Oksana Baiul Isn't The Brightest Bulb On The Chandelier | Golden Skate

Oksana Baiul Isn't The Brightest Bulb On The Chandelier

IDLERACER

Medalist
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
I defy anyone who witnessed this evening's episode of "Family Feud" to disagree with the title of this thread. :p
 

lulu

Final Flight
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Aug 4, 2003
Now be nice, she was answering in her second language:p

I completely forgot all about the SOI on Family Feud.
 

katherine2001

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 8, 2003
Yes, how would most of us do on a Russian version of Family Feud (or substitute a version in any other language but your native tongue)? Personally, I think that she and many of the skaters who don't speak English as their native tongue do quite well in interviews, on game shows, or whatever. They do a much better job than I would.
 

show 42

Arm Chair Skate Fan
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
I was flipping channels and found it by accident.......I just thought she was a bit nervous........she did make a good answer choice for "Places people make a scene".......she said "in a hotel".....it just didn't make the survey........I probably would have been tongue tied myself...........42
 
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Ogre Mage

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 30, 2003
I agree she probably had trouble because English is her 2nd language. Now Tonya Harding on The Weakest Link was a different story....:laugh:
 

brenlynn

On the Ice
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Jan 9, 2004
give her credit, like those before me said, enligsh is after all her 2nd language and i have never found her to be very good at it anyways. it's good entertainment value, she's still adorable :D
 

IDLERACER

Medalist
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
Well, I suppose you're all correct. However, English is also Katarina Witt and David Pelletier's second language, but somehow they managed to come up with something other than "Whoops!" :laugh: If anyone missed it, don't worry, they're all going to be on every night this week. Here in Los Angeles, it's on at 6:30 and 7:00 PM. The Stars On Ice version is the 7:00 o'clock one. Check your local listings if you live elsewhere.
 

jesslily

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 4, 2004
Sure English is 2nd langage to Oksana, David, and Katarina, but how you learn it depending many factors. The years and every day how many hours you expose to it, how many people around you speak it and how close you are to these people. I assume Oksana is weak on all these factors and therefore her English is behind than others whose English is 2nd language.:)
 

youarewhipped

Match Penalty
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Jan 1, 2004
No!! Don't be mean, I love Oksana. She is very nice, and I'm sure she was very nervous. Did any of you see her on Oprah?
 

Dee4707

Ice Is Slippery - Alexie Yagudin
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
Country
United-States
Ooops, I don't think was her answer, I think she didn't think she was going to hit the button quicker than I think Kurt (I think). I think they were all nervous. When Todd was being asked to answer the survey, he started to stick his hands in his pockets and then didn't, crossed his arms, then started to stick his hands in his pockets again, then just crossed his arms.

David's answer wasn't too swift either. So Idle why didn't you pick on him???

Youarewhipped, why was Oksana on Oprah?

Dee
 

jesslily

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 4, 2004
Youarewipped,
I am not mean to Oksana, actually I like her very much. When people asked why she can not understand English same as David and Katarina, I feel she has some disadvantage. Not everybody have same opportunity to learn English as 2nd language.
 

Ptichka

Forum translator
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
What on earth does Family Feud have to do with brains? Last time I checked it wasn't exactly Jeoprady!. Also, it's not so much a problem of English as a second language, but of not being a part of this culture. I remember watching Family Feud once, and there was a question of "Name a place where children have to behave themselves". One of the top answers was "in church". There is no way in a million years I would have gotten that one! And, as I remember, Petrenko didn't do too well on Family Feud either, and he is quite intelligent from what I gather.
 

RIskatingfan

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
I don't think it's necessarily the fact of English being her second language. That too, but from what I understood from the rules, you also have to predict answers people who replied to the surveys would give and that may change from country to country. If you don't know USA's culture that well, maybe you also wouldn't do very well in this kind of show. Just a guess, I don't know what questions were asked either.

(edited) Oops, looks like I posted at the same time than Ptichka LOL I wanted to add that I agree it has nothing to do with intelligence.
 
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lulu

Final Flight
Joined
Aug 4, 2003
Family Feud is based a lot a lot on US social norms and culture.
With questions like :"Survey says, the top 6 things you never do on a first date?" So if you aren't entirely familiar with every aspect of US cultural norms, you probably won't do good, no matter how good your English is. Not to mention the "pressure" of being on a game show and only having 10 seconds or so to answer a question.
 

berthes ghost

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 30, 2003
I'm sorry, I must be confused.

