Sasha Since 1999?

[R.D.]

I can see that. But at 04 Nats Kwan "stole the show" for the last minute. At 04 Worlds, Arakawa stole the show. At 06 Worlds Kimmie stole the show. So only at 06 Olys could a "clean" skate by Cohen possibly have won the whole thing. In the others, like I said before, someone else had the skate of their lives- no one could have beaten them that day, IMO.

 

[Dee4707]

and 4 times at Nationals (leading again 2 times going into LP) and continued the same trend for Olympics and Worlds this year, yet fallen short in the LP, well, that's why there's so much nitpicking about Sasha failing to deliver. Again.

MKFSfan, do you really honestly think and believe that Sasha would win Nationals competing against Michelle given they both skate well? I don't. Lots of skaters have the same record and couldn't deliver at the time they should have or was hyped to do. I think people just nit pick Sasha for nit picking sake. Look how people criticized her saline commercial. I don't know what it is about Sasha that skating fans have to do that. I think she's terrific.

Dee

 

[R.D.]

But, you see, that commercial WAS corny! Sorry, it's just my opinion, OK? :yes:

 

[anniemg]

Funny, because even if she has improved her skating skills and "polished up" like others have said, I actually thought Sasha felt the music more when she was younger (very impressed with her performances from 2000 US Nationals), and interpreted her music on a much more deliberate, intuitive level. And her "tricks" were more integrated more naturally into the programs back then IMO. Now everything is about creating drama using mainly politically correct facial expression...the sense of freedom had been long lost IMO.

I don't think Sasha felt the music more. Either you feel the music, either you don't and she does. I do however believe that Sasha was more free in 2000. She didn't have any pression and she was skating for herself and to show everybody what she can do! That's the difference...Now everybody is there to criticise her and to say 'there she is, falling again', 'when will she fall', etc. That's gotta have a lot of effect on her. That's why she doesnt let go and 'feel' the music and be as expressive as in 2000( see my previous post). It's not random that she skates her heart out in exhbitions and programs without too many jumps. She's less scared.....

Honestly, if I was Sasha, I would probably have the same problem. It's hard to have to live to youself's and to everyone's expectations. And, even as early as 2003(which was only her 2nd worlds), she was 'the skater who always falls'. Maybe it's just too hard to have to skate with that kind of 'label' on you.

 

[Dee4707]

But, you see, that commercial WAS corny! Sorry, it's just my opinion, OK? :yes:

I respect your opinion Red Dog but I asked the question and no one has given me an answer yet (if you go and look at the end of that thread, I'm the last one that posted the question). The question being ...........Aren't 98% of all commercials corney, so why is Sasha's commercial picked on? Was the commerical written corny, so how can you blame Sasha for that, was the product corny?? so how can you blame Sasha for that?? This is what I'm talking about people give their opinions without any basis or substance for what they are saying. Have you seen the commercial with Tanith & Ben, and do you think it's corny?? What does corny actually mean???

Dee

 

[Kwanford Wife]

MKFSfan, do you really honestly think and believe that Sasha would win Nationals competing against Michelle given they both skate well? I don't. Lots of skaters have the same record and couldn't deliver at the time they should have or was hyped to do. I think people just nit pick Sasha for nit picking sake. Look how people criticized her saline commercial. I don't know what it is about Sasha that skating fans have to do that. I think she's terrific.

Dee

I gotta admit that no, I don't think that Sasha could beat Michelle at a US Nationals if both skated well, because US Nationals is the Michelle Kwan LoveFest (even when she's not there ala this past Nationals...)

But I think it goes beyond people nitpicking for the sake of nitpicking... Sasha's PR machine was outta control for years... esp. from her camp. And to her overall deteriment, IMHO. But let's keep it real, one thing that is true about Sasha is that you depend on her making mistakes in the long program. Its unfortuanate for such a talented skater, but its become a running joke. Just like Michelle and the OGM.

The flip side is that her personality caught the attention of the media and her fans are a large, vocal group who love her... which fuels the fire. Same as Michelle. Both are hughly talented stars of their sport, which opens them both up to lowblows, pot shots, constant chatter and sometimes all out brawls on the boards. But here's a sick part - its good for her & the sport. How terrible would it be if we didn't feel anything about these athletes? Think skating isn't respected now, imagine it without the drama? It would be the World Jump Roping Championships.

