UPDATED: OMFG . . . Adam Rippon, Tonya Harding and Mirai Nagasu are on the DWTS' all-athlete cast

bardtoob said:
It was a set up by the producers to pit Adam against Tonya.

My prediction is the football player will win.
Click to expand...
He's very cute, which should be a huge determining factor anyways. Has a football player ever won?
 
Only male football players have competed. As far as I know, no one from the lingerie football league has been asked to do the show. There was a female soccer player (Solo?) but she was really bad.

I suspect the Shibs will be on DTWS next season. Since the entire 91 ladies world podium has competed, I think Midori Ito, Tonia Kwiatkowski, and Surya Bonaly should be invited next season as well.
 
GreatLakesGal said:
I don't watch DWTS but I'm delighted that Tonya made it to the final three. Great redemption for her--I love redemption stories--and a very nice paycheck no matter how she places next week.
Click to expand...

I will say..Im ready to let it go... She has been shunned really from society (and for good reasons) but after all these decades perhaps to forgive..and let her have some enjoyment in what ever way possible to her life.

And on top of that she really embraced DWTS more than I thought Nancy did... I think Nancy still is a bit cold (like my sister whom I love) and reserved and Tonya really put her heart on her sleeve.

Do I think she is delusional? Yes. But Life is too short for me to go on despising her for the rest of my days.

If she can find something that brought some joy to her, even if brief, I say let her have her time.
 
I actually watched Tonya's dancing for that last show, the one she did remembering her father, and I was very impressed with how smooth and graceful she can move at that age. Her tears felt real and her partner seems to really feel for her.

The producers probably want to pit Harding vs Rippon as "redneck vs cosmopolitan". Since Americans love comeback stories Tonya might win. I don't doubt for a moment that they totally steer the results the way they see fit.
 
I think the dance-offs should of been Tonya/Jenny, Mirai/Chris, and Adam/Josh. DTWS wanted Tonya vs Adam. They have a shocking elimination every season- this year it was Mirai. I am happy that Tonya made the final 3, I think Mirai should of made it instead of Adam. Am I the only one that didn't like Adam's contempory?

The football player will most likely win. NFL has the biggest fan base. I do want Tonya to win, but I will be happy as long as Adam doesn't.
c
 
cmk said:
I think the dance-offs should of been Tonya/Jenny, Mirai/Chris, and Adam/Josh. DTWS wanted Tonya vs Adam. They have a shocking elimination every season- this year it was Mirai. I am happy that Tonya made the final 3, I think Mirai should of made it instead of Adam. Am I the only one that didn't like Adam's contempory?

The football player will most likely win. NFL has the biggest fan base. I do want Tonya to win, but I will be happy as long as Adam doesn't.
c
Click to expand...

I like the football player a lot. He and his partner are really sexy and strong. I thought Mirai should have gone to the final but I do think that Adam's role in the quickstep and jive was more difficult because the man has to lead. It's easier for a woman to follow along and look great. I hope they have Mirai back for a longer season because she is such a great dancer and it was a great matchup with her partner.

Tonya is meh for me but I get why she should be in the final because she's the only one besides the football player who is actually progressing. Adam and Mirai are starting at such a high level. I think the show is much too short to show progression either. It would be nice to see Tonya skate again. I hope the show opens up something for her even though those days of skating are over.

Nancy was never my favorite skater or had the best public personae- she comes off as cold but I think that is more to her being uncomfortable with the limelight than being a genuinely cold person. She's only from a marginally better class than Tonya - solid blue collar. Obviously her family was not as chaotic as Tonya's but they've had their troubles as well.
 
Adam has the highest YouTube views... so Im not so sure about the footballer winning. Plus, Adam is also at the height of his popularity.

I find that Tonya has stunning lines and I love what she does with her hands!

Her hands bring me back to her skating...some of her hand movements are similar to her skating movements.

Regarding Mirai.... well the majority of the people I know who are NOT skating fans and and do not follow skating have mentioned to me that they "find that Mirai skater annoying." I never brought this up here before (partly because I dislike negativity) but since she is gone I wonder if non-skating fans out there for some reason also thought the same thing. :confused:
 
cmk said:
I think the dance-offs should of been Tonya/Jenny, Mirai/Chris, and Adam/Josh. DTWS wanted Tonya vs Adam. They have a shocking elimination every season- this year it was Mirai. I am happy that Tonya made the final 3, I think Mirai should of made it instead of Adam. Am I the only one that didn't like Adam's contempory?
Click to expand...

We should have known when they put Mirai against Adam that they wanted her eliminated. Didn't they put Nancy K. against Simone Biles? I'm pretty sure they did and that Nancy went home that week. I didn't dislike Adam's contemporary but I didn't love it, either.
 
