Tara & Johnny to host Wedding Cake show

[Persimmons]

Johnny and Tara aren't perfect commentators, but I find them way more positive and engaging than the days of Dick Button and Scott Hamilton growing up. I was so put off by their borderline homophobic and xenophobic commentary that was also laced with no humor or engagement to back it up. Perhaps some find Johnny and Tara's commentary about skating techniques "nasty" but to me it's better than shading people's characters. Glad to see they are expanding their horizons.

 

[CellarDweller]

Can either Johnny or Tara actually Bake? It's one thing when they call out skaters because they've walked a mile in their "Skates" How the heck do they know what great cake is supposed to taste like. It's one thing to go by looks but, what about taste? There a lot of sophisticated cake flavors.....I guess I'll have to watch and see. I wonder if there will be professional tasters like they have on "Beat Bobby Flay" who are separate from the hosts.

I believe that what I bolded above is how it will be. Johnny & Tara are just supplying commentary, and there is a panel of judges who taste and judge the cakes.

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Can either Johnny or Tara actually Bake? It's one thing when they call out skaters because they've walked a mile in their "Skates" How the heck do they know what great cake is supposed to taste like. It's one thing to go by looks but, what about taste? There a lot of sophisticated cake flavors.....I guess I'll have to watch and see. I wonder if there will be professional tasters like they have on "Beat Bobby Flay" who are separate from the hosts.

I'm pretty sure that they're just hosting and there are real judges that know what they are talking about.

 

[karne]

Johnny and Tara aren't perfect commentators, but I find them way more positive and engaging than the days of Dick Button and Scott Hamilton growing up. I was so put off by their borderline homophobic and xenophobic commentary that was also laced with no humor or engagement to back it up. Perhaps some find Johnny and Tara's commentary about skating techniques "nasty" but to me it's better than shading people's characters. Glad to see they are expanding their horizons.

Yes, because referring to one skater's performance as a "manly, burly skate" isn't an insult at all, obviously. Have to hand it to Weir though, way to make it a double backhander. :sarcasm:

 

[Mathman]

Yes, because referring to one skater's performance as a "manly, burly skate" isn't an insult at all, obviously. ...

What's insulting about that? It just describes a skating style, like Elvis Stojko's. Quite a few male pairs skaters are truly "manly and burly," for instance Artur Dmetriev and John Coughlin.

The opposite is lithe and willowy. You pay your money and you take your choice. OK, Max Aaron is not as "burly" as David Pelletier (or even as Brian Boitano) -- still, there is something charmingly smash-mouth about his skating, at least to me.

 

[lesnar001]

Johnny and Tara aren't perfect commentators, but I find them way more positive and engaging than the days of Dick Button and Scott Hamilton growing up. I was so put off by their borderline homophobic and xenophobic commentary that was also laced with no humor or engagement to back it up. Perhaps some find Johnny and Tara's commentary about skating techniques "nasty" but to me it's better than shading people's characters. Glad to see they are expanding their horizons.

I like Johnny & Tara except when they feel the need to go into "Reality TV Mode" and get snarky, throw shade, or whatever else seems "edgy".

I disagree with the assessment of Dick Button and Scott Hamilton, though.

Maybe I wasn't paying enough attention over the years, but I don't recall any homophobic commentary from them.

Dick Button was very opinionated and sometimes could be insulting to skaters, but I don't recall anything homophobic.

I found that Scott Hamilton usually was very positive in his commentary and I cannot recall him ever being insulting to skaters.

As a matter of fact, I am glad that Scott stilled played a prominent role in NBC's coverage of the Olympics even though not on commentary.

 

[ice coverage]

Hasn't the article cited in the OP been clear all along about the hosting vs. judging thing? (Emphasis added below.)

… Figure skater and Lancaster County native Johnny Weir continues to expand his television profile — this time moving into hosting a baking competition on the Food Network. The TV personality, who grew up in Quarryville, will host the new “Wedding Cake Championship,” premiering on Food Network next month. His co-host will be his longtime broadcasting partner, fellow Olympic figure skater Tara Lipinski.

... Judges are baker Kimberly Bailey, Maneet Chauhan from the network's "Chopped" and celebrity wedding planner David Tutera. ...

Johnny and Tara are hosting this competition -- analogous to Tom Bergeron hosting DWTS.

