Is The Idea Of American Figure Skating's 'Ice Princess' Dead?

[gammarae]

Am I the only one who remembers the time when the female single skater competition was referred to as Women's Program? Then someone decided that wasn't "refined" enough, so we went back to "Ladies." I say if it is "Ladies" the other side should be "Gentlemen" to keep it balanced.

 

[gkelly]

It's always officially been "ladies" since 1902.

Sometimes commentators or posters say "women" instead to sound less old-fashioned and sexist in the late 20th/early 21st century.

 

[shiroKJ]

It's always officially been "ladies" since 1902.

Sometimes commentators or posters say "women" instead to sound less old-fashioned and sexist in the late 20th/early 21st century.

I always enjoy your posts gkelly . Its like I'm taking a class on Figure skating and I love it!

 

[Jammers]

No female American skaters have ever appealed to me. The lot of them are the cutesy litte miss something type. They do produce trashy types like Harding and Wagner once in a while but they don't appeal to me either. Why can't they produce elegant skaters like Mao and Yuna? The closest I can think of is Kwan but she still seemed unrefined to me.

Yeah right because Fleming,Lynn, Hamil, Kwan, Cohen were truck drivers on ice.

 

[minze]

Except Ashley sounds like she owns Nationals when she calls it "my title". The only skater that I remember "owning" it in my lifetime was the Kween!

And that is reality.

 

[CutieP]

Yeah right because Fleming,Lynn, Hamil, Kwan, Cohen were truck drivers on ice.

Zamboni drivers

 

[TwinnerA]

Sometimes I don't like some things what Ashley says in her interviews but I love her skating and personally I like Ashley more than ''all the time smiling princess'' Gracie.It doesn't mean I hate Gracie because it's not true she had some great programs I'm just saying I like Ashley more.

I didn't see a hint of a smile from Gracie during the press conference!

 

[witcher]

No, it isn't.

Just look at Courtney Hicks position after clean, energetic and engaging SP skate.
The only skater that wasn't boring to me yesterday.

 

[Plisskin]

Yeah right because Fleming,Lynn, Hamil, Kwan, Cohen were truck drivers on ice.

Lol I know right? It's annoying when people make sweeping generalizations based on fiction.

 

[Mathman]

I think the decline of the ice princess is part of a larger cultural evolution. The "glamorous Hollywood movie star" is dead, too. The "wholesome Miss America" is dead.

 

[Meoima]

I am waiting for someone like Debi Thomas to appear again.

 

[CutieP]

I think the decline of the ice princess is part of a larger cultural evolution. The "glamorous Hollywood movie star" is dead, too. The "wholesome Miss America" is dead.

These days a woman is so cheaply sexualised that our culture no longer has the "patience" to create these icons.

 

[rollerblade]

"Trashy type" Wagner actually has two elegant programs this season, despite the fact she comes across as hypercompetitive in interviews.

Come on now. I don't think I'd classify her Moulin Rouge program as "elegant".

 

[Sophie-Anna]

I didn't see a hint of a smile from Gracie during the press conference! ��

I'm watching the press conference right now and you're right I just had feeling during the GP season she was just smiling all the time maybe too much. Now I'm not so sure.

 

[gammarae]

It's always officially been "ladies" since 1902.

Sometimes commentators or posters say "women" instead to sound less old-fashioned and sexist in the late 20th/early 21st century.

Thank you for correcting my memory. And may I also say, then we are WAY OVERDUE for a change.

 

[skateluvr]

Why is is some posters can call a national champion of 3 times trashy and others get warned for nothing? Hypocricacy begins at home. I was shocked to see Ashley called trashy in the same breathe as the admitted criminal accomplice called Tonya Harding. Tonya was very rough but she had it tough. I feel for her always did but her subsequent life and jobs earned her the adjective. And many know in their hearts she knew the plot from day 1. I feel sad and don't like to even call Tonya trailer trash because she did more with her talent than most and had she a family like Nancy Kerrigans she might be an Olympic medalist and commentator herself.

Surprising what sneaks by. Not very fair.

 

[Mathman]

These days a woman is so cheaply sexualised that our culture no longer has the "patience" to create these icons.

I would say it is the opposite. In those days women were marginalized and slotted into sex roles like Miss America, Movie star, Ice princess. The demise of those stereotypes is a step in the right direction. The least figure skating can do is try to keep up.

 

[lefeury]

In regards to Ashley Wagner, Johnny said something along the lines of "She threw down the ice and ripped her weave out" not sure of the exact words, but that does not sound like a princess,, That sounds like a beautiful warrior.

 

[SoundtracksOnIce]

m She's obviously a modern, more cheerleader type but when she smiles at the part of the music when the man dies, it's obvious she doesn't really understand what she's skating to and or really care.

I would have to watch the program again to see the specific moment (I have never seen Phantom) but off and it could be the difference between interpreting the music itself versus portraying the appropriate character. For example if you took Yuna Kim's cut of "On My Own" from Les Miserables - the character of Eponine is very tragic (musical version, not the novel) and it's a very serious song. So if you wanted to portray Eponine, you definitely should not be smiling at that part. But if you're just skating and interpret what the piece means to you, smiling would be perfectly appropriate, because that cut is very uplifting. It sounds like some kind of powerful reunion or recovery moment.

 

[Krunchii]

I would have to watch the program again to see the specific moment (I have never seen Phantom) but off and it could be the difference between interpreting the music itself versus portraying the appropriate character. For example if you took Yuna Kim's cut of "On My Own" from Les Miserables - the character of Eponine is very tragic (musical version, not the novel) and it's a very serious song. So if you wanted to portray Eponine, you definitely should not be smiling at that part. But if you're just skating and interpret what the piece means to you, smiling would be perfectly appropriate, because that cut is very uplifting. It sounds like some kind of powerful reunion or recovery moment.

I haven't seen the musical in a while, it was not when someone was dying sorry, it was Christine singing to her late father for guidance at his grave because she is confused between the Phantom and Raoul. It's kind of dramatic situation, you should watch the musical, I loved it, this song was kind of like the calm before the storm.
http://youtu.be/U37C2atFEgQ?t=1m38s
Here Gracie is smiling during her spiral here when Sarah Brightman is singing "Wishing you were somehow here again"
Like a longing smile could work but it's just a pageanty smile that doesn't match. I realized after rewatching the SA LP, there's been some tweaks to match choreography better to the music but it's still not doing it for me. She doesn't feel the music nor do I feel like she's telling the story.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXY70Oml86w
If you see Sarah Brightman, when she starts to sing the chorus, she is staring off into the distance, kind of closes her eyes as if to reminisce and it fits the moment, there's a music video for this song too and she is staring into the camera, looking kind of forlorn, wide eyed, because on the inside, she's feeling very troubled