Skating: serious business. With sequins.
I totaled less than five hours of sleep last night. Reason: Olympic figure skating, men's free program - medaling event. Yes, I stayed up practically all night to watch it live from the other side of the world. (No, I'm not sane, and I feel like a complete zombie now, but I'm happy.) The thought that is foremost in my mind still is this:
The medals went to the right people, but that the judges have apparently invented their own little invisible deduction system for being flamingly, unapologetically gay and effeminate annoys the shit out of me.
USA's Johnny Weir, the Lady GaGa of figure skating, was scored atrociously low in his free program and finished sixth. Was he robbed of a medal? No, I don't believe that. His program was not a match for the medalists, difficulty-wise; he attempted no quad (although listed one in his plan) and his combos were not at the same level of difficulty. He DID, however, skate a clean, artistic program that was absolutely Olympics level. Let me say I am not an expert on the scoring system, but I have watched skating for about a decade, and just comparing the scores of the rest of the tops... Johnny was given POINT ONE more for components than Nobunari Oda, who broke his skate and interrupted his program for almost three minutes, garnering three points of deductions. (It was a beautiful, very professional save by Oda though, and I don't begrudge him at all.) His component scores were nearly all sevens while all other tops were awarded eights, for performances that had falls and - in my opinion - were not as well interpreted and DANCED as Weir's. (I will not argue his element scores, as they are less subject to interpretation and require more expertise, and he DID ease the quad to a triple, jumped a toeloop as a flip, and faltered one of his spins.)
Johnny should have finished fourth or at least fifth. Not sixth. He should not have gotten these ridiculously low component scores, he should not have been rated barely above Oda, he should not have been scored lower than two skaters who fell and three who did not jump (or succeed) quads. At the very least, Johnny should have placed above Canada's Patrick Chan, who fell one jump, flubbed another, and scored lower in short program, to say nothing of the difference in their artistry and interpretation.
I maintain that the medals went to the right men, and I don't believe Johnny was scored unfairly in short program, but damn straight... no, DAMN FLAMING GAY he was robbed of what should have rightfully been his. I'm also less than impressed by Plushenko's unsportsmanlike behavior after he took silver - he mastered the bitchface on the podium and reportedly refused to pose for medalist group photographs. I don't LIKE Evan Lysacek, but this is simply because I am not fond of his style, and vastly prefer the Russian style. Lysacek skated stronger and better this year, his program was clean while most of Plushenko's jumps were barely (though beautifully) saved from falling flat, and overall it simply wasn't Plushenko's strongest choreography by a longshot. I also don't personally think his flirting was appropriate; it does not fit his style in competition. I vastly prefer the "old" Plushenko who concentrated 110% and rarely even smiled, reserving his strange and hilarious side for the exhibitions. Flirting with the audience in competition programs suits Weir and Contesti (Samuel, of Italy), but not most others.
As a final note about Johnny Weir... whom I've really seen sadly too little of in previous years, because we don't get GP or US nationals or FCC televised, and thus while I always enjoyed his skating I've really only "found him" this year... yes, he is that one level below the true great skaters who can consistently compete for medals in all big competitions. Technique-wise, yes, he rates somewhat below the amazing jumpers (Plushenko, Joubert), the top-speeders (Chan, Takahashi), and the godly spinners (Lambiel, Lambiel, and Lambiel). But that isn't the point. That isn't the point AT ALL in figure skating. There are skaters who are athletes first, artists second; Johnny is, instead, artist first and athlete second. He is beautiful, artistic, he dances on ice rather than mechanically performing elements. It's simply a joy to watch him skate. And more than a skater, Johnny is a Character, with a capital C. He's polarizing, he's entertaining, amusing, and while being everything that he is on ice and off it, he is completely and utterly unapologetic. I admire him much for the same reason I admire Bill Kaulitz: that they both have been exactly the way they are, looking exactly the way they want to look, and apparently 100% comfortable in their skins from such a young age in front of millions of people... I pretty much HAVE to admire that. (Not to mention that Johnny started skating at AGE TWELVE. This is EXTREMELY late, for an Olympic skater, world champ bronze medalist, and three-times national champion. Compare to eg. Plushenko, who started at age four and moved all the way across Russia at eleven just to continue training.) I also have a strange respect for Weir's reasons for not commenting on his sexuality. Because he's right. He shouldn't HAVE to say who he's banging because what the hell does it matter, anyway? He'll still be Johnny Weir. We should all care far more about WHO he is than about WHAT he is. (Reading between the lines, it's pretty goddamn obvious anyway.)
Faaabulous. Man-cleavage and pink tassels. (Olympics short programme.)
Work that sliiiiiide. (From his Poker Face exhibition programme.)
Don't cry bb. There, there...
These will make it better!
Scores just came in; audience boos at how low they are. Johnny jumps up, waves, smiles and tries to calm them down. THIS is how you take it gracefully and show good sportsmanship.