Two judges for the Food Network show are culinary professionals and one is from the wedding industry -- analogous to Carrie Ann Inaba, et al.

---

... OK, Max Aaron is not as "burly" as David Pelletier (or even as Brian Boitano) -- still, there is something charmingly smash-mouth about his skating, at least to me.

One dictionary definition of "smashmouth": "characterized by brute force without finesse."

It makes me sad (understatement) that you would use the term about Max's skating, even preceded by "charmingly."
Even without getting into a debate about other aspects of his skating, I would say that it is possible to execute jumps either with or without finesse. More often than not, Max's jumps did have finesse.

Just my opinion, but I doubt that Max would take "smash-mouth" as something positive.

 

[Mathman]

Just my opinion, but I doubt that Max would take "smash-mouth" as something positive.

I guess I need to write my own dictionary. To me, in the context of sports, "smash-mouth" means an attitude: You say to your opponents, "You come in here with that weak stuff against me? Against me?"

My favorite skater Michelle Kwan was a smash-mouth skater. "You want some of me? Take that! (triple Lutz). Now take that! (triple flip). And now for the coup de grace: Take THIS (inside-outside spiral). Eat your hearts out, chumps. Now I'll do a little victory dance on your face (step sequence).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWQSoIEAxns

 

[ice coverage]

I guess I need to write my own dictionary. To me, in the context of sports, "smash-mouth" means an attitude: You say to your opponents, "You come in here with that weak stuff against me? Against me?"

My favorite skater Michelle Kwan was a smash-mouth skater. "You want some of me? Take that! (triple Lutz). Now take that! (triple flip). And now for the coup de grace: Take THIS (inside-outside spiral). Eat your hearts out, chumps. Now I'll do a little victory dance on your face (step sequence).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWQSoIEAxns

Thanks for the explanation re your definition.

But I'm sorta confused because the conversation [ETA: your posts, to be more precise] went from likening (to some extent) "manly" and "burly" to "smash-mouth"/Max ... to likening "smash-mouth" to Michelle Kwan.

So "manly" and "burly" = Michelle Kwan, to some extent?

(And Max Aaron = Michelle Kwan? OK, I'll take it. )

ETA: And I believe your definition of an attitude a la MK would not bother Max.​

 

[chopinskate]

My favorite skater Michelle Kwan was a smash-mouth skater. "You want some of me? Take that! (triple Lutz). Now take that! (triple flip). And now for the coup de grace: Take THIS (inside-outside spiral). Eat your hearts out, chumps. Now I'll do a little victory dance on your face (step sequence).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWQSoIEAxns

I'm imagining her doing Tosca in American Football gear now

(Sidenote: Didn't even need to open the link to know it would be Tosca Nats '04 )

 

[noskates]

Johnny and Tara aren't perfect commentators, but I find them way more positive and engaging than the days of Dick Button and Scott Hamilton growing up. I was so put off by their borderline homophobic and xenophobic commentary that was also laced with no humor or engagement to back it up. Perhaps some find Johnny and Tara's commentary about skating techniques "nasty" but to me it's better than shading people's characters. Glad to see they are expanding their horizons.

Thank you! Thank you! I have always found the adoration for Dick Button way curious. He was extremely prejudiced, steeped in "what used to happen" and totally not current. I found him so abrasive that I even wrote to the network one time and asked that he be removed. He ruined more competitions for me. I'll never forget one quote of his that really summed up where he was in the skating world: and I quote "a beautifully executed spiral is way more important that landing a triple jump!" Seriously? Reallly? Were you living under a rock? He had his favorites and if you didn't find yourself in that rarified air than you were toast.

Johnny is critical, yes, but his opinions are set in what's being judged. I find that the people who dislike him are the result of him calling it as he sees it with their favorites.

You don't have to be a baker to moderate a baking contest!! Just like you don't have to ride a racehorse to comment on the Kentucky Derby. It's all relative.

 

[lesnar001]

Thanks for the explanation re your definition.

But I'm sorta confused because the conversation went from likening (to some extent) "manly" and "burly" to "smash-mouth"/Max ... to likening "smash-mouth" to Michelle Kwan.

So "manly" and "burly" = Michelle Kwan, to some extent?

(And Max Aaron = Michelle Kwan? OK, I'll take it. )

And I never thought I'd see "manly" and "burly" used in the same sentence as "Michelle Kwan".

