Political Statements in Programs | Golden Skate

Political Statements in Programs

blue dog

Trixie Schuba's biggest fan!
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 16, 2006
I remember in 1994, Katarina Witt made a political statement with her Olympic LP, Sag Mir Wo Die Blumen Sind. In the politically charged environment we almost always seem to find ourselves in, which skaters in history have made a political statement through their skating? Skaters, like other athletes in performance-oriented sports have the unique opportunity to make a statement about society through their performances.

I remember this from 2002:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=laDlhSZad14

Of course, no program in skating has ever made a political statement that offended judges that they had to change it, in the way that the 1996 French Synchronized Swim team did (their free routine was to Schindler's List, where they began first by playing Nazis goosewalking to the pool, to female prisoners being dragged to the incinerators; they had a different routine for the Olympics):

http://youtube.com/watch?v=eqQcLAqU8xw

So--which skaters have made political statements in their programs? And do you find that political statements belong or do not belong in skating?
 

Tinymavy15

Sinnerman for the win
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 28, 2006
I would like to see skaters sending a message through their program. An ice dance team could do something so well. I have this great idea in my head of ice dancers portraying the war over Kashmir...
 

Buttercup

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 25, 2008
Of course, no program in skating has ever made a political statement that offended judges that they had to change it, in the way that the 1996 French Synchronized Swim team did (their free routine was to Schindler's List, where they began first by playing Nazis goosewalking to the pool, to female prisoners being dragged to the incinerators; they had a different routine for the Olympics):
That is really distasteful. The Schindler's List score is a lovely, haunting piece of music and has been beautifully interpreted by some skaters, but there are some lines that just shouldn't be crossed, and making a spectacle of the Holocaust would be high on that list. I haven't seen the program, and it may have been done with the best of intentions, but it seems to me a stunt to get attention.

So--which skaters have made political statements in their programs? And do you find that political statements belong or do not belong in skating?
The Duchesnays did Missing and Missing II back in the early 1990s, which were supposed to be about repression in South America. I never saw either so I'm not sure how successful it was. Here's the report from Sports Illustrated after 1991 Worlds:

Isabelle and Paul Duchesnay of France... issued a press release explaining that they would be skating Missing II, a sequel to Missing, last year's ice dancing hit about repression in a South American dictatorship. In Missing II, the dictatorship is over! This must have been terribly good news to the audience, because the Duchesnays received their first standing ovation merely for showing up in tattered garments and looking tortured.(http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1119009/index.htm)

I think political statements in sports need to be handled very carefully so as not to do something that seems to cheapen tragic events. It might be better to skate a "normal" program and make one's political statements off the ice.
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
In 1936, Belita Jepson (UK) did not salute Hitler as did all the other athletes
during the Opening Parade of the Olympics. She went on to make a few skating movies in Hollywood. She had the original 180 degree spiral.

Joe
 

Tinymavy15

Sinnerman for the win
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 28, 2006
In 1936, Belita Jepson (UK) did not salute Hitler as did all the other athletes
during the Opening Parade of the Olympics. She went on to make a few skating movies in Hollywood. She had the original 180 degree spiral.

Joe

great story. Thanks for adding your words of wisdom.
 

blue dog

Trixie Schuba's biggest fan!
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 16, 2006
In 1936, Belita Jepson (UK) did not salute Hitler as did all the other athletes
during the Opening Parade of the Olympics. She went on to make a few skating movies in Hollywood. She had the original 180 degree spiral.

Joe

Could it be argued, then, that Sonja Henie made a political statement herself by befriending Hitler?

Then again, neither befriending Hitler nor refusing to salute him are part of their skating programs, right?
 
Last edited:

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
Duchesnays Missing I & Missing II programs

I saw Missing I live in Halifax, and it was immensely powerful
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRtg7VpawSA

Missing II
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdpQoKPjWF0

An amazing political statement was made by Wing & Lowe in 2003 FD at Worlds in Washington DC-the US had just declared that they were going to invade Iraq. Canada was in opposition to the invasion. Wing & Lowe skated to a John Lennon medly, wearing peace symbols & tie dye. They finished to Imagine. I still tear up thinking about it.
 

Ptichka

Forum translator
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
Political messages come in many shapes. Back in their eligible days, Moskvina & Mishin did a program to a song "Lame King". No message on the surface of it, but the mere fact of a program to a "bard" song, a genre that was so out of favor with the powers that be at the time, was a message in itself. Not to mention the subtle pacifism of the lyrics.

BTW, here is a clip with the original program, together with my translation of the accompanying text - http://ptichkafs.livejournal.com/25249.html. And here is the remake they did of the program in 2007 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6Y4rQpendI
 

Tinymavy15

Sinnerman for the win
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 28, 2006
Maybe I am over-analyzing this, but I always though that Sasha's decision to skate to "God Bless America" for the Olympic season meant something. Four years or so earlier it would have been very predictable to choose a patriotic song...but in 2006 things were not that well with the war in Iraq, President Bush was not well liked....there just wasn't a vast patiotic feeling in the U.S at that time. I think that she made a wonderful statement with the program. I still think it is one of her top 3 best programs ever.
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
Could it be argued, then, that Sonja Henie made a political statement herself by befriending Hitler?
Absolutely not. All the Athletes were told to salute. Belita I believe, was the only one who didn't. How they saluted could be inferred I suppose. She used that straight arm salute.

Sonia never befriended Hitler. He befriended her. It was after the l932 Olys when he went over to her and suggested she give up skiing and stick to figure skating.

