the sake of background, Misha, who debuted as a senior in the 2011-2012 season when he was 19. Jason debuted last season around the same age (he turned 19 halfway through the season). Misha and Jason finished 17th and 9th, respectively, in Sochi.

And as a bonus for playing here's a photo (+ Daisuke!) == http://instagram.com/p/kdEbtJnH8k/?modal=true

BlackPack · Nov 17, 2014

That Dai+Misha+Jason photo... they make the world a better place!

What can I say... I'd love to see Misha and Jason take on ice dancing. They'd be the perfect pair!

Interspectator · Nov 17, 2014

Misha and Jason get the 'most lovable' award every year. Watching them is so much fun!
This year I noticed that Misha is really trying to put down the technical content as well as entertain the audience, so for the first time, (I think?) he is scored higher than Jason.

The time violation at the end was hilarious though. -If only he could have done a simple ending. My family were all very entertained and impressed. I thought no one could out-do Machida's dramatic endings, but Misha wins hands-down (or up). :drama:

Jason has more difficult transitions in his programs compared to Misha. The entries into his jumps (other than the 3A) are amazing.
My heart broke a bit when he cried at the end. I'm always impressed that he sells his program even after making jumping errors. He never gives up.

Mrs. P · Nov 17, 2014

Another key factor is they're both quite active and endearing on social media.

I did want to note the following off-ice talents :biggrin:

Jason: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1...brown-breaks-down-his-phil-collins-moment_fun

Misha: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK0TJKll7uY&list=UUW_THmTxHMlbRZpTJ-st3QA

ETA: Now that I think about it...I really want a dance off between these two. Can we get the Shibsibs to do a video?!?!

Interspectator · Nov 17, 2014

Mrs. P said:
Another key factor is they're both quite active and endearing on social media.

I did want to note the following off-ice talents

Jason: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1...brown-breaks-down-his-phil-collins-moment_fun

Misha: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK0TJKll7uY&list=UUW_THmTxHMlbRZpTJ-st3QA

ETA: Now that I think about it...I really want a dance off between these two. Can we get the Shibsibs to do a video?!?!

Misha!! He can really DANCE!
There's a block on Jason's video though.

Mrs. P · Nov 17, 2014

Newbiespectator said:
Misha!! He can really DANCE!
There's a block on Jason's video though.

This one? http://sports.yahoo.com/video/jason-brown-breaks-down-phil-074644759-cbs.html

Wo|flax · Nov 17, 2014

They are similar; wonderful skaters and wonderful people

But also both entertainers, but aren't the best at SS, compared to say Daisuke and Stephane who had both (and were artists too). Jason has better SS, and obviously better TR.
Does Johnny mean Misha has a 'vision' or knows himself/what he wants, whereas the younger Jason is still discovering?

dorispulaski · Nov 17, 2014

Johnny may just mean that Jason will do programs that Rohene Ward suggests to him that don't immediately appeal to Jason himself, in order to stretch his repetoire. Both Riverdance and Tristan and Iseult were meant to.stretch Jason's abilities.

As Misha is his own choreographer, he obviously never suggests to himself to try something he would not conceive of doing.

Mrs. P · Nov 17, 2014

dorispulaski said:
Johnny may just mean that Jason will do programs that Rohene Ward suggests to him that don't immediately appeal to Jason himself, in order to stretch his repetoire. Both Riverdance and Tristan and Iseult were meant to.stretch Jason's abilities.

As Misha is his own choreographer, he obviously never suggests to himself to try something he would not conceive of doing.

That's how I thought of it as well.

That said, I do feel that Misha is trying new things, even if they don't stretch his abilities to the same level that Rohene is doing with Jason. I really do think his Umbrella of Cheronberg program is quite lyrical and depends on him actually skating and doing the technical elements while his past programs were so entertaining that it could distract you from the fact that you need to land jumps and such.

Watching the COR videos again, I noted the the British commentators note that Misha Ge still sort of will himself to do the jumps since he has almost no speed coming into them. Jason is no speed demon, but he definitely (with the exception of the 3A, maybe) keeps good speed in and out of the jumps.

It would be interesting to see how these two would score if they were in the same group and both skated clean. Their scores were nearly identical, but Jason's PCS was well below what he has been getting (he had been in the low 80s in the last few comps; feel he got the unofficial second group PCS deduction) and Jason also lost about 4-5 points in GOE from the errors on the 3A and 3Z (MIsha did receive -1.14 in GOE for his 3A-2T)

Maria Victoria · Nov 17, 2014

Thanks Mrs. P for starting this thread!

