- The judging system is crap. There is no way a given jump should receive +1 from one judge and -2 from another. It doesn't matter whether judges value different things--there should be a protocol that lists that qualities make a good jump, and within that the judges should be free to weigh the merit, for example, a jump's height vs. its outflow. However no judge should be able to decide that a jump was -2 GOE because it was low even if it was clean and flowy, while another decides that it was +1 because it was clean and flowy. Just no. Any given element should have a spread of 2 points, MAYBE 3.
- I do not disagree with the final placements. That being said, I firmly believe that Yu-na Kim was overscored. She is not the only one (see: ice dance), but sometime during these Olympics the judges decided that it was less about scoring what they saw as it was giving as many points as possible to the executed elements so that these Games could be remembered as one where all world records fell. This is not a game of "Who can give more points?" Oh, wait. This is essentially the same point as above: the judging system is crap. WAKE UP, ISU.
- Someone please get Mao Asada out of Tatiana Tarasova's grip. Tarasova is a brilliant coach who has worked wonders with many skaters, and her relationship with Mao seems very sweet, but I just don't think that she is leading Mao on the right trajectory. I feel like her skating's characteristic airiness has been completely suppressed, and with it her consistency and cute costuming have disappeared. It's painful to watch. JSF, I'm counting on you.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Vancouver 2010: Ladies
For the sake of my longevity and emotional well-being I did not watch the ladies' event. However I have seen certain programs online, read reviews, and looked at the protocols, and my opinion remains unchanged:
Thursday, February 25, 2010
02.22.2010 嵐の宿題くん：お金がないSP
また？この頃「お金がないSP」が増えましたね、、、本当にお金がないのか、「お金がないSP」が予想以上に好評なので予算関係なくやっているのか分かりませんけれど、ここまでお金がないならあと４週間でこの番組が終わってしまうのもしょうがないかもしれませんね。もしかして、最終日のSPのためにお金を採っておいているかも！でも、「宿題くん」は嵐の番組の中で一番好きなので、続けてもらいたいです！
前回の「お金がないSP」でやった８０秒トークが今回の企画でした。個人的にはこのトークは特に面白くないんですが、皆の演技力というかウーモアを見られて良いと思います。
テンションいまいち、、、
細かいトークより全体的なイメージの方が面白いので、写真だらけにします：
皆の低い声が最高！なぜか松潤が「味噌ちゃんこ」と言えなくて、笑っているうちに８０秒が終わってしまいました。
相葉くんにしか有り得ないハプニング、、、
必死に趣味を探している翔くん、、、皆笑うけれど、私もマジ何か見つけなきゃ。
定番のメイドルック。今年３０歳になると自分で言いながらリーダーもその気になって、「私の凄いとこって、ないニャン、、、２５時間釣りしたことかな。」と言ってました。翔くんの武勇伝は「なで肩」。小倉さんが言う通りに、全部に「ご主人様」と付けていただけです^_^
自分で「皆よりスゲイとこ、この肌の黒さ！」と言ってました。この８０秒のオーバリアクションで、嵐全員ぜいぜいしてました。あんなに踊って歌っているのに、、、ww
翔くんと松潤が吐くマネをして、オーバーリアクションが続きました。
これも嵐の定番、、、アントニオ猪木のモノマネ。なんで？
何言ってたか良く聞き取れなかったけれど、演技は最高に面白い！この中で一番かな〜
前回の「お金がないSP」でやった８０秒トークが今回の企画でした。個人的にはこのトークは特に面白くないんですが、皆の演技力というかウーモアを見られて良いと思います。
テンションいまいち、、、細かいトークより全体的なイメージの方が面白いので、写真だらけにします：
皆の低い声が最高！なぜか松潤が「味噌ちゃんこ」と言えなくて、笑っているうちに８０秒が終わってしまいました。
相葉くんにしか有り得ないハプニング、、、
必死に趣味を探している翔くん、、、皆笑うけれど、私もマジ何か見つけなきゃ。
定番のメイドルック。今年３０歳になると自分で言いながらリーダーもその気になって、「私の凄いとこって、ないニャン、、、２５時間釣りしたことかな。」と言ってました。翔くんの武勇伝は「なで肩」。小倉さんが言う通りに、全部に「ご主人様」と付けていただけです^_^
自分で「皆よりスゲイとこ、この肌の黒さ！」と言ってました。この８０秒のオーバリアクションで、嵐全員ぜいぜいしてました。あんなに踊って歌っているのに、、、ww
翔くんと松潤が吐くマネをして、オーバーリアクションが続きました。
これも嵐の定番、、、アントニオ猪木のモノマネ。なんで？ 
何言ってたか良く聞き取れなかったけれど、演技は最高に面白い！この中で一番かな〜
翔くんは気が強く「犬かニャ」と言ってました。リーダーはなぜか「モルモット」と。ニノはかなりシビアに「可愛く過ぎて勝てない、、、」とか言い始めて、相葉くんはその間汗だく。ハテナだらけ、、、
翔くんは「料理が上手い」、松潤は「優しい」、相葉くんは「掃除が出来る」、ニノは「自由にしてくれる」人が良いと言ってました。リーダーの番になる前に終了になってしまいました。LOL these answers would never fly in the US...
