Tonya Harding reality show pilot

[Mrs. P]

Aunt Joyce posted this. Looks like it's a pilot for a proposed reality show on Harding. It's actually pretty interesting to see where Tonya is now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhifzGajs0g&feature=player_embedded

 

[feraina]

Interesting...

 

[hikki]

She looks happy surrounded by a good group of people Her singing is still horrible tho!

The first 3axel in SP ever for a woman:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVz07QH2USM

 

[CARA]

Yeah...interesting is a cautiously neutral word.

I'm sorry but I have a hard time shaking off my 1st impression of Tonya. I watched the "breaking news" of knee whacking incident at the airport TV moniotor back in 1994. I was on the way back to visit my family in Japan. I hadn't watched figure skating for 5 - 6 years and knew nothing about Tonya nor Nancy at that time. Over the next several weeks, I witnessed the horror of what her then husband did to Nancy and Tonya's part in it.

So when I think of Tonya, I have a hard time shaking off the word, "trashy" from my mind. I know it's a harsh and judgemental word, but nothing she's done after that incident had changed my mind. Perhaps if I knew Tonya's powerful skating prior to that incident, I might have felt differently. I haven't have that pleasure.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Unfortunately, she made a mistake with those blokes and it has been deemed UNFORGIVEABLE. But she looks great now.

 

[blue_idealist]

Ugh.. I'm not watching!

 

[MrScroogeMcDuck]

Yes, Harding has always come across as trashy. Not for the truck-driving or backwoodsy lifestyle or whatever. That's a cultural and regional thing. But the in-your-face attitude and lack of class is something that is certainly unacceptable.

And yes, Harding's punishment was appropriate. I can't believe that some people think she deserved a slap on the wrist. My only issue with the kind of punishment she received is that such career-ending punishments aren't also handed out to corrupt judges. (Even when there's absolute proof that they're guilty, they receive only a relatively minor punishment for totally undermining the integrity of the sport.)

Now, having said all of that, her bad deeds and trashiness don't take away from her talent. She is right up there with Midori Ito as one of the greatest female jumpers of all time. She should be remembered for that as well.

I'm not sure that her talent is enough to make me want to see a reality show about her though.

 

[Phil Cohen]

I should note, that even before the "whacking" incident, Ms.Harding's skating was already in decline, not because of a lack of athletic ability, but rather because her personal life was becoming turbulent, and it's no secret that you can't skate well when under stress. There was a brief moment in time when she was an excellent skater. Actually, boxing(which Ms.Harding has done) is more suited to her temperment.

 

[ks777]

I see Tonya all the time on True TV's Smoking gun's world dumbest so it hasn't been awhile for me to see her on tv. Go Tonya!

I think Tonya should do a show with Sarah Palin!

 

[yelyoh]

I won't watch but I wish her the best.

 

[Olympia]

Tonya certainly was one of the best skaters ever in terms of jumping ability, which makes the situation all the more upsetting. But as for whether her punishment was excessive...the only thing that makes her and her fellow plotters look "not so bad" is the fact that they managed not to injure Kerrigan permanently—and that happened out of sheer dumb luck.

I remember that day. I remember how sick I felt when all we knew that someone had taken a bat to Nancy's leg. From the wording of the report, we were sure she was irreparably injured. Thank God, the hit turned out to be not so devastating, but it certainly wasn't for lack of trying on the part of whoever planned and delivered the blow.

This is the sort of misdeed for which a lifetime ban from skating is the correct punishment. It is not my business or my place to forgive or not forgive Harding. If she is able to become a productive citizen, that's wonderful. I hope she has a good life. I'm also happy to praise her skating and to watch past performances (with a sense of loss for what might have been). But I shall not be watching a reality show that involves her, unless the show features her taking part in Habitat for Humanity or some other volunteer work.

 

[Mrs. P]

Well USA Today reporter Christine Brennen had this to say on Twitter:

Happy 17th Anniversary to the Whack Heard 'Round the World. On 1/6/94 in Detroit, #Tonya Harding's pals attacked Nancy Kerrigan. #skating

How timely.

That said, I think Tonya Hardnig has been relatively harmless since the whole incident, other then a few minor run-ins with the law.

While the incident was horrible and it should have not happened, I don't think it doesn't mean Harding could be redeemed or forgiven or that her talent wasn't real.

Anyway, I probably won't watch the show because I don't have cable, but it was nice to see Tonya in happier times these days and that she's found people who accept her for who she is.

 

[blue dog]

I'm glad she's happier. The sad part is, Jeff was partly USFS' doing--the USFS wanted her to remain married to Jeff, so that the idea of the "Perfect Ice Princess" wouldn't be tarnished.

Remember, USFS wants its athlete to appear wholesome, and while I agree with Michelle Kwan when she says athletes at the highest levels have a responsibility to be great role models, athletes are people, too. The USFS should've let Tonya get away from Jeff and his cronies. Maybe the whack wouldn't have happened. Maybe she wouldn't have been under that kind of stress, and could have focused on training.

One thing was always obvious to me whenever I saw her skate--she loved it. Even when things weren't going her way, she loved being on the ice.