AngieNikodinovLove said:
Adam has the highest YouTube views... so Im not so sure about the footballer winning. Plus, Adam is also at the height of his popularity.

I find that Tonya has stunning lines and I love what she does with her hands!

Her hands bring me back to her skating...some of her hand movements are similar to her skating movements.

Regarding Mirai.... well the majority of the people I know who are NOT skating fans and and do not follow skating have mentioned to me that they "find that Mirai skater annoying." I never brought this up here before (partly because I dislike negativity) but since she is gone I wonder if non-skating fans out there for some reason also thought the same thing. :confused:
Click to expand...

Mirai was bound to be disliked because she was so good. So many years I watched people whine about the best dancers and how “annoying” they found them. Jennifer was annoying because she complained about her injuries. Mya was annoying because she helped Dmitry with Choreography. Brandy was annoying because she spoke childishly at the judges. Mel B was annoying because she was a flirt. Simone was annoying because she took things too seriously. Blah blah blah....

I think people are legitamitely turned off by Mirai’s accent and childish behavior. But unfortunately, her being confident is also considered annoying.

Woman like Mirai are at a huge disadvantage. Because they can dance, people naturally think it’s unfair. They judge woman less if they have some sort of limitation, like age or body weight. But if you’re in your mid 20’s to early 30’s, good looking, nice body, no kids, and can dance, you will get the boot way earlier than people expect.

Kristi won because she was in her late thirties and had kids. Mirai doesn’t have children and was just at the Olympics. It’s hard to cheer for someone that has such a huge advantage over their competitors.

That said, Mirai was a LOT more popular than I expected. The fact that they had to lower her scores to get her eliminated was shocking. Most lady ringers can get perfect 10s and still will be voted out! Just 1% between her and Third place? I think Mirai was more popular than people think.
 
My take on Tonya in DWTS is frankly that she doesn't give a damn about "redemption" because she's sick to death of her constant association with "the incident." However, she's simply over the moon about the attention she's getting that isn't all negative for a change. She's also possibly over-blowing it more than a bit - "America loves me!" - um, really, Tonya??? Not all of us. That said, she has always been extremely bitter about the fact that everyone else made money in the immediate years after the Kerrigan attack and that other skaters basked in both dollars and attention while she got squat. Regardless of my feelings about her, I can understand her basking in the sunshine now and going for everything positive she can get. She craves approval and positive reinforcement, and for the first time in decades, she's getting it on DWTS.

Regardless of how she places, it will be interesting to see what happens to her after DWTS and what opportunities come her way (if any, now that the media and public attention to "I, Tonya" is essentially done). And a lot of it will depend on Tonya herself; specifically her penchant for constantly putting her foot in her mouth. Witness the sudden "revelation" that she knew something before Nancy was attacked and once again biting the hand that fed her, namely losing her agent again after he got her the movie over demands that reporters not ask about the past. It's highly likely that whatever she attempts to do, "the incident" will continue to hang over her head, and in a large part because of the conflicting versions of what really happened that she keeps coming up with. She may have a chance her to turn her public image around, but it's going to depend on her holding her temper and watching her mouth. And with Tonya, that's not something anyone can bet on safely.
 
2 in studio interview videos after week 2 (both uploaded May 11):

'DWTS': Tonya Harding Gets Emotional Describing Praise From Her Son | Access: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acGzXTJGS5Y

Tonya Harding & Sasha Farber Talk "DWTS: Athletes" | Daily Pop | E! News: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cz8l4RrpGrU

ETA:

Mirai Nagasu Lived Her Best Life On "Dancing With The Stars" (published by TeamUSA.org on May 15): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqaDlU2F9vM

Also from TeamUSA.org - Chris Mazdzer's "Dancing with the Stars" Journey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJtA_JDyqBU
 
@Yazmeen I think you answered your own question. She decided to use the movie attention to try and rehab her image, put her foot in her mouth, then overacted to the mistake by refusing to talk about it at all and lost her agent. None of that spells “I know how to turn positive attention to my advantage”.

As for her reaction to the DWTS attention: she’s always overreacted to everything. If she won a comp she was “the best skater in the world” and if she lost a comp it was because “they hate me”.
 
Yazmeen said:
My take on Tonya in DWTS is frankly that she doesn't give a damn about "redemption" because she's sick to death of her constant association with "the incident." However, she's simply over the moon about the attention she's getting that isn't all negative for a change. She's also possibly over-blowing it more than a bit - "America loves me!" - um, really, Tonya??? Not all of us. That said, she has always been extremely bitter about the fact that everyone else made money in the immediate years after the Kerrigan attack and that other skaters basked in both dollars and attention while she got squat. Regardless of my feelings about her, I can understand her basking in the sunshine now and going for everything positive she can get. She craves approval and positive reinforcement, and for the first time in decades, she's getting it on DWTS.

