See, we all know you're a fan of Team Tutberidze. That's great. But not everything people say is against them and not everything is about "silencing dissatisfied voices" either. The discussion about Aliona's FS last season was similar to what we have now:
Off-season, lack of competitions and announcements of programs causing more passionate discussions than they usually would. There are always different opinions and so far I have seen no one being the least bit disrespectful like you are implying here - and not even in a subtle way at that. If you choose to see anything negative in these discussions, by any means, do that. Nobody forces you to take part in what you see only as "pre-rejecting" anyway. Ironically enough, we were just talking about Alina's music choice yesterday. And most people were pretty positive about it. So much for that then. But oh well.
I, for one, have clearly said that as Aliona's fan I will enjoy her skating no matter what kind of program she chooses. I have also said that as long as she's healthy and happy, I will (gladly) take any program, including the Twilight program, even if it's not to my taste. In fact, I don't think it needs explaining that people would rather see skaters happy but skating to something they as fans might personally not love than having them unhappy with something else. I frankly don't see where you could possibly interpret people wanting Aliona to only choose programs to their taste or them screaming about the lack of "freedom" if she doesn't. Bit of a reach, don't you think?
You really think that "lack of competitions and announcements of programs causing more passionate discussions than they usually would"? I'm somehow glad to hear that our discussions during the season weren't so passionate like the ones we have now but more quiet, reasonable and with respect
But really, I'm not discussing that much this off-season, or I wasn't, because there was nothing to discuss, passionately or not. Music announcement (and program theme) is something particular, where is something to discuss, so that's the case when I join the conversation with more enthusiasm, but not because I had nothing to do till now and wanted something to discuss desperately, as you may indicate, but because I see the usual suspects having usual objections that are returning like a boomerang. And the thing about the freedom is really a case, I've seen it many times, like with Alina's Carmen (e.g.: let the skaters have the right to have their wish - but Alina wished Carmen - but it is not appropriate for her...). This time I don't think the change has occured because "Aliona is definitely not the darling" (that's really, well, biased statement, to say it as modderately as I can), but contrary. I really doubt they would make such change "just because (Aliona isn't darling)", they have a reason for it (which could be pretty easy that Aliona herself wants it that way). And when there is a reason than I'll wait what will come out of it, it is really premature to put objections (even with compulsory "I am Aliona's fan, but..."). Esp. when we know that program which many people criticized was in fact Aliona's favorite one.