翔くんは「料理が上手い」、松潤は「優しい」、相葉くんは「掃除が出来る」、ニノは「自由にしてくれる」人が良いと言ってました。リーダーの番になる前に終了になってしまいました。LOL these answers would never fly in the US...Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Vancouver 2010: Free Dance
Okay. Now that I'm partly over the shock of the FD and the sudden barrage of midterms and things due, I can actually think and write about it. I didn't see much of it thanks to schoolwork, and the ones I did see were on a very fuzzy TV screen, but nevertheless the power and beauty definitely shined through. I was so excited for ice dance going into the Olympics, and it totally lived up to all of its hype. Wow.
Due to extenuating circumstances (read: people listening to music before I turned on the TV), I had to watch Isabel Delobel & Olivier Schoenfelder on mute. Yes, that sort of defeats the purpose of watching the FD... and I also missed the moment where she pulls down her costume to reveal a tubetop or whatever, because, well, it was on mute and I was doing my homework. So in general that was a fail on my part, but my overall impression based on what I did see was that, like their OD, everything is there except enough time to train. I hope they manage something before Worlds.
Knowing that Meryl Davis & Charlie White were up next, I decided that I would rather be rude than miss the experience of the FD and unmuted the TV. OMG, it was so worth it. Actually the first thing that was worth it was seeing that clip of Charlie back when he was 8 years old or so, still playing ice hockey. I couldn't really make out what he was saying because of the noise in the room, but it was adorable! And then came their FD. I've always felt that they wasted Samson and Delilah by skating to it last year, and that their Phantom of the Opera music is not only overdone but badly cut, but that night their performance blew all of these doubts away. Even through the fuzziness I could tell that they were completely on fire, and everything was so fast, strong, and powerful. I can't even pick out specific moments because it was all one mesmerizing blur, although I do remember thinking (again) that the lift where Meryl is basically balancing on Charlie's calf, is both crazy (in a good way) and odd (aesthetically). At the end of the program he looked like he was going to collapse onto the ice of exhaustion, which just goes to show how much of themselves they put into the performance. As usual Meryl looked as calm and unflustered as ever--how she managed that, I don't know. They scored a personal best 107.19, including a 1.00 deduction for an extended lift that has so far not been identified, and while it was deserved I knew that we were in for another night of record-smashing score inflation.
Then I missed Frederica Faiella & Massimo Scali's FD because I am a bad ice dancing fan and a stressed-out student. However the next team I definitely made sure not to miss, because it was my favorite: Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir. The audience was crazy with excitement and anticipation, and I must have been too, considering James and Eric were snickering as I watched. Anyway, my opinion of Tessa & Scott's FD has remained the same throughout the season: beautiful, strategically sound (in that it plays to their strengths), version 3.0. Clearly they have become stronger with each season, but this FD is basically the same as The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, which was basically the same as Valse Triste. But regardless...
It was beautiful. Subtle, restrained, elegant, but powerful, this performance had it all. Tessa & Scott's love and respect for each other really came through. If I were going to be really nitpicky I would say that I have seen them more free and emotional in some other performances, such as at 2008 Worlds, and that Meryl & Charlie gripped my attention more, but overall it was a masterpiece and it was clear (if it hadn't been before they started skating) that they would win. The best part was their swan lift, or more rather the commentary (Rafael: "Zueva really likes hurting her men"), but like Meryl & Charlie's performance it's hard to pick out certain points because it was like all one moment. Their scores were an unheard-of 110.42. While I believe that Tessa & Scott are the rightful gold medalists, I am not entirely convinced that they beat Meryl & Charlie by such a large margin (5+ overall) even with the 1.00 deduction factored in. I suppose if the standings aren't affected, it doesn't hurt much to give the home crowd an extra bit of excitement. As if they needed any... although Scott has always come across to me as calm, intelligent, and well-spoken, his reaction upon seeing his scores revealed to me the fire that drives him to compete as he does and drove his 8-year-old self into an ice hockey melee. It was an interesting contrast to watch, and his pure excitement was refreshing.
Tanith Belbin & Ben Agosto's performance fades in my memory because Meryl & Charlie and Tessa & Scott were so far and away the best of the night. However, it seemed to be that this was their best FD of the season, and I am sorry that politics and whatever else kept them out of 3rd place. To their credit both of them were extremely classy in their response, with Ben keeping it funny as usual and Tanith being thoughtful about how they would like to go out when they retire. A few comments by fsonline then got me thinking about how Tanith & Ben were the ones who even made the FD possible. Without them the European stranglehold on the sport would still exist, and the current classiness would probably not exist either. That is an amazing achievement and beyond all of their medals, they have so much to be proud of.