As far as I know, she moved to the US at 16, and has lived here for the past decade, never living, even for a small amount of time, in any other country.

Why on earth would anyone suppose that Oksana's dating experience would be from any other culture than the US?

After 10 years (the ten years in question being as a developing young adult when learning is usually swifter and at an age when most of us are learning cultural habits in our native countries anyways), excuses like 'second language' and 'not familiar with culture' are kinda lame. She's not a clueless old grandma fresh off the boat, and it's US culture (which is pretty familar world wide) not outdated habits from an anchient culture.

Not everyone is good at games. That's all.
 

RIskatingfan

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
berthes ghost said:
After 10 years (the ten years in question being as a developing young adult when learning is usually swifter and at an age when most of us are learning cultural habits in our native countries anyways), excuses like 'second language' and 'not familiar with culture' are kinda lame. She's not a clueless old grandma fresh off the boat, and it's US culture (which is pretty familar world wide) not outdated habits from an anchient culture.

Not everyone is good at games. That's all.

I think it all comes down to how much you atually "embrace" the culture of the foreign country you're living in. If you stick to interaction with people that aren't natives from that country, it doesn't really matter how many years have passed. I'm from Portugal and I have family who emigratted to different countries of the World and while my cousins who went to the US 10 years ago are now "americanized", my other uncle who went to France and has been there with his family for over 20 years speaks French rather badly and doesn't interact with French people at all since he lives in a community with mostly Portuguese people. It's not as easy as it seems to "absorb" other people's cultures.

I wouldn't doubt it happens with Oksana too, given the large community of Russian and Ukrainian people in skating. Yeah, but if you're not good at games either, doesn't matter where you come from.
 

John King

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Family Feud

The day,or rather,week,is young.Let's see how she fares before writing her off.
 

citrus

Rinkside
Joined
Jan 22, 2004
berthes ghost said:
I'm sorry, I must be confused.

As far as I know, she moved to the US at 16, and has lived here for the past decade, never living, even for a small amount of time, in any other country.

Why on earth would anyone suppose that Oksana's dating experience would be from any other culture than the US?

After 10 years (the ten years in question being as a developing young adult when learning is usually swifter and at an age when most of us are learning cultural habits in our native countries anyways), excuses like 'second language' and 'not familiar with culture' are kinda lame. She's not a clueless old grandma fresh off the boat, and it's US culture (which is pretty familar world wide) not outdated habits from an anchient culture.

Not everyone is good at games. That's all.

Had to reply. How many "sub-cultures" can you find in the US? Also there are also regional culture differences as well as generational cultural gaps/differences.

It doesn't matter how long one has been in a country but what the person has been exposed to and be confortable with. Consider this. I'm going back to school for "a learning experience" on courses I've avoided when younger. Had a classmate who used the "new" method of greeting with the hand gyrations; invaribly, I would just do a handshake as my auto-response and afterwards felt I did the wrong thing again!

MTV, rock. rap, etc. I am definitely not familiar with the sub-culture regarding those & wouldn't be comfortable or answere any questions about them.
 

jesslily

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 4, 2004
How well a new immigrant speak English can exactly tell where her English level is. From how David, Katarina, and Oksana speaked you can see obviously David and Katarina are much better off. The first 16 years competely sets up one person's culture and language. The next 30 or 50 years life in US won't change you much. Even though Oksana has been living in US since shortly after she won Olympic Gold, she still mainly associate with Russions. Her fiance is a Russion. One article mensioned that he came to USA when he was 5, and Oksana feels very comfortable staying at his parents' house.
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
jesslily said:
Even though Oksana has been living in US since shortly after she won Olympic Gold, she still mainly associate with Russions. Her fiance is a Russion. One article mensioned that he came to USA when he was 5, and Oksana feels very comfortable staying at his parents' house.

If you've read Gelsey Kirkland's book on her life with Mischa Barishnikov it would seem whenever they went out there would always be Russians with them. And yes the conversation was totlaly in Russian and Gelsey just sat there. When he was ofered movies, Mischa learned English as fast as possible.

At least Oksana's boyfriend can converse with her and that's all that matters.

Joe
 
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