- Joined
- Nov 30, 2014
Pretty sure that's not what he meant, and I wouldn't consider it okay to call any skater of any nationality 'slutty'. But maybe I'm wrong -- slutty skaters, sponsored by GoldenSkate!
This and That: Cup of China Recap
- Thread starter TSLDave
- Start date
Pretty sure that's not what he meant, and I wouldn't consider it okay to call any skater of any nationality 'slutty'. But maybe I'm wrong -- slutty skaters, sponsored by GoldenSkate!
- Joined
- Mar 15, 2014
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2015
well I'm a masochist clearly cause everytime I promise myself not to watch T&T more & still chicken & check it out
haha thankfully with TEB recap I'll know better b/c trashing of V/T & another Liza put down would be really NOT for mah patience
Does Mao Asada need to add facial expressions to her short program?
no
Should Javier Fernandez attempt three quads?
yep
Can the Titanic program be fixed?
She should get more energetic programms ala JLO. but anyway TSL won't love it no matter what - its Lena after all, the same old comments to be expected about her, frantic arms, bad posture bla bla bla
Is dandelion yellow ever okay on the ice?
may be
Does Iyanla need to bring Elena and Nikita back together?
SK has huge potential so no & imo with Vika Nick is more of a partner, more considerate & less selfish. They have more harmony even tho less charisma than IK
Who was your best dressed?
Lena Radio obviously & Zijun
haha thankfully with TEB recap I'll know better b/c trashing of V/T & another Liza put down would be really NOT for mah patience
Does Mao Asada need to add facial expressions to her short program?
no
Should Javier Fernandez attempt three quads?
yep
Can the Titanic program be fixed?
She should get more energetic programms ala JLO. but anyway TSL won't love it no matter what - its Lena after all, the same old comments to be expected about her, frantic arms, bad posture bla bla bla
Is dandelion yellow ever okay on the ice?
may be
Does Iyanla need to bring Elena and Nikita back together?
SK has huge potential so no & imo with Vika Nick is more of a partner, more considerate & less selfish. They have more harmony even tho less charisma than IK
Who was your best dressed?
Lena Radio obviously & Zijun
Last edited:
- Joined
- Nov 24, 2006
Word... I'm trying hard to understand why some people are THAT sensitive or just ready to be offended by anything. I LOVED Dave's Russian accent, and thought it showed how talented he is. Racist though? I mean, WHAT? Isn't his skating coach Russian? He loves Russian skaters. And using the term trashy or slutty is just descriptive. If I said someone's skating was so Eurotrash, it would probably be easy to imagine what I'm describing, and it's not 'racist'.
I didn't realize that having fun with accents is now considered 'racist'. I do a good German accent (vee have our vays....) because one of my favorite professors had a thick German accent. Didn't realize that is now 'racist'. Good grief, people. Get a life. Turn off your computer and live in silence and darkness if you are that thin-skinned.
There has been entirely too much of 'Leonardo whispering sweet nothings' in programs this year. (actually it may be just 2 times, but it's still too much.:handw
Sadly, Leonardo is in M-T&M's R&J free program as well. And Jorik Hendrickx's Titanic program. And Roman Sadovsky's R&J program. So that's five right there (with Han Yan & Elena). Possibly not the whole list. Bizarre.
Last edited:
Does Mao Asada need to add facial expressions to her short program?
Personally, I've always been in the minority and found Mao to be a little emotionally vacant although not as much so as Yuna. I would say I'd like her to give more face but given her pcs, all she needs to do to be world champion is execute her elements.
Should Javier Fernandez attempt three quads?
Yes,jumps are the only possible advantage he has on the other big contenders. He needs to try to capitalize.
Can the Titanic program be fixed?
Ehhhh Elena is campy; the program is campy. I'm more amused than upset. Adding the Southampton piece of the soundtrack that would complement her frantic skating and give her a necklace to throw.
Is dandelion yellow ever okay on the ice?
It somehow worked for Ashley, it does NOT work on Hicks. Can we send her to peter and Mark in Boston for packaging? Because her coaches have failed her.
Does Iyanla need to bring Elena and Nikita back together?
She needed to make them come to Jesus in the spring/summer of 2014. At this point or at least this quad, it's too late.