Yes, Johnny, whether it's the D or the Q that's silent, we love you and you are a princess. <3 (I love that Twitter allowed me to tell him this, directly - and yes I deflowered my twitter account JUST FOR HIM - and I hope he reads all his @messages becuase there is so much love in there, he needs to hear it.)
The medals went to the right people, but that the judges have apparently invented their own little invisible deduction system for being flamingly, unapologetically gay and effeminate annoys the shit out of me.
USA's Johnny Weir, the Lady GaGa of figure skating, was scored atrociously low in his free program and finished sixth. Was he robbed of a medal? No, I don't believe that. His program was not a match for the medalists, difficulty-wise; he attempted no quad (although listed one in his plan) and his combos were not at the same level of difficulty. He DID, however, skate a clean, artistic program that was absolutely Olympics level. Let me say I am not an expert on the scoring system, but I have watched skating for about a decade, and just comparing the scores of the rest of the tops... Johnny was given POINT ONE more for components than Nobunari Oda, who broke his skate and interrupted his program for almost three minutes, garnering three points of deductions. (It was a beautiful, very professional save by Oda though, and I don't begrudge him at all.) His component scores were nearly all sevens while all other tops were awarded eights, for performances that had falls and - in my opinion - were not as well interpreted and DANCED as Weir's. (I will not argue his element scores, as they are less subject to interpretation and require more expertise, and he DID ease the quad to a triple, jumped a toeloop as a flip, and faltered one of his spins.)
Johnny should have finished fourth or at least fifth. Not sixth. He should not have gotten these ridiculously low component scores, he should not have been rated barely above Oda, he should not have been scored lower than two skaters who fell and three who did not jump (or succeed) quads. At the very least, Johnny should have placed above Canada's Patrick Chan, who fell one jump, flubbed another, and scored lower in short program, to say nothing of the difference in their artistry and interpretation.
I maintain that the medals went to the right men, and I don't believe Johnny was scored unfairly in short program, but damn straight... no, DAMN FLAMING GAY he was robbed of what should have rightfully been his. I'm also less than impressed by Plushenko's unsportsmanlike behavior after he took silver - he mastered the bitchface on the podium and reportedly refused to pose for medalist group photographs. I don't LIKE Evan Lysacek, but this is simply because I am not fond of his style, and vastly prefer the Russian style. Lysacek skated stronger and better this year, his program was clean while most of Plushenko's jumps were barely (though beautifully) saved from falling flat, and overall it simply wasn't Plushenko's strongest choreography by a longshot. I also don't personally think his flirting was appropriate; it does not fit his style in competition. I vastly prefer the "old" Plushenko who concentrated 110% and rarely even smiled, reserving his strange and hilarious side for the exhibitions. Flirting with the audience in competition programs suits Weir and Contesti (Samuel, of Italy), but not most others.
As a final note about Johnny Weir... whom I've really seen sadly too little of in previous years, because we don't get GP or US nationals or FCC televised, and thus while I always enjoyed his skating I've really only "found him" this year... yes, he is that one level below the true great skaters who can consistently compete for medals in all big competitions. Technique-wise, yes, he rates somewhat below the amazing jumpers (Plushenko, Joubert), the top-speeders (Chan, Takahashi), and the godly spinners (Lambiel, Lambiel, and Lambiel). But that isn't the point. That isn't the point AT ALL in figure skating. There are skaters who are athletes first, artists second; Johnny is, instead, artist first and athlete second. He is beautiful, artistic, he dances on ice rather than mechanically performing elements. It's simply a joy to watch him skate. And more than a skater, Johnny is a Character, with a capital C. He's polarizing, he's entertaining, amusing, and while being everything that he is on ice and off it, he is completely and utterly unapologetic. I admire him much for the same reason I admire Bill Kaulitz: that they both have been exactly the way they are, looking exactly the way they want to look, and apparently 100% comfortable in their skins from such a young age in front of millions of people... I pretty much HAVE to admire that. (Not to mention that Johnny started skating at AGE TWELVE. This is EXTREMELY late, for an Olympic skater, world champ bronze medalist, and three-times national champion. Compare to eg. Plushenko, who started at age four and moved all the way across Russia at eleven just to continue training.) I also have a strange respect for Weir's reasons for not commenting on his sexuality. Because he's right. He shouldn't HAVE to say who he's banging because what the hell does it matter, anyway? He'll still be Johnny Weir. We should all care far more about WHO he is than about WHAT he is. (Reading between the lines, it's pretty goddamn obvious anyway.)
Faaabulous. Man-cleavage and pink tassels. (Olympics short programme.)
Work that sliiiiiide. (From his Poker Face exhibition programme.)
Don't cry bb. There, there...
These will make it better!
Scores just came in; audience boos at how low they are. Johnny jumps up, waves, smiles and tries to calm them down. THIS is how you take it gracefully and show good sportsmanship.
Yes, Johnny, whether it's the D or the Q that's silent, we love you and you are a princess. <3 (I love that Twitter allowed me to tell him this, directly - and yes I deflowered my twitter account JUST FOR HIM - and I hope he reads all his @messages becuase there is so much love in there, he needs to hear it.)