Irina Article In Russian

Mathman · Apr 10, 2006

On the other issue -- whether the COI audience cares if it is two-time Olympic medalist/two time World Champion/seven time European Champion Irina Slutskaya out there, or some other Russian chick -- the most popular acts on COI are the acrobats and the hula hoop girl.

They could fire Irina, Michelle and Sasha, but as long as they've got Besedin and Polishchuk and Irina Grigorian :love:

, they've got a show.

(Interestingly, Irina G. is Irina S.'s best friend on tour, and Alexei Polishchuk was best man at Evgeny Plushenko's wedding. :rock:

)

MM

SeaniBu · Apr 10, 2006

America is a refection

of all culture and diversity. Youngest country on the "superpower list"(if there really is a list anymore) and founded with the influence of all that came, destroyed what was here and then grew from the cultural influences the "immigrant's" brought with. Often we are the scape goat on others wanting to blame or hate something that is distant from themselves. People hardly ever admit fault, and pointing out others flaws, makes them feel better and distracts focus on them.

Common rule - The things that bother you the most, are things that bother you about yourself.

So if she is thinking that we don't see the flaws in her - Akkida owing, belly button 9 ear tongue piercing, showgirl mentality that obviously wasn't apart of her countries influence - oh well (perfect is unbearable to me). I still think she's "smoken," just not as much as I once did. Now she is going for the "cantankerous old fart." - what a doll :love:

As far as the "burger thing," I have to agree. It's a live performance and really disrespectful to the performer. I kinda sends a negative message, "I don't care how hard you worked on this, or if you are right in front of me. I am so focused on my own gluttonous behavior I don't feel like I should respect you at all." On the same point I respect him for being hungry and feeling like he has every right to eat when he wants. Particularly if he payed high dollars to get that close. I don't think she knows about the correlation between food and "lovey stuff." She needs to watch 9 1/2 Weeks. Shouldn't surprise her then.

Anyone else picturing Homer Simpson?

Crizzy · Apr 10, 2006

think that was just a comment on the many Asian faces in the audience. Let's face it, there aren't normally too many African American or Hispanic faces at the skating shows (why is a topic of a whole different thread), which leaves Caucasian and Asian.

Really, have you done a head count? I would imagine that with the dark lights it would be impossible to find out the status of every nationality in the audience.

I find her comments pretentious in thinking America is superficial. I'm not even an American citizen but I have lived in this country for quite some time and also love my birth country. Perhaps, Irina could use a road trip so she can be expose more to the other side of America instead of making judgmental and biased opinions of a country she never even dare to explore. I guess with her limited brain capacity the only thing worth visiting is the shopping malls and Vegas. Sad, really.

Imagine the US skaters making comments like that, they would be crucified. I guess there's a double standards when it comes to Irina. When she speaks it's gospel but when other skaters make a comment not as remotely insulting to one nation, they're rude bastards.

hockeyfan228 · Apr 10, 2006

Mathman said:
Anton Sikharudlize is another one who knows how to play. Every interview he does, it's all about how wonderful the North American audiences are, how supportive, how knowledgable about figure skating, oh joy, oh rapture. (In the mean time, he's staring up a restaurant chain back home in Russia.)

Why shouldn't he open up a restaurant chain back home in Russia? That doesn't reflect on how much he likes or dislikes the US (or Japan or Europe where he also tours). All of those people in the US who feel flattered aren't heading to St. Petersburg to eat at his restaurants.

It's very possible to appreciate other cultures and other audiences without dismissing one's own culture. (Alexei Tikhonov has also made very gracious statements about NA audiences.)

Now if Sikharulidze started a restaurant chain in the US and gave out interviews about how much he liked the US, then I might think he was sucking up to drum up business

Mathman · Apr 10, 2006

Well, of course he should open up some restaurants in Russia! That was my point.