Who was your best dressed?
Mao's SP pink dress? Not a lot of inspired fashion in China. Oh and Madison Chock across both programs.
Dave, curious to know what you think this loss means in the long game for Chock and Bates? Is it a death knell to their world title bid to be beaten by a team a lot of us had written off as should have retired after their world title gift? Last year C/B came into the final as the top seed. Now they're looking at maybe third seed. But perhaps it's too early to tell- P/C are a question mark, Rostelecom has W/P, C/L, I/Z and both Elena and Nikita. A lot can still happen with the points.
Personally, I've always been in the minority and found Mao to be a little emotionally vacant although not as much so as Yuna. I would say I'd like her to give more face but given her pcs, all she needs to do to be world champion is execute her elements.
Should Javier Fernandez attempt three quads?
Yes,jumps are the only possible advantage he has on the other big contenders. He needs to try to capitalize.
Can the Titanic program be fixed?
Ehhhh Elena is campy; the program is campy. I'm more amused than upset. Adding the Southampton piece of the soundtrack that would complement her frantic skating and give her a necklace to throw.
Is dandelion yellow ever okay on the ice?
It somehow worked for Ashley, it does NOT work on Hicks. Can we send her to peter and Mark in Boston for packaging? Because her coaches have failed her.
Does Iyanla need to bring Elena and Nikita back together?
She needed to make them come to Jesus in the spring/summer of 2014. At this point or at least this quad, it's too late.
Who was your best dressed?
Mao's SP pink dress? Not a lot of inspired fashion in China. Oh and Madison Chock across both programs.
Dave, curious to know what you think this loss means in the long game for Chock and Bates? Is it a death knell to their world title bid to be beaten by a team a lot of us had written off as should have retired after their world title gift? Last year C/B came into the final as the top seed. Now they're looking at maybe third seed. But perhaps it's too early to tell- P/C are a question mark, Rostelecom has W/P, C/L, I/Z and both Elena and Nikita. A lot can still happen with the points.
I think it's dangerous to call people racist who aren't, because it belittles the problem. This world is a dark place and I think it would be sad to miss a innocent laugh because everyone has to think constantly about who might be offended when they're making a joke or trying to be funny.
If somebody offends you: tell them! If you can't do that and it's actually harmless try not to listen. If it isn't harmless further steps have to be taken of course. But don't place them all under the same umbrella.
If somebody offends you: tell them! If you can't do that and it's actually harmless try not to listen. If it isn't harmless further steps have to be taken of course. But don't place them all under the same umbrella.
Peter Liebers? You mean Jorik Hendrixx from Belgium? Or did I somehow miss that Peter is skating to Titanic as well?
Who knew Leonardo di Caprio would be like the Phantom of the Opera of spoken word in skating programs?
I learned Russian from Pimsleur. I imitate my coach, Natasha, in her accent because it is important to capture how earnest and sincere she is about her comments. The best part about her comments is that she is serious and never even trying to be funny. There is no racist intent. I learned Russian because I wanted to be able to watch documentaries about the Russian ballet, Russian gymnastics and figure skating. I am a BIG fan of many Russian coaches in skaters. In case you were wondering, I'm a major fan of Obraztsova, Lopatkina, Vishneyva and Nureyev. My favorite ballets are The Legend of Love and Don Quixote. I would call myself of the Marina Zueva, Tamara Moskvina school of Russian style, emphasizing long, clean lines and incorporating elements of the ballet. Granted, many of those coaches did move to other countries and I'm not ignorant of the amazing influence they have had on all four disciplines of skating around the globe.
If we are talking of the other Russian style of multiple music edits, poofy costumes, gloves, arm waving, etc, I'm not a fan. (Think any time a young Russian girl comes up doing a Broadway show tunes medley that her choreographer found of music from the 40s, 50s and 60s (Baiul '94, Slutskaya '96), Plushenko's programs 2001-onward, Urmanov etc.) At the same time, I am the first to say that Urmanov and Plushenko have brilliant jumps.
There are styles and techniques that are characteristically Russian. Just as there is a Canadian style. And an American style. We try to have fun with all of it.
I simply don't think Jessica Rabbit is really all that appropriate for a figure skating competition.
I would say avantgardener did a great job of explaining my humor or lack thereof.