She remembered that, and in the early 1940s she called him up when she was in Hollywood, and told him not to bomb her house in Norway. You figure.

According to Milton Berle who made movies with her, he said she was not pro anything but pro Sonia. She had no politics.

Joe
 

Bennett

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 20, 2007
I think political statements in sports need to be handled very carefully so as not to do something that seems to cheapen tragic events. It might be better to skate a "normal" program and make one's political statements off the ice.

That's a good point.

I myself mainly appreciate the artistic side of skating so I basically appreciate a program that has some messages and meanings.

On the other hand, it is also a sport. Furthermore, skating is judged rather subjectively. So it may not be a good idea to bring political controversy on ice.

It also depends on the intention and the way you communicate it to the audience. I would find it difficult to appreciate a program if the skater is using an extremely tragic issue like the Holocaust just as a way of winning the game. It can be seen as a commercialization of a real tragedy. The skater needs really a lot of sensitivity and respect towards the victims not to hurt their feelings in any way. If the skater cannot be compassionate and sensitive enough, then it's better not to use it.
It may be perhaps more appreciated to be used in a charity show that raises funds for the victims so that you can make it clearer that you are not using other people's suffering to make your own profit (you'd still need a lot of sensitivty and considerations in the way you present the theme).
 

kyla2

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 24, 2004
Joe

Excuse me Joe but we are talking semantics here. Henie should never have initiated any conversations with the Nazis, especially in order to receive favorable treatment from them while they occupied Norway. It was reprehensible and tarnished her image forever. Milton Berle was absolutely right. She was only out for herself.
 

blue dog

Trixie Schuba's biggest fan!
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 16, 2006
Excuse me Joe but we are talking semantics here. Henie should never have initiated any conversations with the Nazis, especially in order to receive favorable treatment from them while they occupied Norway. It was reprehensible and tarnished her image forever. Milton Berle was absolutely right. She was only out for herself.

I agree, Kyla. I remember during the opening ceremonies in Lillehammer, rather than pay lavish tribute to their greatest skater, the Norwegian Olympic Committee didn't make a big fuss over Henie.

Back to the original topic--I think skaters should use their "voice" on the ice in order to make a statement. Fans complain about the multitude of Carmens, Swan Lakes, and other types of programs. It would be nice if skaters used the ice to express their views.

Maybe Elvis can perform again, to make a statement urging people to boycott the Olympics.

I know this one isn't a competitive program, and it was more of a personal tribute, but since her brother was someone who died on Flight 93, it was viewed as a political program:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=SEdqJLOSbrw
 
Last edited:

Mafke

Medalist
Joined
Mar 22, 2004
Political themes that will never appear in figure skating programs (though I personally might like to see a few of them):

A salute to MSG,

Pedophiles; out misunderstood friends,

We need the flat tax!

Heroic lobbyists, greasing the wheels of government,

Signs of evil,

Who's to blame for the mortgage meltdown?

God, show us who to smite!

Onward Christian Insurance Salesmen,

More vivisection now!

Profiles in expediency.
 

NatachaHatawa

Final Flight
Joined
Feb 4, 2008
I totaly disagree with mixing sports and politics:

1) Sportsmen are supposed to unite people, politics causes division.
People sopport skaters because of they genuinly enjoy what they do - politics
shouldn't come into the equation. As we say in France politics is a sujet qui
fache
- a subject that makes people fall-out. How can one enjoy a program
that is expressing a political opinion one highly disagrees with? Sport is an
occasion where people come together and put asside their differences to
enjoy a common passion.

2) The world is extremely politicised - sport is an occasion to forget about all
what's going on, there's other things to life than political engagement.
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
Excuse me Joe but we are talking semantics here. Henie should never have initiated any conversations with the Nazis, especially in order to receive favorable treatment from them while they occupied Norway. It was reprehensible and tarnished her image forever. Milton Berle was absolutely right. She was only out for herself.
Who knew what the Nazis master plan was in 1932? Many industrialists and capitalists were happy to do business with Hitler.

In the early 40s, it was clear that the Nazis were planning world domination, and you are absolutely correct that she should not have inititated any contact with Hitler. It is well known in Hollywood that Sonia was all for herself, even Norway refused forgiveness for many years afterwards.

Nonetheless. No one else put Figure Skating on the Map as Sonia Henie. I am a believer in separating one's politics and ones art. I understand others who can not.

Joe
 

Buttercup

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 25, 2008
Who knew what the Nazis master plan was in 1932? Many industrialists and capitalists were happy to do business with Hitler.

Nonetheless. No one else put Figure Skating on the Map as Sonia Henie. I am a believer in separating one's politics and ones art. I understand others who can not.
Joe
This is a depressing subjects, but some corrections seem needed so I'll join in.

Hitler was elected in 1933. Two years later, the Nuremberg laws were passed, institutionalizing discriminatory and antisemetic policies. By 1936, several concentration camps were up and running (most famous of which was probably Dachau). Obviously awareness of the true scope and evil of the Nazi regime would not have been clear until the 1940s, but what was known should have been more than enough for Ms. Henie. That it was not tarnishes her legacy for me, despite what she accomplished and did for figure skating. After all, no one forced anyone to salute at the games, and some skaters even chose not to participate at all in 1936.

I can separate politics and sports to a degree; I don't care what athletes think about international relations, gay marriage, economic policy or global warming. But her actions crossed the line in terms of what I'm willing to accept.
 
Top