 

[lesnar001]

I'm imagining her doing Tosca in Aemrican Football gear now

(Sidenote: Didn't even need to open the link to know it would be Tosca Nats '04 )

Her agent could be "Jerry Maguire" - whose client Rod Tidwell used to go on about "having the Kwan"

 

[karne]

What's insulting about that? It just describes a skating style, like Elvis Stojko's. Quite a few male pairs skaters are truly "manly and burly," for instance Artur Dmetriev and John Coughlin.

The opposite is lithe and willowy. You pay your money and you take your choice. OK, Max Aaron is not as "burly" as David Pelletier (or even as Brian Boitano) -- still, there is something charmingly smash-mouth about his skating, at least to me.

I can't believe this needs to be explained.

Weir was referring to Max as "manly and burly" as an insult because he meant that Max was "not artistic, not smooth, not a graceful lyrical skater". It's also a double backhander because it also indirectly insulted Joshua, Jason and Adam, since it implied that they were not "manly" because they skated in an opposing style. Which is hypocrisy at its finest coming from Weir.

This was also the same event where Weir spent most of Max's SP snarking about how Max wasn't as artistic as Joshua, and then spent most of Joshua's FS snarking about how Jason was a "choroegraphed artist".

 

[Mathman]

And I never thought I'd see "manly" and "burly" used in the same sentence as "Michelle Kwan".

How about "robust"? Michelle is like a robust red wine. Here she is right now!

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bjn86EAAK5C/?taken-by=michellewkwan

https://www.instagram.com/p/BiXd72PArDE/?hl=en&taken-by=michellewkwan

Anyway, we can all look forward to Johnny presenting a lot of robust wedding cakes on his show, like the one he wore on his head at the Kentucky Derby.

https://s2.r29static.com//bin/entry/0fd/0,8,2000,1500/x/1589151/image.png

 

[Persimmons]

We all have different things that tick us off, and I can't obviously remember everything I heard from Dick and Scott's mouths, but I know it made me feel lesser and uncomfortable, and bad for the skaters. Perhaps some people feel the same about Johnny's "burly" commentary, to each their own. I find I can identify with Johnny more because of his personality, and he obviously isn't for everyone. Also, I stand by what I said about Dick Button's xenophobic comments. Really unnecessary. Scott is much better in this regard, and I think he's gotten more fair with time which is nice to see. Dick has not.

I will say, though, that if we want this sport to appeal to a new generation in America, I think T&J are the right step forward. Maybe once people watch more FS they'll realize the faults in their commentary (as everyone who commentates have, and everyone is biased and sensitive when it comes to their favs, fair enough) and research more about the sport, get engaged, criticize, etc.

 

[moonvine]

Gah. I'm sick of both of them.

 

[Lamente Ariane]

I don't see why we have to choose solely between Dick Button and the Tara & Johnny show. Personally I want more commentary like what Tanith is doing for ice dance right now: actually informative, thoughtful and when she has a criticism she explains it clearly and concisely without letting negativity take over the rest of her comments on the program. And above all, respectful.

(There's no excuse for some of the comments T&J have made. Calling Kolyada "oatmeal", claiming US Pairs are just bad skaters that couldn't cut it in singles, moaning about how much they hated Ivett Toth's choice of SP music and barely saying a word about her actual skating...)

 

[moonvine]

You don't have to be a baker to moderate a baking contest!! Just like you don't have to ride a racehorse to comment on the Kentucky Derby. It's all relative.

I would want a baker judging my baking contest and not a figure skating commentator. They don't *comment* on the Derby, they make a million dollar julep and snark on people's fashion choices. It's like fingernails on a blackboard to me. I DVR the race so I can skip over all their nonsense.

 

[Mathman]

Johnny and Tara aren't perfect commentators, but I find them way more positive and engaging than the days of Dick Button and Scott Hamilton growing up. I was so put off by their borderline homophobic and xenophobic commentary that was also laced with no humor or engagement to back it up.

In Dick Button's case, I think it was the times more so than the individual. The figure skating establishment and TV networks were afraid that someone might come out and that would be the death of skating. Button himself was once attacked in Central Park by a gang of thugs out targeting gays. The police "cleaned it up" by saying the criminals got carried away and beat up some straight people, too.