Political Statements in Programs

[fairly4]

political statements have been going on==since Sonja won with all Norway judges.

The political chain i feel is this, Usa, Russia, is top of (Causcian food chain)
Japan is top of Asian food chain. with china, korea being at bottom, why -the politcs follow closely what the real world poltics follow.
they may say they like china but look at the complaining about human rights.like the us , russia, canada should say anything with the way they treat their own (so call miniority people, like indians, poor and whatever groups they don't want or like.)
polics meaning, Michelle who is asian (chinese Bottom of asian food chain)skated clean at olympics, Tara who was white top of Causian food chain, screwed up of bit guess which won. Irina --white top, sasha top screws up still gets great scores and win medals.white, shizuka, top asian, kristi top-asian win. abeit shizuka did earn the win by skating clean. look back at the screw up and guess which won, it was the fact the judges overlook their mistakes and let them win. MIchelle skated almost perfect and didn't why, bottom of asian food chain, who knows maybe is was bought for tara to win. politics always plays a part --the country that is down ends up winning a medal

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

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.

The only message I am getting from Board, is that I must learn to hate which I can not do Sorry.for not being more obliging to hate.

Henie did a lot for figure skating perhaps more than anyone else. That is my point.

Joe.

 

[dorispulaski]

Two other controversial political programs:

Lobacheva and Averbukh's World Trade Center program (2002 Olympics):

Grushina and Goncharov's American Soldier program

 

[Buttercup]

The only message I am getting from Board, is that I must learn to hate which I can not do Sorry.for not being more obliging to hate.

Henie did a lot for figure skating perhaps more than anyone else. That is my point.

Joe.

I don't understand what you're trying to say about hate. I don't hate anyone. I don't get the feeling anyone expressed hatred in this thread, despite the potential for contoverisal posts, given the subject. There's no denying Henie was a great skater; but her off-ice actions have tarnished her image in the eyes of many. I don't understand why this is surprising to you.

Disagreeing with you on this does not make people petty and small-minded, as you seem to imply in your latest post.

 

[dorispulaski]

Here's a link to Lobacheva & Averbukh's 2002 Olympic FD, A time for peace.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adgfsmZhkN4

At the time I was living in about 50 miles north of NYC, where the fall of the WTC was still painful and a dreadful wound, and I found this program very distasteful. Many of us were suffering from PTSD, and this initiated painful flash backs for me.

Which of course, means that they got their point across, but still...

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Disagreeing with you on this does not make people petty and small-minded, as you seem to imply in your latest post.

I'm not implying anything except that I do not mix politics and art. I did not bring up the Henie matter. Another poster suggested it. Check the first page of the thread and read that I discussed Belita. I get the implication that I am being made petty and small minded when all I have been saying is that Sonia was an uncaring woman about the world outside of skating. apparently, I'm not angry about that. I stick to skating.

Joe

 

[dorispulaski]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7awYG4lOmg

Here's the Grushina Goncharov Escape From Hanging program

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7awYG4lOmg

 

[blue dog]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7awYG4lOmg

Here's the Grushina Goncharov Escape From Hanging program

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7awYG4lOmg

Thanks, Doris! Remember this one? Anissina/Peizerat's FD In 2002:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=UMG7cVef9ZA

Tom Hammond, one of the NBC commentators felt the voice over of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr was inappropriate. In fact, if you could find the NBC video that they sold after the Olympics, the voice overs were removed (I have the tape here at home, but do not know how to upload it to youtube).

 

[Buttercup]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=UMG7cVef9ZA

Tom Hammond, one of the NBC commentators felt the voice over of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr was inappropriate. In fact, if you could find the NBC video that they sold after the Olympics, the voice overs were removed (I have the tape here at home, but do not know how to upload it to youtube).

I didn't know they later removed the voice over. IIRC, it wasn't just Hammond who thought it may have been a bit too much, but personally, I thought they skated it well.

I'm not implying anything except that I do not mix politics and art. I did not bring up the Henie matter. Another poster suggested it. Check the first page of the thread and read that I discussed Belita. I get the implication that I am being made petty and small minded when all I have been saying is that Sonia was an uncaring woman about the world outside of skating. apparently, I'm not angry about that. I stick to skating.

Joe

I know you did not bring up the Henie matter. But this is a discussion board, and once the matter came up, posters naturally wanted to discuss it and give their opinion - including you. To accuse us of expressing hatred in our posts siimply because we were critical of what she did is ridiculous.