Oksana Domnina & Maxim Shabalin were last, and unsurprisingly NBC was not hesitant in their criticisms. I didn't pay all that much attention to them, except to see that they were using some kind of ropes/straps on their costumes to do their lifts, and while it was creative I just didn't feel anything from the program. They made some comments later about how they "had the best skate" but still only placed 3rd--the medal, by the way, seems like a complete boon of their nationality--and while the American media took that one line and used it as a sign of their lack of sportsmanship, I am still not completely convinced (until I see the whole interview, that is) that they were talking about the best skate of the night instead of the best skate of their season.
Because NBC is silly I haven't seen the moment where Scott tells Tessa that they came in second, behind the Russians, then tells her he's "just kidding." Come on, NBC... that has got to be the best quote of the night. I kept the TV on to watch the medal ceremony, during which it seemed that by the end of the night both of "Zueva's men" would have passed out. Scott looked so relieved and SO excited by his medal and by the anthem that I thought he'd keel over on the podium.
I think Meryl & Charlie still have even more to go--I feel like their full potential hasn't been reached just quite yet, even if the "yet" comes in a month at the World Championships--and I hope, hope, HOPE that neither they nor Tessa & Scott retire. Ice dancing is finally becoming interesting and beautiful, and if they retired it would undo everything.
Just for the record: I am not a bandwagon-jumping fan. I just pick the good ones, BEFORE the Olympics. :)
Due to extenuating circumstances (read: people listening to music before I turned on the TV), I had to watch Isabel Delobel & Olivier Schoenfelder on mute. Yes, that sort of defeats the purpose of watching the FD... and I also missed the moment where she pulls down her costume to reveal a tubetop or whatever, because, well, it was on mute and I was doing my homework. So in general that was a fail on my part, but my overall impression based on what I did see was that, like their OD, everything is there except enough time to train. I hope they manage something before Worlds.
Knowing that Meryl Davis & Charlie White were up next, I decided that I would rather be rude than miss the experience of the FD and unmuted the TV. OMG, it was so worth it. Actually the first thing that was worth it was seeing that clip of Charlie back when he was 8 years old or so, still playing ice hockey. I couldn't really make out what he was saying because of the noise in the room, but it was adorable! And then came their FD. I've always felt that they wasted Samson and Delilah by skating to it last year, and that their Phantom of the Opera music is not only overdone but badly cut, but that night their performance blew all of these doubts away. Even through the fuzziness I could tell that they were completely on fire, and everything was so fast, strong, and powerful. I can't even pick out specific moments because it was all one mesmerizing blur, although I do remember thinking (again) that the lift where Meryl is basically balancing on Charlie's calf, is both crazy (in a good way) and odd (aesthetically). At the end of the program he looked like he was going to collapse onto the ice of exhaustion, which just goes to show how much of themselves they put into the performance. As usual Meryl looked as calm and unflustered as ever--how she managed that, I don't know. They scored a personal best 107.19, including a 1.00 deduction for an extended lift that has so far not been identified, and while it was deserved I knew that we were in for another night of record-smashing score inflation.
Then I missed Frederica Faiella & Massimo Scali's FD because I am a bad ice dancing fan and a stressed-out student. However the next team I definitely made sure not to miss, because it was my favorite: Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir. The audience was crazy with excitement and anticipation, and I must have been too, considering James and Eric were snickering as I watched. Anyway, my opinion of Tessa & Scott's FD has remained the same throughout the season: beautiful, strategically sound (in that it plays to their strengths), version 3.0. Clearly they have become stronger with each season, but this FD is basically the same as The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, which was basically the same as Valse Triste. But regardless...
It was beautiful. Subtle, restrained, elegant, but powerful, this performance had it all. Tessa & Scott's love and respect for each other really came through. If I were going to be really nitpicky I would say that I have seen them more free and emotional in some other performances, such as at 2008 Worlds, and that Meryl & Charlie gripped my attention more, but overall it was a masterpiece and it was clear (if it hadn't been before they started skating) that they would win. The best part was their swan lift, or more rather the commentary (Rafael: "Zueva really likes hurting her men"), but like Meryl & Charlie's performance it's hard to pick out certain points because it was like all one moment. Their scores were an unheard-of 110.42. While I believe that Tessa & Scott are the rightful gold medalists, I am not entirely convinced that they beat Meryl & Charlie by such a large margin (5+ overall) even with the 1.00 deduction factored in. I suppose if the standings aren't affected, it doesn't hurt much to give the home crowd an extra bit of excitement. As if they needed any... although Scott has always come across to me as calm, intelligent, and well-spoken, his reaction upon seeing his scores revealed to me the fire that drives him to compete as he does and drove his 8-year-old self into an ice hockey melee. It was an interesting contrast to watch, and his pure excitement was refreshing.
