I don't think it's bashing as long as you're able to articulate what you appreciate about P/C as opposed to not liking about V/M.
For me, the biggest dissapointment about them not getting the OG is that it somehow feels like a celebration of the same old things in ice dance and failing to acknowledge the way P/C managed to change the sport (for the better) in the past 4 years. I remember seeing them with Pink Floyd as Juniors and with Woodkid in their first year as Seniors and thinking, wow, the French have something very special on their hands. But nothing prepared me for Mozart and how it suddenly was everything I never knew I wanted and needed in ice dance. The way they rise and fall and become the music, the way they always make you forget about the technical elements, the butter smooth quality of their edges, the perfect incorportion of contemporary ballet into their upper body movements, it all makes for a completely different aesthetic than anything seen before in figure skating. And I'm not sure if people realize this, but programs such as what Aliona and Bruno put together in the last two years, or the Shibs finally managing to find a style that works for them, are largely due to the influence P/C and the Montreal camp have had. People suddenly realized, wow, you can actually build a program under the current tech. requirements and still make it look like a composition that actually makes sense. You don't have to play a role and over-emote to have an emotional impact.
V/M on the other hand, while absolute masters of their craft, never felt like Innovators to me. When they announced their come-back, I remember them mentioning they felt like they still had things to show in ice dance. I was pretty excited about it to be honest because while I always admired their skill, they failed to capture my attention in the past and I always blamed it on the programs. But other than perfecting their craft, it doesn't feel like they brought anything new to the table, no other facet to their skating. And in the end, these two new OG medals feel like scoring one over D/W as opposed to being driven by any creative need for expression. This is where Tanith's movie comparison is so astute, there's everything to admire in an excellent block-buster, but it always smarts when the art-piece that actually pushes cinema further fails to win an Oscar against it.
I swear to God, if Didier tries to interfere in any way in their creative process in order to push for crowd-pleasing performances... well, I don't know what I'll do other than rant about it :eeking:
You are right. The friend I was watching it with immediately said that it seemed a vote for the past.







(at about 11:10 min) They all burst out laughing and scream : "Romain ! Romain !"