In the mean time, if you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with.

krenseby · Apr 10, 2006

Re: You have to pretend

Well let me tell you someting, Irina knows how to pretend and be brutally honest at the same time. During a Russian interview, she pretends to be in love with Russian audiences, and extols them sky-high. Dismissing an American audience in the same interview does nothing but reinforce the Russians feeling of being Irina's darlings, since the people abroad are such uncultured heathens. I think Irina really believed she could let out all her bitterness against COI and American culture because no one over there would read it. Think about it - it's actually like Ptichka said: Irina was complaining about her boss (COI) in the privacy of her home (Russia).. Except the walls of the Russian press aren't as study, because the Internet has plenty of translators. So, think of the act of translating this interview the same as a boss eavesdropping on an employee whining about him in at home. Irina has never said anything of the sort to Americans. She clearly intended to keep this frustration with COI in the Russian press and away from American ears. As others have mentioned, Irina comes across as very sweet and warm in her American interviews. So Irina is trying to give the impression that she loves it here, even though it's obviously a pain. That gets her either some praise for trying to pretend to love it here, or contempt for being a fake.

Mathman said:
But you have to pretend! This is show business!

Look at Michelle. I would love to be a fly on the wall to hear what the COI skaters say to each other back stage, about the audience, about Tom Collins, about the hotel and team bus, about each other, after 60 shows in 60 days. Yet every time Michelle takes the ice she's like, "What could possibly compare with the joy I'm feeling right now to be out here skating for YOU ,, Anton Sikharudlize is another one who knows how to play. Every interview he does, it's all about how wonderful the North American audiences are,, Evan Lysacek (my boy!) squeezed in a little Russian tour after between the Olympics and Worlds. He loved everything about it, especially the wonderful Russian audiences -- they were so nice to him! --
MM

Mathman · Apr 10, 2006

Well, really, I think we are making a mountain out of a molehill. Everybody likes some things about their work and finds other aspects a pain. Everybody complains to one person while buttering up another. Everyone is cheerful one day, annoyed and testy the next.

hockeyfan228 · Apr 10, 2006

Crizzy said:
Perhaps, Irina could use a road trip so she can be expose more to the other side of America instead of making judgmental and biased opinions of a country she never even dare to explore.

As a Jersey girl, I found a great advantage in people thinking that the only thing the state consisted of was an ugly highway and horrible industrial smells. It got lots of people out of the state, fast!

hockeyfan228 · Apr 10, 2006

Mathman said:
In the mean time, if you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with.

Now I have that song running through my head

flutterby1145 · Apr 10, 2006

For someone that dislikes American culture, American people/audiences and the country in general, she sure does love American money.

lou · Apr 10, 2006

I think she was referring to Chinese audiences in China not to Asian-Americans in that quote. She's putting Americans and Chinese in the same category.

Joesitz (RIP) · Apr 10, 2006

Does anyone think she might be saying nasty things about America because she doesn't want to make her Russian fans think the Americans are better than them.? She just might be buttering up fans from both sides of the ocean.

Joe

kyla2 · Apr 10, 2006

More Thoughts

Joe, I don't think for one minute Irina was trying to butter up the Russian audiences. I frimly believe she meant what she said, but I also think she didn't have a clue as to how much internet coverage this was going to get. I think as the years have gone by, she has become increasingly more cynical and angry. I have no problem with her skating for the money, with her mother's illness, GOD knows she needs it. I do have a MAJOR problem with her dumping all over America and the American audiences who pay for her performances. She also has an obligation to Tom Collins. I guarantee you they would not appreciate this type of interview and would tell her so in no uncertain terms if they were made aware of it. Her interview reflected immaturity, unprofessionalism, and ungraciousness. It also hit home how untrustworthy she is. In the future, when she is smiling to Peter and telling him just how happy she is to be skating in the good old USA, I will always know otherwise from now on. As for the other skaters, I don't think disingenuousness is a common character flaw they share with Irina.