Tanith Belbin & Ben Agosto's performance fades in my memory because Meryl & Charlie and Tessa & Scott were so far and away the best of the night. However, it seemed to be that this was their best FD of the season, and I am sorry that politics and whatever else kept them out of 3rd place. To their credit both of them were extremely classy in their response, with Ben keeping it funny as usual and Tanith being thoughtful about how they would like to go out when they retire. A few comments by fsonline then got me thinking about how Tanith & Ben were the ones who even made the FD possible. Without them the European stranglehold on the sport would still exist, and the current classiness would probably not exist either. That is an amazing achievement and beyond all of their medals, they have so much to be proud of.
Oksana Domnina & Maxim Shabalin were last, and unsurprisingly NBC was not hesitant in their criticisms. I didn't pay all that much attention to them, except to see that they were using some kind of ropes/straps on their costumes to do their lifts, and while it was creative I just didn't feel anything from the program. They made some comments later about how they "had the best skate" but still only placed 3rd--the medal, by the way, seems like a complete boon of their nationality--and while the American media took that one line and used it as a sign of their lack of sportsmanship, I am still not completely convinced (until I see the whole interview, that is) that they were talking about the best skate of the night instead of the best skate of their season.
Because NBC is silly I haven't seen the moment where Scott tells Tessa that they came in second, behind the Russians, then tells her he's "just kidding." Come on, NBC... that has got to be the best quote of the night. I kept the TV on to watch the medal ceremony, during which it seemed that by the end of the night both of "Zueva's men" would have passed out. Scott looked so relieved and SO excited by his medal and by the anthem that I thought he'd keel over on the podium.
I think Meryl & Charlie still have even more to go--I feel like their full potential hasn't been reached just quite yet, even if the "yet" comes in a month at the World Championships--and I hope, hope, HOPE that neither they nor Tessa & Scott retire. Ice dancing is finally becoming interesting and beautiful, and if they retired it would undo everything.
Just for the record: I am not a bandwagon-jumping fan. I just pick the good ones, BEFORE the Olympics. :)
Monday, February 22, 2010
Vancouver 2010: Original Dance
Things are not looking good for Meryl Davis & Charlie White. I am fairly confident that they will medal, but their chances of realizing their gold-medal dream seem pretty slim at this point. Their strength compared to the rest of the field (well the other teams in the top 4, namely) is their OD, and while they unsurprisingly beat Oksana Domnina & Maxim Shabalin they still lost ground to Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir. Tessa & Scott's strength is definitely their FD, so it seems like it will be difficult for Meryl & Charlie (and everyone) to beat them tonight.
Anyway, to the specifics...
Emily Samuelson & Evan Bates: They were the only couple shown in between skicross races, and while I am still not a fan of her dress or their OD in general, it was very well executed and they successfully moved up several spots. They seem to be much more comfortable once they can get out of the CD, and it showed here. Emily & Evan are very well-trained technically, and Susie Wynne(?) was all over them.
(By the way, can I mention that skicross is a terrible idea? Wiping out with skis is so much worse than wiping out on a snowboard... or at least worse to watch... eek.)
Isabel Delobel & Olivier Schoenfelder: Considering that they are former world champions, everyone knows what they are capable of, so the timing of her injury and pregnancy couldn't have been worse. I really liked the concept of their OD, which was a French Can-Can, but their performance was painfully heavy and slow. Susie described it as "rough around the edges," and it seems like they simply ran out of training time.
Sinead Kerr & John Kerr: They were as sweet and as entertaining as ever, but had a problem on their second set of twizzles that really held them back. They were also skating to American country music, and had a cool move at the end that involved them skidding to a stop to the sounds of a car. It's great that Sinead can use her relative size to their advantage and come up with these lifts and tricks, but all in all I guess their program had more show-skating qualities than technical ones.
Oksana & Maxim: This was the first time I saw their much-disputed OD and all "authenticity" controversies aside, I am not a fan of this program. It looked slow and labored, and nothing really grabbed at me because all of their ice dancing skills seemed hidden in wild moves and appearances. They were slow and seemingly messy, without a real emotional connection between them. I always wonder why they feel the need to do illusory programs, as they clearly have skating skills (see: CD), but they did and the result was a fairly empty routine. Susie nearly choked on her own voice trying to get all of her criticisms out, and I have to say that NBC's journalistic professionalism really fell here. While reporting that Australian aborigines have been offended by their program is fine, remarking that the portrayal of the culture clearly is not authentic is amateur, when she herself has no knowledge of the culture either. The commentators would later insert a snide comment when talking about Meryl's dress, which was pieced together from several Indian dresses purchased in a Indian shop in her hometown--"So her costume is authentic, unlike the Russians'." Completely unnecessary. "...so her costume has not generated controversy" is a valid journalistic move, making judgments on authenticity is not. The media in the US is as biased towards its athletes as it is possible to be, but NBC last night really crossed a whole new line. Anyway, the judges tried to hold Oksana & Maxim up as much as possible through their PCS, but in the end it wasn't enough to keep them anywhere higher than 3rd.