I instantly fell in love with Jason, while I must admit it took me some time to warm up to Misha. I first thought Misha was a ham and worse, not to be taken seriously in top-flight competitions. If anything, that bad hair dye job of his during last Worlds, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbG8Ya1lWAA, coupled with his 27th finish in the SP and failing to qualify the FP, cemented this opinion. On the other hand, I view Jason, despite his lack of a quad, as capable of a medal because of the many lovely things he does out there on the ice e.g., spins, entry into jumps. In fact in previous posts the skater I likened him to was Yuzuru because they are both of the same age, have insane flexibility and immense charisma on ice, have the honor of being singled out among the young ones by no less than Evgeni Plushenko, attract droves of fan aunties

, etc.

But since his abysmal showing at Worlds, it's evident Misha has put in the necessary grunt work and stabilized his jumps; and now I am happy to be proven wrong about him not being a contender. I think with consistent good showings season after season, he can help popularize figure skating in a big way as he bridges the Eastern-Western divide. I learned he speaks, Russian, Chinese, and English and that he's "a little bit Korean." (http://web.icenetwork.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110617&content_id=20626518&vkey=ice_news) As for Jason, he I think is the skater who can help revive figure skating's popularity in the US, and that would be a big boost to the sport if he pulls it off.

I'm glad both of them are working on having that quad but even without it both of them bear watching. Wish them both well.

silverfoxes · Nov 17, 2014

On paper, they are pretty similar. Misha also reminds me very much of Johnny Weir, especially with his programs this season (and sometimes :scratch: taste in fashion). I prefer Misha because he's such an underdog, and he feels less calculated, more authentic to me. He overdoes it at times, but I think it's because he does his own choreo and there's nobody telling him when to rein it in a little bit. But from my observations this season, he takes the judges' feedback very seriously and is maturing bit by bit.

His dad is always so adorable in the kiss'n'cry, too.

lefeury · Nov 17, 2014

I love them both. I love that they are rewarded for their artistic programs and feel like the quad heavy programs are interesting but don't pull you in as much. Well Machida does for me. I hope this trend continues because casual viewers love these types of skaters and for the sport to continue to appeal to viewers there has to be more artistry.

Mrs. P · Nov 17, 2014

gallavich said:
I prefer Misha because he's such an underdog, and he feels less calculated, more authentic to me. He overdoes it at times, but I think it's because he does his own choreo and there's nobody telling him when to rein it in a little bit. But from my observations this season, he takes the judges' feedback very seriously and is maturing bit by bit.

I always find it interesting that some people think Jason is calculated and not as authentic. We all feel what we feel, of course, but I'm genuinely curious, cause I've heard several comments in this realm and quite frankly, I don't see where this perception comes from.

centerpt1 · Nov 17, 2014

Jason just comes off as inauthentic to me-not sure why. I got the same vibe from Lysacek- there is just some disconnect between the choreography and performance that say it's put on, not genuine. There's overkill emotion where there shouldn't be that seems to be over-practiced.

I think Jason may present as more authentic with a different choreographer.

Meoima · Nov 17, 2014

I like both. They are cute and very sincere and they try very hard.

silverfoxes · Nov 17, 2014

centerpt1 said:
Jason just comes off as inauthentic to me-not sure why. I got the same vibe from Lysacek- there is just some disconnect between the choreography and performance that say it's put on, not genuine. There's overkill emotion where there shouldn't be that seems to be over-practiced.

I think Jason may present as more authentic with a different choreographer.

That's part of it, yeah. And I do like most of Rohene's choreo, but it can feel too obvious that the programs are designed to tick all the boxes and maximize points. Yes, that's a necessary strategy under COP, especially for skaters without a quad. But with Misha it somehow doesn't feel that way at all.

Mrs. P · Nov 17, 2014

Thanks for the thoughts, everyone. I guess it's a YMMV thing for me. I suppose there is a bit of point maximizing, but that's to be expected.

Of course, I may be mixing up the fact that I consider Jason a genuine person, in general, and not thinking too much in terms of his on-ice persona. I guess Rohene does tend to give Jason choreography that tends to be more challenging for him so maybe in the early days of the program it may appear he's just trying to check off boxes.

I find it humorous that people are yearning for The Question for U considering that when he first did that program as a junior, it did not work at all, at least to me. (The costume did not help). Actually i thought Rohene was crazy -- seriously you are going to ask a white Jewish boy to emulate PRINCE?! Obviously that all changed when he revamped the program (and the costume) for his first year as a senior.

