Johar said:
Why don't some of you like ["Fields of Gold"]? Just curious and this is not an attack. Our differences make us unique 
"Our differences make us unique"--great reminder Johar. Since I didn't like FOG, I'll answer, though no way would I put it in any "worst program" category. It just didn't float my boat and the reason, perhaps ironically, is the music. This is a lose-lose proposition to answer, which is probably why most haven't said why, because if you say it's Michelle, bad on you for not liking Michelle and if you say it's the music, bad on you for not liking poor sweet Eva Cassidy who died so young. But putting all that aside, I don't like what a character on "Six Feet Under" described as "that Lilith Fair crap."
Gabillions of people obviously love it, but my genes just can't handle it. Music like that literally hurts my ears. Nothing against Eva Cassidy, who was obviously a gifted singer; FOG just wasn't the kind of music I like. I didn't much like Sting's version of it either.
I liked a lot of the choreography, especially where Michelle skates acoss the ice as the "waving fields of barley"--great moves--but for me most of it was a tad too precious and mincey.
I know, how can you not be moved by Michelle who herself was moved to tears performing it at the '02 Olympics exhibition? Well, I already felt bad for Michelle who went into two Olympics as the favorite, had one I forget how many National and World titles at that point and yet again lost out to a younger skater who happened to have the skate of her life at the Olympics (first Tara, then Sarah). Plus Michelle fell, she'd gone though the whole leaving Frank storm, she only won the bronze--it was like Michelle's Olympic experiences really were jinxed.
So I felt bad enough for her already. I've almost never been moved by a performer in any medium when they completely let go emotionally. What gets me is a situation of profound emotion and human vulnerability where the feelings come through the movement, music, acting, or whatever, but not through the person. For example, in the movie "The Pianist," when Wladyslaw Szpilman's has been found hiding by a Nazi officer and has to essentially play the piano for his life, the scene is directed so that neither the actor playing Szpilman's nor the actor playing the German officer express any emotion. It all comes out through the music and the situation. If Polanski had directed it to have Szpilman start weeping and the German officer moved to tears, it would have been over the top, untrue, for me. I know Michelle genuinely felt those tears and that millions were deeply moved by that performance, but for me, when I felt it was when Michelle was accepting her bronze medal. She was very gracious as always, smiled and applauded for Irina and Sarah, but you know her heart had to be breaking. It was her restraint during the medal ceremony that moved me. Of course I don't blame her for bursting into tears during her exhibition of FOG after everything she'd been through. For me there's a difference between feeling bad for the person, which I already did, and being moved by the performance. I felt bad for Michelle but I was not moved by FOG at the Olympics nor at other times, although I did like a lot of the choreography.
I hope that answer makes some kind of sense, Johar.
Okay, got my protective gear on in case anybody wants to fire away
Rgirl
of seeing that, but it was an absolute travesty. As if the music weren't bad enough on its own, Victor's program was even worse. It was so horrible that I've blocked most of it out of my memory, but I do remember that it involved him using a handpuppet of a dog, which he "barked" at himself every time the music said "Woof, woof, woof, woof." He didn't really do very much real skating at all in the program, just a lot of posing around with his stupid puppet. Gah! It was horrible!!