Meryl & Charlie: And then actually came the routine that has been used as the foil. They put out a great performance that really grabbed the audience, and again I was struck by Meryl's unique beauty. They beat their personal best pretty significantly, and at this point it looked like they had really gotten the job done.
Tessa & Scott: ...until Tessa & Scott skated, that is. Given the problems that they had on their OD earlier in the season, and the fact that the flamenco is less relatable than the Indian music, it seemed like they would lose the OD to Meryl & Charlie and then make up the difference in the FD. Susie kept making inane comments about how "there is no room for error," as if the other programs do have this room, but indeed Tessa & Scott's OD was super technical and high-paced. Everything was tight and close together, and there was none of the uncertainty of their previous competitions. I'm not sure what the male commentator meant by "they have a tendency to hold back," but either way there was no holding back in this flamenco. I loved their lift, although I could have sworn her legs were neater in previous attempts, but whatever. They looked amazingly and adorably pleased at the end, and their scores were even bigger than Meryl & Charlie's. Unlike in the pairs the scores probably weren't due to the Magic Canadian Bonus, but in general the scores seemed very inflated.
Tanith Belbin & Ben Agosto: They have changed their costumes since Nationals. Why, I do not know, because these new ones looked needlessly heavy and someone described it as "looking as if they'd jumped off a deck of cards." I am still not a fan of their strangely jumpy OD, but their performance was the best I've seen from them in a while. There was energy, speed, and power, and most of all they looked happy. However the EEB decided that an all-North American podium just wouldn't do, and made sure their OD lost narrowly to the Russians. I have no idea how this happened, but because of it Tanith and Ben are still in 4th place.
FREE DANCE TONIGHT!
Anyway, to the specifics...
Emily Samuelson & Evan Bates: They were the only couple shown in between skicross races, and while I am still not a fan of her dress or their OD in general, it was very well executed and they successfully moved up several spots. They seem to be much more comfortable once they can get out of the CD, and it showed here. Emily & Evan are very well-trained technically, and Susie Wynne(?) was all over them.
(By the way, can I mention that skicross is a terrible idea? Wiping out with skis is so much worse than wiping out on a snowboard... or at least worse to watch... eek.)
Isabel Delobel & Olivier Schoenfelder: Considering that they are former world champions, everyone knows what they are capable of, so the timing of her injury and pregnancy couldn't have been worse. I really liked the concept of their OD, which was a French Can-Can, but their performance was painfully heavy and slow. Susie described it as "rough around the edges," and it seems like they simply ran out of training time.
Sinead Kerr & John Kerr: They were as sweet and as entertaining as ever, but had a problem on their second set of twizzles that really held them back. They were also skating to American country music, and had a cool move at the end that involved them skidding to a stop to the sounds of a car. It's great that Sinead can use her relative size to their advantage and come up with these lifts and tricks, but all in all I guess their program had more show-skating qualities than technical ones.
Oksana & Maxim: This was the first time I saw their much-disputed OD and all "authenticity" controversies aside, I am not a fan of this program. It looked slow and labored, and nothing really grabbed at me because all of their ice dancing skills seemed hidden in wild moves and appearances. They were slow and seemingly messy, without a real emotional connection between them. I always wonder why they feel the need to do illusory programs, as they clearly have skating skills (see: CD), but they did and the result was a fairly empty routine. Susie nearly choked on her own voice trying to get all of her criticisms out, and I have to say that NBC's journalistic professionalism really fell here. While reporting that Australian aborigines have been offended by their program is fine, remarking that the portrayal of the culture clearly is not authentic is amateur, when she herself has no knowledge of the culture either. The commentators would later insert a snide comment when talking about Meryl's dress, which was pieced together from several Indian dresses purchased in a Indian shop in her hometown--"So her costume is authentic, unlike the Russians'." Completely unnecessary. "...so her costume has not generated controversy" is a valid journalistic move, making judgments on authenticity is not. The media in the US is as biased towards its athletes as it is possible to be, but NBC last night really crossed a whole new line. Anyway, the judges tried to hold Oksana & Maxim up as much as possible through their PCS, but in the end it wasn't enough to keep them anywhere higher than 3rd.
Meryl & Charlie: And then actually came the routine that has been used as the foil. They put out a great performance that really grabbed the audience, and again I was struck by Meryl's unique beauty. They beat their personal best pretty significantly, and at this point it looked like they had really gotten the job done.
Tessa & Scott: ...until Tessa & Scott skated, that is. Given the problems that they had on their OD earlier in the season, and the fact that the flamenco is less relatable than the Indian music, it seemed like they would lose the OD to Meryl & Charlie and then make up the difference in the FD. Susie kept making inane comments about how "there is no room for error," as if the other programs do have this room, but indeed Tessa & Scott's OD was super technical and high-paced. Everything was tight and close together, and there was none of the uncertainty of their previous competitions. I'm not sure what the male commentator meant by "they have a tendency to hold back," but either way there was no holding back in this flamenco. I loved their lift, although I could have sworn her legs were neater in previous attempts, but whatever. They looked amazingly and adorably pleased at the end, and their scores were even bigger than Meryl & Charlie's. Unlike in the pairs the scores probably weren't due to the Magic Canadian Bonus, but in general the scores seemed very inflated.