Regardless of how she places, it will be interesting to see what happens to her after DWTS and what opportunities come her way (if any, now that the media and public attention to "I, Tonya" is essentially done). And a lot of it will depend on Tonya herself; specifically her penchant for constantly putting her foot in her mouth. Witness the sudden "revelation" that she knew something before Nancy was attacked and once again biting the hand that fed her, namely losing her agent again after he got her the movie over demands that reporters not ask about the past. It's highly likely that whatever she attempts to do, "the incident" will continue to hang over her head, and in a large part because of the conflicting versions of what really happened that she keeps coming up with. She may have a chance her to turn her public image around, but it's going to depend on her holding her temper and watching her mouth. And with Tonya, that's not something anyone can bet on safely.
Click to expand...

It’s not that often that I agree with you about Tonya. 😁

berthesghost said:
@Yazmeen I think you answered your own question. She decided to use the movie attention to try and rehab her image, put her foot in her mouth, then overacted to the mistake by refusing to talk about it at all and lost her agent. None of that spells “I know how to turn positive attention to my advantage”.

As for her reaction to the DWTS attention: she’s always overreacted to everything. If she won a comp she was “the best skater in the world” and if she lost a comp it was because “they hate me”.
Click to expand...

I think it was the Piers Morgan fiasco that got Tonya bent out of shape. I wonder who helped her get the DWTS deal if not Rosenberg.
 
Frida80 said:
No one needed to get her on the show. She was controversial figure in the news. They wanted her there automatically.
Click to expand...

Completely agree here - she added the real spice to a flagging show (no offense to your team name, Mirai).
 
Frida80 said:
No one needed to get her on the show. She was controversial figure in the news. They wanted her there automatically.
Click to expand...

I'm sure someone handled the negotiations for her. Not likely her "Godparents" either. Some buzz (probably "fake news" on Radar Online) by unnamed sources say she was a diva and demanded to be paid a high price to appear on the show.
 
Last edited:
Yazmeen said:
Completely agree here - she added the real spice to a flagging show (no offense to your team name, Mirai).
Click to expand...

Spice or syrup? Because this season has been filled with so much saccharine moments it makes me quesy. I'd much prefer her being herself than this sob story. It's degrading after all while.

What I like about Tonya was that she was so tough and a rebel. This storyline really bugs me.
 
Inessence said:
I'm sure someone handled the negotiations for her. Not likely her "Godparents" either. Some buzz (probably "fake news" on Radar Online) by unnamed sources say she was a diva and demanded to be paid a high price to appear on the show.
Click to expand...

Asking for a high price doesn't mean she's a diva. It means she's smart. Thanks to the movie she has a higher public profile than she has in the past decade or so, and the movie did really well too. So why wouldn't she ask for $$$$? If the producers thought she was asking for more than she would be worth to the show, they would have said "no".
 
overedge said:
Asking for a high price doesn't mean she's a diva. It means she's smart. Thanks to the movie she has a higher public profile than she has in the past decade or so, and the movie did really well too. So why wouldn't she ask for $$$$? If the producers thought she was asking for more than she would be worth to the show, they would have said "no".
Click to expand...

Agreed. That's why I think it's probably "fake news". They also claimed last year that Nancy was behaving like a diva and pitted her against another female contestant. Likely just to drum up publicity... Like when they said Tonya might be in the audience as a surprise guest.
 
Frida80 said:
Spice or syrup? Because this season has been filled with so much saccharine moments it makes me quesy. I'd much prefer her being herself than this sob story. It's degrading after all while.

What I like about Tonya was that she was so tough and a rebel. This storyline really bugs me.
Click to expand...

Have no fear: :fan21: :EVILLE:

https://www.kgw.com/article/news/lo...hits-the-ice-with-tonya-harding/283-530006372

My favorite part:

Interviewer:
We give people second chances all the time. Third and fourth chances. Why do you think so many people aren’t willing to give you a second chance?

Tonya:
Well for one, I didn’t ask for it.
 
Frida80 said:
Mirai was bound to be disliked because she was so good. So many years I watched people whine about the best dancers and how “annoying” they found them. Jennifer was annoying because she complained about her injuries. Mya was annoying because she helped Dmitry with Choreography. Brandy was annoying because she spoke childishly at the judges. Mel B was annoying because she was a flirt. Simone was annoying because she took things too seriously. Blah blah blah....

I think people are legitamitely turned off by Mirai’s accent and childish behavior. But unfortunately, her being confident is also considered annoying.