I would be Radionova's biggest supporter if she worked on her posture and moving her limbs in a restrained, lyrical way. Part of the problem is that her programs are always loaded with back crossovers. She doesn't have the longest of necks and it cuts the line and is very glaring. I adore her vivacious personality and think she is just being underutilized with her current choreography. She has long gorgeous limbs and could really be a stunning skater.
Last edited:
Well, i disagree...
It is not ok to call people trashy or slutty, no matter the irony and the context. Because this is a sort of things people are not supposed to understand it the way you mean it, no matter how flattering and ironic you intended it, or whatever the allusions you wanted to make.
It is not ok to call people trashy or slutty, no matter the irony and the context. Because this is a sort of things people are not supposed to understand it the way you mean it, no matter how flattering and ironic you intended it, or whatever the allusions you wanted to make.
If someone is going to take offense to me pointing out that arm waving, big poofy costumes with large lace collars, strange clashing colors, and choreography that has little to do with the music is a bit tacky, I'm not going to apologize. It isn't a matter of nationalism. It is a matter of taste. I believe we are harsher on the Americans and Canadians than we are on anyone else.
I also believe you have used the word slutty in this thread more times than I have used it in the last nine years.
I meant that the Jessica Rabbit program was inappropriate for a competition where 'Artistic Impression' was considered the second mark for many years. It had a cheap, unrefined quality and was being used to mask a weakness in the second mark.
It isn't great for Chock and Bates. Ice Dance is a political game. It isn't over. They certainly aren't a convincing front runner. If they can really work on their power and speed, they can become contenders. Seeing them in person, they simply don't command the ice with the same speed, authority and conviction of the great teams of the last decade. That isn't meant to be Anti-American, Anti-Russian (because Igor is their main coach), Anti-Asian (because Madison's of Hawaiian-Chinese descent) or Anti-Gingers. They simply aren't inherently better than the rest of the field. The top teams are all rather even. We haven't seen the French. If the French can be as strong as they were last season, the other teams are in trouble. Once a Russian team can set itself apart, I expect them to rise. Either Elena/Ruslan or Nikita/Viktoria will need to really become consistent from event to event. I could also see Bobrova and Soloviev climbing this season.
- Joined
- Dec 21, 2011
Hi Dave, I am actually wondering about your comments on Anna P. I'm not going to argue with you about whether her performance and general skating has shown improvement since I do think it's largely a matter of personal impression/perhaps taste, but I am wondering if you and Jenny really don't see any improvement in her spins? I've been saying for years that her spins genuinely scare me, but on the whole they look a lot more secure and stable to me this year. Do you guys not feel this?
Thanks.
In response to your own questions:
Does Mao Asada need to add facial expressions to her short program? I think Mao's the rare skater that truly expresses most everything well with her body and so she's the rare skater that really doesn't need much face. I think it's fine.
Should Javier Fernandez attempt three quads? If he wants any hope of repeating as WC I think he has to try, yeah.
Can the Titanic program be fixed? I think removing the spoken words would help enormously and be a good start.
Is dandelion yellow ever okay on the ice? Not for Courtney. I do have to disagree with Jenny that the color couldn't work on anyone though- I can think of several people with much darker skin tones who might pull it off quite well, like Meite for example.
Does Iyanla need to bring Elena and Nikita back together? I highly doubt this would be possible at this point.
Who was your best dressed? Zijun Li! Great costumes, too bad about her performances:dumb:
Thanks.
In response to your own questions:
Does Mao Asada need to add facial expressions to her short program? I think Mao's the rare skater that truly expresses most everything well with her body and so she's the rare skater that really doesn't need much face. I think it's fine.
Should Javier Fernandez attempt three quads? If he wants any hope of repeating as WC I think he has to try, yeah.
Can the Titanic program be fixed? I think removing the spoken words would help enormously and be a good start.
Is dandelion yellow ever okay on the ice? Not for Courtney. I do have to disagree with Jenny that the color couldn't work on anyone though- I can think of several people with much darker skin tones who might pull it off quite well, like Meite for example.
Does Iyanla need to bring Elena and Nikita back together? I highly doubt this would be possible at this point.