Tanith Belbin & Ben Agosto: They have changed their costumes since Nationals. Why, I do not know, because these new ones looked needlessly heavy and someone described it as "looking as if they'd jumped off a deck of cards." I am still not a fan of their strangely jumpy OD, but their performance was the best I've seen from them in a while. There was energy, speed, and power, and most of all they looked happy. However the EEB decided that an all-North American podium just wouldn't do, and made sure their OD lost narrowly to the Russians. I have no idea how this happened, but because of it Tanith and Ben are still in 4th place.
FREE DANCE TONIGHT!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Vancouver 2010: Cute or Weird?
Of all things to celebrate an Olympic win:
The American admitted exclusively to Yahoo! Sports that he plans to reward himself for his Vancouver exploits with a top-of-the-range Aston Martin DBS sports car, the vehicle of choice for the last two Bond films starring Daniel Craig as Agent 007.
"Aston Martin all the way, baby," Lysacek told [Martin Rogers], rubbing his hands together. "Got to be the DBS. Just like Bond."
While I'm all for Evan buying himself a gift--it's cute that he's worked so hard for this moment and now wants to indulge in it--isn't he a bit old to be playing the equivalent to dress-up? 24 years old, still dreaming of being as cool as James Bond... the combination of an Olympic gold medal with this immaturity kind of makes me laugh. Is it a male thing, or an insular-figure-skating-world thing?
Saturday, February 20, 2010
02.18.2010 vs嵐：「泣かないと決めた日」＋ 有吉弘行
今回もMDAの話で始まりました。またリーダーが適当に頭文字に言葉を当てはめてました。
そして、ドラマの皆を呼ぶパターンを続けて、今回のゲストは「泣かないと決めた日」チームでした。何人かはすでに嵐と共演したことがあったので、面白いトークが直ぐ始まりました。プラスワンゲストは有吉弘行さん。
最初の対決はピンボールランナーでした。ランナーが相葉くんで、サポーターがリーダーと有吉さんでした。何かこの三人は若干不安、、、
相葉＝アイボリー？
でも、「泣かない」もかなりグダグダでした。 榮倉奈々さんと藤木直人さんがサポーターで、 要潤がランナー。どうにか黄色いボールをキャッチしてましたが、背が高くてカッコイイ要さんは後でニノにしっかり突っ込まれていました。ww 本人も認めちゃって、、、（嵐 ２５０、泣かない １６０）
第二の対決はローリングコインタワーでした。嵐からは松潤と翔くん、「泣かない」チームからは杏さんと藤木さん（？）。
今回のタワーは今まで見た中で一番高かったかもしれません。普通ローリングコインタワーはそれほど面白くないのに、これは緊張して見てしまいました！
最終的に倒したのは松潤でした。ここで松潤はMDAの第一候補に！（嵐 ２８８、泣かない ４０５）
次はフォーリングパイプでした。リーダー対共演経験がある片瀬那奈さんでした。
元共演者であったのでお互いに読めるはずだというコメントにたいして、いかにもリーダーっぽい反応ww
そのスイッチを使って、リーダーは見事に読んでダブルキャッチしました！
釣りが中々上手く行ってなくてちょっと落ち込んでいたリーダーがこのダブルキャッチで気を取り直しました。
カワイイww
逆対決は榮倉さんと松潤でした。何故かこの二人は対決が始まる前に約束をしたらしい、、、
勝利と好感度、どっちを取るかを悩む松潤にたいし、有吉さんマジ切れ。でも最終的には松潤は好感度を選んでしまいました。（嵐 １３０、泣かない ９０）
四つ目の対決はクリフクライムでした。「泣かない」チームのクライマーは要さんと藤木さん、サポーターは榮倉さんと杏さん。でも力強いはずの男二人がちょっと不安、、、要さんは未だピンボールランナーから治ってない見たい。ww
しかし、実際に登り始めたら、二人の運動神経が出て来ました。グリップをほとんど使わずに、腕力で上まで上がりました。
カッコイイ〜
嵐からはニノと有吉さんがクライマーとして出ました。プラスワンのゲストが登るのは初めてらしいです。サポーターは相葉くんと翔くん。
プラスワンが登らないのは良いことかも、、、有吉さんは時間とグリップを使い過ぎて、そこに来てグリップの指し方が超下手。（嵐 ２００、泣かない ２３０）
最終対決はジャイアントクラッシュでした！この段階では嵐が負けていたので、松潤はMDAに選ばれないために勝つのに必死。
？
中に入るまで、、、
松潤の薦めたブロックを下ろした時に危ない瞬間もありましたが、見事に嵐が勝利！（嵐 ２４０、泣かない １００）
勝って良かったね、松潤
そして、ドラマの皆を呼ぶパターンを続けて、今回のゲストは「泣かないと決めた日」チームでした。何人かはすでに嵐と共演したことがあったので、面白いトークが直ぐ始まりました。プラスワンゲストは有吉弘行さん。