SeaniBu · Apr 10, 2006

Mathman said:
Well, really, I think we are making a mountain out of a molehill. Everybody likes some things about their work and finds other aspects a pain. Everybody complains to one person while buttering up another. Everyone is cheerful one day, annoyed and testy the next.

Words to live by, Thank you for putting it so bluntly. This is something the world needs to hear. You / we / all that are aware, find that people are hypocritical of Hypocrites all the time.

kyla2 · Apr 11, 2006

Moral Relativism

Seanibu and Mathman, I couldn't disagree more. That's a kind of moral relativism. Sometimes a jerk is really a jerk. Irina is exactly what she appears to be and what her words betray her to be. I sure wouldn't want to call her "friend."

guinevere · Apr 11, 2006

kyla2 said:
Seanibu and Mathman, I couldn't disagree more. That's a kind of moral relativism. Sometimes a jerk is really a jerk. Irina is exactly what she appears to be and what her words betray her to be. I sure wouldn't want to call her "friend."

Fortunately for you both, I don't think that's going to be an issue.

I'm pretty certain that someone at Tom Collins has seen these interviews. The reaction online has been pretty noticeable, and I'm sure someone has sent a translated version to TPTB. I don't expect anything to come of it unless there's a full-on boycott of the tour. As if!

Irina can be quite graceless when speaking to the Russian media, but it really doesn't bother me at all. I certainly don't take it personally, or as a screed against my country.

antmanb · Apr 11, 2006

Mathman said:
But the other side of the coin is, the kind of work she does is entertaining audiences. What determines her success in her job -- and whether she will be invited back or not -- is whether the audience likes her or not.

If she doesn't like the audience, it seems like she would be wise to keep it to herself.

MM

But the question then is - how many people from a COI audience come on figure skating boards to air their opinions and read others? I suspect the majority will continue to watch in ignorance both of who she is and what she has said.

Ant

antmanb · Apr 11, 2006

chuckm said:
I have to agree with MM. A skater doesn't have to enjoy touring in a country that she doesn't think much of, but why go to great lengths to diss the country and its people year after year? This is not the first interview like this Irina has given. She isn't saying anything any different here that she hasn't said over and over again in the past.

Last season, it was 'the only good thing about the US is the shopping'. This interview is more of the same, only now it's getting more personal: it's the PEOPLE she doesn't like.

Little by little, Irina has buried herself in my estimation, with her prima donna comments and attitude. I hope she doesn't return to competitive skating, if only to spare US audiences more Irina fluff. All those sugary interviews, the recap of her illness, the schmaltz, contrast badly with the bitter tone of her Russian interviews. Enough, already!

To be fair the fluff and suagry interviews you get are the fault of the tv networks, not Irina - she's just doing what she's told to. It is true if she retired you would be spared all of that. But the constant rehashing of the illness etc etc, that's the tv networks and commentators not Irina (or with any other fluff piece any other skater for that matter).

Ant

Ant

antmanb · Apr 11, 2006

Crizzy said:
Really, have you done a head count? I would imagine that with the dark lights it would be impossible to find out the status of every nationality in the audience.

That's assuming that even with the lights on, just by looking at someone, you can tell their nationality which is pretty ignorant...i don't think many people could pick out my nationality/background just by looking at me, and they'd be thrown even more by my accent.

Ant

antmanb · Apr 11, 2006

kyla2 said:
Seanibu and Mathman, I couldn't disagree more. That's a kind of moral relativism. Sometimes a jerk is really a jerk. Irina is exactly what she appears to be and what her words betray her to be. I sure wouldn't want to call her "friend."

Well i would think it pretty weird if you did call someone you don't know personally a "friend".

Ant

Irina Article In Russian

Mathman

SeaniBu

Crizzy

hockeyfan228

Mathman

krenseby

Mathman

hockeyfan228

hockeyfan228

flutterby1145

lou

Joesitz (RIP)

kyla2

SeaniBu

kyla2

guinevere

antmanb

antmanb

antmanb

antmanb

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