As for the commerical, it just wasn't well done & for a strange product. Is that Sasha's fault? Absolutely not. Did it help that her commerical was promoted at the same time as Michelle's Kraft commercial? No. But it is what it is and I'm sure there are tons of skaters who wish we'd go round & round nitpicking them to death... hwell:

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Dee - It's summertime nitpicking time. How else can one nitpick Sasha? She's an Olympic Silver Medalist. Some people are annoyed with that.

Joe

 

[Kwanford Wife]

Dee - It's summertime nitpicking time. How else can one nitpick Sasha? She's an Olympic Silver Medalist. Some people are annoyed with that.

Joe

 

[SeaniBu]

...........Aren't 98% of all commercials corney, so why is Sasha's commercial picked on? Was the commerical written corny, so how can you blame Sasha for that, was the product corny?? so how can you blame Sasha for that?? This is what I'm talking about people give their opinions without any basis or substance for what they are saying. Have you seen the commercial with Tanith & Ben, and do you think it's corny?? What does corny actually mean???

Dee

I can't answer all of the questions, some are interpretive to the individual - i.e what is corny?

Yes most commertials are corny, but as a clarification of what corny is, I don't think it was as much corny. I would catorgize it as cheezey

Sorry, Meaning that it was wasn't that good. One camera placement, a few lines by Sasha 15 minutes later they were done. I thought it was bad, and the only thing good was a jump and a really pretty girl named Sasha.

As far as everyone picking on her, I don't see much difference with her or oithers, she just gets it more often. Who really knows - does she live up to the typical Scorpio attitude - did she ask fr it with the way she came off in interviews - does she just rub some people the wrong way - do people think her nose blocks out the sun ? I don't KNOW, but I personally thought of her as a bratty type until the last couple of years. That was even more lifted when I saw her in person off the ice (even though was very far away with many people in between) she only recently seems to have a humanistic look about her. I think the best way for me to say it is "she has grown up allot." Yet that too is subject to interpretation - yah, what isn't?

She has got allot going for her, and sometimes people hurt when she comes short, then they lash out so they don't deal with the pain. Cause and effect of psychology.

Just my thoughts. And I hate it too when people don't answer my questions. And then they will turn around and want something from you. Hum, I wonder if Sasha experiences that too?

 

[Kwanford Wife]

The question being ...........Aren't 98% of all commercials corney, so why is Sasha's commercial picked on? Was the commerical written corny, so how can you blame Sasha for that, was the product corny?? so how can you blame Sasha for that?? This is what I'm talking about people give their opinions without any basis or substance for what they are saying. Have you seen the commercial with Tanith & Ben, and do you think it's corny?? What does corny actually mean???

Dee

As I See It...

Corney means an easy target for sappy & crappy ~ ala 7th Heaven.

The commercial had poor production value and promoted a product that is equal to pepto... stuff people need but has no "star quality" to it... You get the feeling she did it for the cash vs. the love. Bad commercial.

Sasha's citizen watch ad, which is a great commercial & showed skating in its best light. You believe the connection to Sasha & a classy, lovely watch. Great commerical.

I don't blame Sasha for making the commercial, because I'm all about the cash, but it just wasn't a good commercial nor does it establish her as a major endorser of products.

I'm still waiting on a figure skater making a Gatoraid or Nike commercial. Heck, even a cellphone commercial would be cool... This is what you call an olympic sized mess. The summer after the games & no one who skated in Italy has a major commerical?!? Not good.

 

[R.D.]

The commercial had poor production value and promoted a product that is equal to pepto... stuff people need but has no "star quality" to it... You get the feeling she did it for the cash vs. the love. Bad commercial.

Yes, exactly. However, I don't think she's necessarily in desperate need of money right now. I don't see anything wrong with doing a "corny" commercial- I don't hold it against her (some people here might, though)- my personal taste just loathes those kinds of commercials, that's all.

P.S. anyone seen it on TV yet?

 

[Mathman]

Corny means Jamie and David's commercial for Crest Whitestrips.

Sasha's commercial had low production values because it is for a small unknown company in Indiana just trying to create a national presence. I don't know how much they paid Sasha, but that probably exhausted their budget.

 

[MKFSfan]

MKFSfan, do you really honestly think and believe that Sasha would win Nationals competing against Michelle given they both skate well? I don't. Lots of skaters have the same record and couldn't deliver at the time they should have or was hyped to do. I think people just nit pick Sasha for nit picking sake. Look how people criticized her saline commercial. I don't know what it is about Sasha that skating fans have to do that. I think she's terrific.