笑うべきか引くべきか良く分からない、、、
最初の対決はピンボールランナーでした。ランナーが相葉くんで、サポーターがリーダーと有吉さんでした。何かこの三人は若干不安、、、
相葉＝アイボリー？
リーダー可哀想ww
でも、ピンクをコールするのはでない見たいww なんで山を張っていたのかが良く分からない、、、
でも、「泣かない」もかなりグダグダでした。 榮倉奈々さんと藤木直人さんがサポーターで、 要潤がランナー。どうにか黄色いボールをキャッチしてましたが、背が高くてカッコイイ要さんは後でニノにしっかり突っ込まれていました。ww 本人も認めちゃって、、、（嵐 ２５０、泣かない １６０）
第二の対決はローリングコインタワーでした。嵐からは松潤と翔くん、「泣かない」チームからは杏さんと藤木さん（？）。
始める前から松潤のテンションが妙に高かったでした。翔くんと二人の間で、誰が攻めで誰が守りかと決めることにして、翔くんが負けて守る方になりました。
今回のタワーは今まで見た中で一番高かったかもしれません。普通ローリングコインタワーはそれほど面白くないのに、これは緊張して見てしまいました！
最終的に倒したのは松潤でした。ここで松潤はMDAの第一候補に！（嵐 ２８８、泣かない ４０５）
次はフォーリングパイプでした。リーダー対共演経験がある片瀬那奈さんでした。
元共演者であったのでお互いに読めるはずだというコメントにたいして、いかにもリーダーっぽい反応ww
眼力に負けないスイッチオン！
そのスイッチを使って、リーダーは見事に読んでダブルキャッチしました！
釣りが中々上手く行ってなくてちょっと落ち込んでいたリーダーがこのダブルキャッチで気を取り直しました。
カワイイww逆対決は榮倉さんと松潤でした。何故かこの二人は対決が始まる前に約束をしたらしい、、、
勝利と好感度、どっちを取るかを悩む松潤にたいし、有吉さんマジ切れ。でも最終的には松潤は好感度を選んでしまいました。（嵐 １３０、泣かない ９０）
四つ目の対決はクリフクライムでした。「泣かない」チームのクライマーは要さんと藤木さん、サポーターは榮倉さんと杏さん。でも力強いはずの男二人がちょっと不安、、、要さんは未だピンボールランナーから治ってない見たい。ww
しかし、実際に登り始めたら、二人の運動神経が出て来ました。グリップをほとんど使わずに、腕力で上まで上がりました。
カッコイイ〜嵐からはニノと有吉さんがクライマーとして出ました。プラスワンのゲストが登るのは初めてらしいです。サポーターは相葉くんと翔くん。
プラスワンが登らないのは良いことかも、、、有吉さんは時間とグリップを使い過ぎて、そこに来てグリップの指し方が超下手。（嵐 ２００、泣かない ２３０）最終対決はジャイアントクラッシュでした！この段階では嵐が負けていたので、松潤はMDAに選ばれないために勝つのに必死。
？
中に入るまで、、、松潤の薦めたブロックを下ろした時に危ない瞬間もありましたが、見事に嵐が勝利！（嵐 ２４０、泣かない １００）
勝って良かったね、松潤（総合得点：嵐 １１０８、泣かない ９８５）
Vancouver 2010: Compulsory Dance
The Eastern European bloc has had to have been working overtime since Evgeny Plushenko's untimely and unlikely demise, but given the nature of the CD their efforts did not quite manifest. Of course this can probably all change on Sunday and Monday, but for now, Oksana Domnina & Maxim Shabalin are rightfully in first over hometown favorites Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir, Meryl Davis & Charlie White, and Tanith Belbin & Ben Agosto.
Oksana was wearing a strangely-cut red dress that had too much material in the top front, and not enough in the back and bottom. The solid red with the back jeweled accent worked well with Maxim's suit though, and it was hard to imagine that these were the same people embroiled in the OD controversy. Their skating was fast, smooth, close together, and easy, and although much of it seemed less sensual than Tanith & Ben's, the point of the CD is to be technical and they pulled it off flawlessly.
I thought Tessa & Scott skated well, but there was a slight lack of ease compared to some of their past performances. Of course it was the CD, so there's not much room for expression, and it was the first segment of the Olympics. Everything was tight and clean, although after a while I have to admit I found myself staring at Tessa's dress more than anything. I also started wondering if there's any effect of doing a tango in the CD and another in the OD (and now that I think about it, is a flamenco really a "folk dance"?). Anyway, their skate was enough for a new personal best, just behind Oksana & Maxim, and they looked pretty satisfied afterwards.