Who was your best dressed? Zijun Li! Great costumes, too bad about her performances:dumb:
To be honest, I'm slightly baffled by the almost cold-war-esque US vs. Russian mentality that seems to be very prevalent on Golden Skate. Dave & Jenny are American commentators, they certainly focus more on the American skaters (esp. the lower ranked American skaters in comparison to lower ranked international skaters), but their criticism is equal opportunity. The idea that they are "anti-Russian" or more harsh in their criticism of Russian skaters compared to skaters from other countries is just...silly. I actually think their criticism of the Canadian ladies is almost always more harsh than anything they've said about Russian ladies. And they've used "trashy" to describe skaters from all over the world (including America! Tarah-with-an-h!), its one of their go-to "keepin' it real" descriptors. Frankly (and maybe this is the American in me, haha), I prefer people to just say what they mean instead of trying to be nice for the sake of keeping everyone happy. I don't know, it bothers me to see people come in to this thread, which they know Dave is reading, and make all sorts of accusations about his character (also, I'm sorry, but offensive =/= racist, and it is frankly OFFENSIVE to use the word racist in this context). I think it's really an amazing thing that Dave & Jenny have gone out of their way to create content for fans of figure skating, and particularly in the US where we get maybe an hour a week of coverage on TV, I really appreciate them. I'm glad that they're relentlessly honest, and if it's difficult for fans of particular skaters to hear criticism about those skaters than frankly this is not the show for them.
I think her spins have improved. I'm not sure if I was ever frightened, but she isn't really a skater that I care to go back and watch other than if I'm analyzing a competition.
I do think some added facial expressions in the middle of Mao's short program could help push her components to the upper 9s. We haven't had a lady really attain those marks consistently, largely because no one has excelled in every category necessary. For a flirtatious short program, it certainly adds to the overall performance value. Could you imagine if Sasha Cohen's Malaguena lacked the haughty facial expressions? Sure, her body was expressive, but the facial expressions did take it up a few hundred notches.
In general, I find that the dance event has been rather vacant over the last 18 months as these teams are very much still in development. It was largely expected that Elena and Nikita would have dominated this quad and the last four years certainly set that up. The French would've served as a suitable rival. In their absence, the other teams are very much still in the works.
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2012
Hello, Welcome to Golden Skate. Post Often and Long.
I like your post.
I hope we can all debate and disagree and discuss in a friendly way.
- Joined
- Jan 12, 2015
I fully agree, that routine mimicking the Russian accent is an example of racism (please don't make me bring up obvious examples from the history, it's too repulsive).
Moreover, TSL situation is not harmless. Read some of the comments under their videos, they are gathering a fanbase finding amusement in treating Russian skaters in nonchalant way and playing hard to those sentiments. With their growing viewership numbers, it becomes disturbing tbh. :scowl:
It is intended to be in fun. I don't think Tara-with-an-h! is tacky or trashy. We just turned Jenny's disdain for alternate spellings of names into a fun little quip. One of our aims is to reveal the personalities of the skaters because we don't get the kind of coverage we once did (and even that was often sanitized as skating became more popular). One of the biggest compliments Rafael gave us was that he loved our show because we aren't going to lie to you and say that winning nationals with one triple axel means you're going to medal at Worlds or that the American ladies are going to win the gold.
With tara-with-an-h, she is now more memorable, we showed she has a fun personality in the interview, and you may all root for her and her friendly rivalry with Alexa and Chris.
- Joined
- Mar 23, 2014
I don't see why the people who have a problem with Dave's and Jenny's opinions don't just express their own opinions and explain why they disagree, as others of us in this thread are doing. I've already discussed how much I love Elena's programs and her improvement from last season.
Instead, people are piling on with these ridiculous anti-Russian accusations. It would actually be more productive to just explain your own opinions of the skaters TSL has criticized. As it is right now, it really just seems like some posters cannot deal with criticism of their favorites. You all have actual REASONS why you love your favorites, right?? Talk about WHY you love their skating so much!
Instead, people are piling on with these ridiculous anti-Russian accusations. It would actually be more productive to just explain your own opinions of the skaters TSL has criticized. As it is right now, it really just seems like some posters cannot deal with criticism of their favorites. You all have actual REASONS why you love your favorites, right?? Talk about WHY you love their skating so much!