Dee

I agree with what said kwanford wife said on both accounts! But since you asked me, I just wanted to reply.

I think those specific years, no, if Sasha was clean, I believe Michelle would still have gotten the nod. Under 6.0, where the 2nd mark ruled, I believe as long as Michelle blew the roof off the rink as she did in those years, she would still have been rewarded heavily, even if Sasha was clean. That's JMO. In my eyes, the only year the judges appeared ready and willing to give the title to Sasha, had Michelle either stumbled, or Sasha been clean, was in 2004. Come on, 5.9's and a 6.0 for a bad splat and an ugly 2 foot??? The original Swan Lake was a winning program, and had Sasha delivered, she would have deserved winning, but she didn't and Michelle was clean and passionate, so she nailed down that win.

I didn't read what you wrote in the commercial thread, but I agree with others that the commercial itself was corny, cheesy and poorly made up. The message seemed misleading and it was not well-put. BUT none of that is not Sasha's fault-she looks beautiful and did a great job. I haven't seen her on TV yet, and never saw the Citizen's Watch (Charm?) one on TV either-I watched both clips on line and definitely thought the Citizen's one was MUCH more credible for Sasha as far as her image goes. However, I do not get why everyone is harping on Sasha and the commercial so much. Who cares, it's just a commercial! Lots of famous people do dumb commercials to get their faces out there. I just am happy all these figure skaters ARE getting air time!

 

[Dee4707]

Definition of corny

Main Entry: 1corny
Pronunciation: 'kor-nE
Function: adjective
Inflected Form(s): corn·i·er; -est
1 archaic : tasting strongly of malt
2 : of or relating to corn
3 : mawkishly old-fashioned : tiresomely simple and sentimental
- corn·i·ly /'kor-n&l-E/ adverb
- corn·i·ness /'kor-nE-n&s/ noun

The only part of the definition according to whomever chooses to use the word "corny" is the 3rd definition. Aren't commercials set up to sell a product??
I guess I would have understood better if people would have commented that the commercial would never sell the product because the actor was terrible, stumbled over the words and made a disaster of the product. Then I think I would agree but that didn't happen. The producers took a beautiful young lady to sell their product........but then that's just my humble opinion.

Dee

 

[MKFSfan]

Well, it seems to me when people use the term "corny" they do so to kind of mock when someone IS being overly simple or even sentimental.

 

[dancindiva03]

Dee - It's summertime nitpicking time. How else can one nitpick Sasha? She's an Olympic Silver Medalist. Some people are annoyed with that.

Joe

Yeah, because it never should have happened. Even she knew she didn't deserve that medal.

 

[Mathman]

And yet, like it or not, there it is around her neck. Go Sasha!

About "corny," though, I don't think the people who called the nasal spray ad corny were really consulting the dictionary. (There is nothing maudlin or sentimental about spraying salt water up your nose.)

I think they just meant sort of generically "lame."

This judgement, though, has nothing to do with the ad, IMHO. People who don't like Sasha don't like her ad. People who do, do. No big mystery there, IMHO.

 

[anniemg]

Yeah, because it never should have happened. Even she knew she didn't deserve that medal.

There we go again! Just read the detailed marks and you'll know why she won the medal she did.....

As far as the commercial goes, I'm a huge Sasha fan and I didn't like it.

 

[Dee4707]

There we go again! Just read the detailed marks and you'll know why she won the medal she did.....

As far as the commercial goes, I'm a huge Sasha fan and I didn't like it.

Anniemg, see now your comment on why Sasha won the medal has substance and something backing up your statement, therefore I would probably believe and listen to what your saying.........dancindiva03 comments, inane.

I'm not even a Sasha fan but would think about the product based on the commerical aspect. I have a lot of sinus problems.

This judgement, though, has nothing to do with the ad, IMHO. People who don't like Sasha don't like her ad. People who do, do. No big mystery there, IMHO.

As always, you're right. Math, you're such a joy to converse with.

Dee

 

[Mathman]

Back at you, Dee.

As for the original topic, I think that the main area that Sasha has worked on is her basic skating skills. In 1999, spectacular as she was, her edges tended to be shallow and her stroking lacked power (compared to a skater like Irina, for instance). I have seen a lot of improvement in this regard.