It was hard for me to pick between Meryl & Charlie and Tessa & Scott on a technical level, and that was probably where the (slight) Canadian advantage came in. Then again I'm not a ice dancing judge by any means, so there likely were also differences I didn't notice that account for the placements and two-point gap. Meryl & Charlie skated fast and close together, and for me they actually seemed more relaxed than Tessa & Scott. I've heard that Meryl had a priceless expression on her face after she realized they were third, but unfortunately I've yet to see this.
Going into these Games I shared the opinion that Tanith & Ben's medal chances were relatively pretty low, but they held everything together to come in 4th. Before any skating could begin I was immediately distracted by Tanith's dress, which has a lot of gratuitous cut-outs and is pretty much in line with the style of her other recent costumes. It also had two TASSELS! With a load of rhinestones and glitter added, it seemed unnecessarily showy, but at least it was all black and white. The thing I most noticed about their performance is the sensuality they oozed the moment the music started. Tanith was incredibly intense throughout, and their lines and smoothness of skating really shone through. Their ending move was a little overdramatic for me, but all in all it seemed like a good package for them, especially considering they'd never competed this CD this season. Again, I'm not sure about the specific technicalities that separate them from the top 3, but I really enjoyed this performance.
Isabelle Delobel & Olivier Schoenfelder had the strangest lead-up to their CD, with Olivier putting on his suit jacket and both of them stroking their own and the other's jaws. I have to say, though, Olivier in a suit makes for a pretty imposing cut on the ice. Their music sounded different from the others', although I didn't know that was possible--maybe I'm imagining it. They skated fairly well but compared to the top teams it seemed a little slow, and the scores reflected it.
Emily Samuelson & Evan Bates did not have a great day, although their results are not altogether surprising considering that the CD has never been their strong suit. She was dressed in some red, purple, and turquoise ball of glitter that didn't quite go with his red shirt and vest, but whatever. Their skating was slower, further apart, and shallower than the top teams, and she had a slight misstep in their final pose, but it was a good effort from them at their first Olympics.
Oksana was wearing a strangely-cut red dress that had too much material in the top front, and not enough in the back and bottom. The solid red with the back jeweled accent worked well with Maxim's suit though, and it was hard to imagine that these were the same people embroiled in the OD controversy. Their skating was fast, smooth, close together, and easy, and although much of it seemed less sensual than Tanith & Ben's, the point of the CD is to be technical and they pulled it off flawlessly.
I thought Tessa & Scott skated well, but there was a slight lack of ease compared to some of their past performances. Of course it was the CD, so there's not much room for expression, and it was the first segment of the Olympics. Everything was tight and clean, although after a while I have to admit I found myself staring at Tessa's dress more than anything. I also started wondering if there's any effect of doing a tango in the CD and another in the OD (and now that I think about it, is a flamenco really a "folk dance"?). Anyway, their skate was enough for a new personal best, just behind Oksana & Maxim, and they looked pretty satisfied afterwards.
It was hard for me to pick between Meryl & Charlie and Tessa & Scott on a technical level, and that was probably where the (slight) Canadian advantage came in. Then again I'm not a ice dancing judge by any means, so there likely were also differences I didn't notice that account for the placements and two-point gap. Meryl & Charlie skated fast and close together, and for me they actually seemed more relaxed than Tessa & Scott. I've heard that Meryl had a priceless expression on her face after she realized they were third, but unfortunately I've yet to see this.
Going into these Games I shared the opinion that Tanith & Ben's medal chances were relatively pretty low, but they held everything together to come in 4th. Before any skating could begin I was immediately distracted by Tanith's dress, which has a lot of gratuitous cut-outs and is pretty much in line with the style of her other recent costumes. It also had two TASSELS! With a load of rhinestones and glitter added, it seemed unnecessarily showy, but at least it was all black and white. The thing I most noticed about their performance is the sensuality they oozed the moment the music started. Tanith was incredibly intense throughout, and their lines and smoothness of skating really shone through. Their ending move was a little overdramatic for me, but all in all it seemed like a good package for them, especially considering they'd never competed this CD this season. Again, I'm not sure about the specific technicalities that separate them from the top 3, but I really enjoyed this performance.
Isabelle Delobel & Olivier Schoenfelder had the strangest lead-up to their CD, with Olivier putting on his suit jacket and both of them stroking their own and the other's jaws. I have to say, though, Olivier in a suit makes for a pretty imposing cut on the ice. Their music sounded different from the others', although I didn't know that was possible--maybe I'm imagining it. They skated fairly well but compared to the top teams it seemed a little slow, and the scores reflected it.
Emily Samuelson & Evan Bates did not have a great day, although their results are not altogether surprising considering that the CD has never been their strong suit. She was dressed in some red, purple, and turquoise ball of glitter that didn't quite go with his red shirt and vest, but whatever. Their skating was slower, further apart, and shallower than the top teams, and she had a slight misstep in their final pose, but it was a good effort from them at their first Olympics.
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