The "what the heck?" programs

StephenGfan said:

Mine:
B/S: 2009-2010 OD
D/W: 2009-2010 OD
That skater who stopped skating to answer an imaginary phone as apart of his choreography
Kovtun's mozart
Elenas Titanic (its so bad it's good though in a campy way so I love/hate it)
H/D's R&J the arm choreo is just silly
Evegnias 9/11 tribute program
Any skater who has ever done a phantom of the opera-themed program (Including Patrick, yuzuru and D/W)
V/M's 4 seasons program

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TallyT said:

But my top vote would go to Nelli Zhiganshina & Alexander Gazsi, with their zombie skate Two from the Grave. Love it to quite literal death, I do.

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Charlotte 71 said:

What "What the heck??" thread would be complete without a Gary Beacom creation? This is some brilliant skating, and the music is pretty cool, but about 98 percent of the WTH reaction is about the costume. What an individual.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3WXYFcS2Gw&start_radio=1&list=RDU3WXYFcS2Gw&t=21

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bunnybarista said:

I came here just to talk about their aboriginal dance. It still blows my mind that no one stopped for a second and scratched their heads before approving this atrocity...

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Clairecz said:

In fact it's a series of four ads, not only the crab yeti but also guinea fowl, platypus and camel. And we are still waiting for the mandarin fish!

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ankifeather said:

Trust me, this Nobu "competitive program" tops even the one above of Javi's for the most 'What the heck?!' moment of skating ads on TV - it's so silly yet so creative at the same time

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tQkJrcGbv8

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Clairecz said:

In fact it's a series of four ads, not only the crab yeti but also guinea fowl, platypus and camel. And we are still waiting for the mandarin fish!

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OniBan said:

....was this a Freudian slip or were there actual loins involved?

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Lamente Ariane said:

You want to talk WTH music cuts, you haven't seen anything unless you've seen Alexander Petrov's discarded SP from the beginning of the 2017 season. You know, in case you ever wondered what a skate to Bird Is The Word would look like mashed up with Fever and a couple others.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9tnGt6YL4s

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bunnybarista said:

I came here just to talk about their aboriginal dance. It still blows my mind that no one stopped for a second and scratched their heads before approving this atrocity...

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TontoK said:

You know, it really wasn't the music, nor the choice to skate a program to music from an ethnic culture that was not their own... that wasn't the problem. It's been done tastefully and very effectively many times

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Harriet said:

Well, the music was a problem in that it had absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with any of the many cultures they were allegedly attempting to portray, but otherwise, this is exactly the case. I think I've mentioned this previously, but Danielle O'Brien and Greg Merriman also did an original dance representing an Aboriginal Australian culture (I'm not sure of the exact nation), consulting carefully with Elders and community members as they developed the program to ensure that they did so accurately and respectfully, and without overstepping the bounds of what aspects of the nation's culture it was appropriate for outsiders to share in. It was beautiful, successful and respectful.

D/S were a high-profile, internationally respected ice dance team, and if they'd bothered to approach - just for example - the considerably higher-profile and also internationally respected Bangarra Dance Theatre to consult on the development of their program, I'm sure they would have been welcomed and supported in creating a good and culturally considerate program. Instead...well, I originally typed that the only way they could have shown less respect for the culture/s they claimed to present was by skating to a mashup of "Sun Arise" and "My Boomerang Won't Come Back", but to be honest, even that would have displayed more evidence of research, cultural awareness and even common courtesy than what they actually put on the ice did.

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Arriba627 said:

Does anyone know who skated this program so I can try to look it up? I'm dying to see this bit with the telephone!

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labgoat said:

Mark Webster https://youtu.be/eThPcTFlJoQ

I must add the following oldies but classics...

Germanic cowboy Heidi Fischer
https://youtu.be/JRvvjJZyX8M

The skating parrot Aleksandr Fadeev - sequined gloves, Toller Cranston commentary
https://youtu.be/4zVwG_mm6OA

The Byronic Vladimir Kotin - I just found him so interesting & entertaining
1988 SP https://youtu.be/K3NSVC4ZGDI
1988 LP https://youtu.be/AglZnizClmQ

Allen Schramm -- spooky, maverick
The Rhythm has control https://youtu.be/ntWUQMINREI
1981 LP https://youtu.be/ptnALdiKPuY

The Loop Brothers - David & Jimmy Santee Blues Brothers
https://youtu.be/l3ZSXCYn-fA

And finally
Igor Bobrin - solo, pair skater exhibition
https://youtu.be/O89HBUWDlSk

All of these made my jaw drop when I first saw them...

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CanadianSkaterGuy said:

It is almost iconic in how terrible it was on so many levels. #CulturalInappropriation

I just looked at it again, and it looks like they were making it up as they went along.

The fact that an Olympic medal was actually produced with this being one of the segments is practically blasphemy.

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Sam-Skwantch said:

Leatitia Hubert is the master of “what the heck” and I love it :luv17:

I actually enjoy programs that make me say “what the heck”. It’s a part of skating and I embrace it :yes:

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gravy said:

Tanith and Ben were hosed in Vancouver!

However, I do think that Ben's costume in the free single-handedly knocked them to pewter.

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Harriet said:

Well, the music was a problem in that it had absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with any of the many cultures they were allegedly attempting to portray, but otherwise, this is exactly the case. I think I've mentioned this previously, but Danielle O'Brien and Greg Merriman also did an original dance representing an Aboriginal Australian culture (I'm not sure of the exact nation), consulting carefully with Elders and community members as they developed the program to ensure that they did so accurately and respectfully, and without overstepping the bounds of what aspects of the nation's culture it was appropriate for outsiders to share in. It was beautiful, successful and respectful.

D/S were a high-profile, internationally respected ice dance team, and if they'd bothered to approach - just for example - the considerably higher-profile and also internationally respected Bangarra Dance Theatre to consult on the development of their program, I'm sure they would have been welcomed and supported in creating a good and culturally considerate program. Instead...well, I originally typed that the only way they could have shown less respect for the culture/s they claimed to present was by skating to a mashup of "Sun Arise" and "My Boomerang Won't Come Back", but to be honest, even that would have displayed more evidence of research, cultural awareness and even common courtesy than what they actually put on the ice did.

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melgirl25 said:

There was a girl at 4CC this year skating to “When you’re good to Mama” by Queen Latifah from the movie Chicago. Enough said.

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StephenGfan said:

Mine:
B/S: 2009-2010 OD
D/W: 2009-2010 OD
That skater who stopped skating to answer an imaginary phone as apart of his choreography
Kovtun's mozart
Elenas Titanic (its so bad it's good though in a campy way so I love/hate it)
H/D's R&J the arm choreo is just silly
Evegnias 9/11 tribute program
Any skater who has ever done a phantom of the opera-themed program (Including Patrick, yuzuru and D/W)
V/M's 4 seasons program

Click to expand...