I think deciding to ignore a skater's off-ice behavior is one's personal choice and there's nothing wrong with it, but why shouldn't I be allowed, by the same token, to explain why I feel that her behavior cannot be ignored? My choice to take into account certain off-ice actions is no less valid than your choice to focus purely on skating. Both have a place in this forum.

 

[Mafke]

I have been saying is that Sonia was an uncaring woman about the world outside of skating.

Is there any evidence that Henie cared anything about skating beyond her own fame?
Every bit of evidence I've seen is that she was an uncaring woman about the world outside of Sonja Henie.
That doesn't mean that she didn't do a lot for the sport at the time, but that wasn't her goal. That does explain why she was never and is not now ..... esteemed and why Norway doesn't exactly count her among it's leading lights (even in the narrow context of the winter olympics).

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Is there any evidence that Henie cared anything about skating beyond her own fame?
Every bit of evidence I've seen is that she was an uncaring woman about the world outside of Sonja Henie.
That doesn't mean that she didn't do a lot for the sport at the time, but that wasn't her goal. That does explain why she was never and is not now ..... esteemed and why Norway doesn't exactly count her among it's leading lights (even in the narrow context of the winter olympics).

Praise to be, we can go beyond this and move back on to the topic.To my knowledge, no one has ever found any edvidence that a 15 year old Sonia supported the Nazi Party. Over and Out, and on to other political skaters.

Joe

 

[Buttercup]

Since several "in memoriam" programs have been brought up, I think Alexander's Abt 2003-4 SP should be mentioned - wasn't it a tribute to the men who died on the Kursk? I don't know if there was any political statement intended, but it was a beautiful program.

 

[attyfan]

Is there any evidence that Henie cared anything about skating beyond her own fame?
Every bit of evidence I've seen is that she was an uncaring woman about the world outside of Sonja Henie....

I have read that Sonja would be active in various charitable endeavors (including paying for medical care to everyone injured in a fire in a town where she was set to perform).

Back on topic, though: After 9/11/01, I recall reading a Phil Hersch article objecting to Kwan's "Schez" program because of its "Arabian" theme (and it portrays at least one Arab in a positive light) and suggesting she skate to "The Cellist of Sarajevo" instead. I don't know if Michelle's refusal to change was politically motivated or not, but for whatever reason, I am glad that the public did not see what would have been a well publicized incident that would look like engaging in anti-Arab hysteria.

 

[Tonichelle]

Sarah Hughes - You will never walk alone

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSEhGpunSvE

I liked that performance. That was really great.

it was a very moving performance, and I'm glad she got to skate it at the exhibition at the Olympics...

 

[blue dog]

One more question-

Are the following skaters skating to American music, or making a political statement with their programs?

Tara Lipinski:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Lr88dFF2CIs

Katy Taylor:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=_ZPSkXtvoAM

Brian Boitano (he and Sandra said this was about the pioneers and how they fell in love with America):
http://youtube.com/watch?v=-Jf7lj99cu0

it was a very moving performance, and I'm glad she got to skate it at the exhibition at the Olympics...

I loved that program, Toni. I remember back then, she was criticized for even skating to this music--and some felt the voice-over in the beginning was trite. I like it; she was expressing her feelings.

 

[dorispulaski]

I liked it too. There were a lot of families in Sarah's town that were affected by 9/11. If anyone was entitled to skate a tribute, it would be her.

Now that I think about it, Belbin and Agosto did a Sarajevo/Bosnian war program:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtoV0S83AA4

It looks like the ice dancers are most likely to make a political statement!

And Winkler & Lohse did an anti slavery piece.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tEmvO4m880

 

[Mafke]

And Winkler & Lohse did an anti slavery piece.

To make a statement against all the vast pro-slavery lobby?

 

[kappa_1]

^^^

Human trafficking= modern-day slavery.

 

[gkelly]

16 Tons is a pro-union song, but without lyrics the performance seems to be about the music, not the politics:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=uRgeK60M4EA
(cleaner jump combo than Worlds version)

 

[Mathman]

16 Tons is a pro-union song, but without lyrics the performance seems to be about the music, not the politics:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=uRgeK60M4EA

Too bad he couldn't use Tennessee Ernie Ford's vocals. Tennessee Ernie, bless his little pea-pickin' heart, followed that up with an even cooler anti-coal mining company protest song, Dark as a Dungeon (Way Down in the Mines.)