Woman like Mirai are at a huge disadvantage. Because they can dance, people naturally think it’s unfair. They judge woman less if they have some sort of limitation, like age or body weight. But if you’re in your mid 20’s to early 30’s, good looking, nice body, no kids, and can dance, you will get the boot way earlier than people expect.

Kristi won because she was in her late thirties and had kids. Mirai doesn’t have children and was just at the Olympics. It’s hard to cheer for someone that has such a huge advantage over their competitors.

That said, Mirai was a LOT more popular than I expected. The fact that they had to lower her scores to get her eliminated was shocking. Most lady ringers can get perfect 10s and still will be voted out! Just 1% between her and Third place? I think Mirai was more popular than people think.
Click to expand...

Ok so how did Shawn Johnson win? She was 17 and annoying.
 
bardtoob said:
True, but I like to reserve that imagery for Slutskaya . . . except that I love Slutskaya now :oops:
Click to expand...

I don't think it's fair to say that either Tonya or Irina skated like a Mac trunk. Both were powerful, athletic skaters with big jumps. I've never heard a powerful, athletic male skater described as skating like a mac truck. So, I think your post reflects a bit of a bias against female skaters.

The baby ballerina, lyrical and poetic styles of skating are not the only options for female skaters. Nothing wrong with an athletic and powerful woman - it's nice to have variety in the field. And I think women should be encouraged to show their personalities on their ice and embrace a style that suits them.

For example, Mae Berenice Mette has brought a fresh and unique style to the ice with oodles of personality. Her Beyonce number rocked! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8xjuLIVZnQ
 
Last edited:
Japanfan said:
I don't think it's fair to say that either Tonya or Irina skated like a Mac trunk. Both were powerful, athletic skaters with big jumps. I've never heard a powerful, athletic male skater described as skating like a mac truck. So, I think your post reflects a bit of a bias against female skaters.

The baby ballerina, lyrical and poetic styles of skating are not the only options for female skaters. Nothing wrong with an athletic and powerful woman - it's nice to have variety in the field. And I think women should be encouraged to show their personalities on their ice and embrace a style that suits them. For example, Mae Berenice Mette has brought a fresh and athletic style to the ice with oodles of personality (here Beyonce number rocked!).
Click to expand...

I agree with most of this, except I do recall Elvis received some blowback as a medal contender due to his overt-masculine style. He also had a muscular, stocky body like Tonya.
 
Last edited:
Inessence said:
I agree with most of this, except I do recall Elvis received some blowback as a medal contender due to his overt-masculine style.
Click to expand...

His Bruce Lee martial arts program was iconic and beloved by many - remembered to this day.

What Elvis was criticized for was his lack of range, unwillingness to explore different styles and insistence that there was a 'masculine' style of skating.

However, it might be fair to say that female skaters who fit the primary stereotypes of female skaters were/are equally limited in range. Did Sasha Cohen exhibit more range in her programs than Elvis did? I really don't know. But Mao comes to mind with "Bells", which was really a stretch for her. Or Daleman with 'Gladiator' - though unfortunately she ditched it and went back to 'American in Paris'.

So, the criticism of Elvis may reflect another bias in FS. But other 'athletic' skaters like him (i.e. Kevin Van De Perrin) didn't received as much criticism so far as I know.

I actually enjoyed most of Elvis program's and think he could have grown even with a limited range of program styles. But he didn't. I thought it was very sad when he brought the Bruce Lee back to the '94 Olympics in 2002, but skated it much worse than he had in the earlier Olympics.
 
UGG said:
Ok so how did Shawn Johnson win? She was 17 and annoying.
Click to expand...

Teenagers are an exception. Plus she had the story of coming into the Olympics and losing every chance for gold until the balance beam. So she seemed more like an underdog. She was teamed with Mark, who was popular. And she was also clearly inferior to Melissa and Gilles. She also didn't have a sexy body or clear advantage. And she won because she was the one that put the most effort in her free style.
 
Japanfan said:
However, it might be fair to say that female skaters who fit the primary stereotypes of female skaters were/are equally limited in range. Did Sasha Cohen exhibit more range in her programs than Elvis did? I really don't know. But Mao comes to mind with "Bells", which was really a stretch for her. Or Daleman with 'Gladiator' - though unfortunately she ditched it and went back to 'American in Paris'.
Click to expand...

Right? I doubt they ever asked Peggy Fleming to "Jazz it up a little."
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 1 (members: 0, guests: 1)

Similar threads

nimi
DWTS S26: All-Athletes Edition! (i.e. the DWTS thread for NOT yammering about what happened 24 years ago)
32 33 34
Replies
1K
Views
98K
Sylvia
Sylvia
screech
Potential skaters on the next Dancing with the Stars?
2 3
Replies
80
Views
10K
Carolla5501
C
Back
Top
Do Not Sell My Personal Information