I guess when I think about it, I can see how the choreo comes off as Jason just doing what Rohene tells him to, rather than expressing his own on-ice persona, but I think that's part of the process? Fake it until you make it?

I think this article sort of explains things a bit RE: Rohene's approach. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/13/s...ciplined-approach-yields-joy-on-ice.html?_r=0

But Brown and Ade knew what he needed to be competitive in his first senior season. That meant refining every spin, every entry and exit into a jump and every detail in an attempt to claw back points to compensate for the lack of a quadruple jump, which Ade said could bring a skater 13 to15 points if executed cleanly.

“I just keep saying, ‘Do the math, do the math,' ” Ade said. “It’s a game you have to figure out.”

Each element on its own was within Brown’s skill set, including the triple axel he mastered last year. The density of the whole package was the issue.

“The first time I did the program cleanly was not until September, a week before I left for my first event,” Brown said. “Generally I run clean programs in the summer.”

He sometimes found himself in tears before and even during his program.

“I’d be so scared I was going to get halfway through and not be able to breathe,” he said.

Ade said that even she had doubts at times, but that Brown’s steady progress allayed them.

At night, Brown lay in bed and envisioned success. “It would be like, Why can I see it, but why can’t I do it?” he said.

I think Misha, on the other hand, tends to do programs he believes in and is invested in right away. That likely comes across in his performances, me thinks. The guys sells his programs. I mean, I was a bit

about putting hip-hop at the end of a Chaplin program, but the boy sold it it so well, I was totally on board.

Tavi... · Nov 17, 2014

gallavich said:
That's part of it, yeah. And I do like most of Rohene's choreo, but it can feel too obvious that the programs are designed to tick all the boxes and maximize points. Yes, that's a necessary strategy under COP, especially for skaters without a quad. But with Misha it somehow doesn't feel that way at all.

I could see where you might get inauthenticity from this season's SP (Juke) simply because he strikes me as somehow uncomfortable with it - more so than he did with Prince in year one. I notice it most in his facial expressions, which sometimes seem like mugging; ditto with a few movements, such as the much-discussed "sprinkler." If you're talking about this year's FS or one of his older programs, though, I would be really curious to learn what strikes you as inauthentic!

IcyEdges · Nov 17, 2014

centerpt1 said:
Jason just comes off as inauthentic to me-not sure why. I got the same vibe from Lysacek- there is just some disconnect between the choreography and performance that say it's put on, not genuine. There's overkill emotion where there shouldn't be that seems to be over-practiced.

I think Jason may present as more authentic with a different choreographer.

For the most part I agree with you here. Jason comes off too "campy and put on" for me, inauthentic is the wrong word. I'd like to see him do something more serious and mature, and try another choreographer.
I really like Misha though, his LP this season is fantastic.

el henry · Nov 17, 2014

Count me in as another who simply does not see the "inauthentic" part; maybe because it seems so obvious that Jason is a natural-born extrovert and showman. I can see where some might not like Jason's programs because they consider it too hammy, or too extroverted, but inauthentic??? That's who he is.

Also, the folks who seemed to think he was all smiles and suspenders have said nothing about him breaking down after the FS at Rostelecom. If that's inauthentic, he should get an Academy Award. ETA: How much more serious and mature can you get than T&I? (I realize I am in a small minority of folks who find Juke authentic). And leave Rohene? thank heavens, ain't gonna happen.

In fact, when I first watched Misha, like the poster upstream, I thought he was just so over the top, that couldn't really be him, and I thought *he* was inauthentic. But having watched more programs, I believe that too is just Misha being Misha, and I adore his overkill.

And figure skating still hasn't figured out (haha, too many "figures") how to bottle what Jason and Misha have, but they should. IMO skaters like Jason and Misha will bring more eyeballs to the tube and butts to the seats, as opposed to all the fully rotated "quad-falls" that have no discernible relation to the music being played ...

The Entertainers: Misha Ge and Jason Brown

Mrs. P

Uno, Dos, twizzle!

BlackPack

Interspectator

Mrs. P

Uno, Dos, twizzle!

Interspectator

Mrs. P

Uno, Dos, twizzle!

Wo|flax

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl

Mrs. P

Uno, Dos, twizzle!

Maria Victoria

silverfoxes

lefeury

Mrs. P

Uno, Dos, twizzle!

centerpt1

Meoima

Match Penalty

silverfoxes

Mrs. P

Uno, Dos, twizzle!

Tavi...

IcyEdges

Match Penalty

el henry

Go have some cake. And come back with jollity.

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