Medvedeva and Pogorilaya on the Russian late night talk show

[Nomad]

I would have a big problem with any American hosts taking swipes at Med or Pogo. And if it happens I hope it is posted here so we can respond. Putin? Not so much. And if their media takes aim at Obama or any candidates? Not so much. Politics/politiks whatever. But to make fun or light of a skater because of her nationality? Totally, totatlly unacceptable. Zebraswan if you have seen this let us know.

I can't even remember the last time a skater was on a talk show. I very much doubt that US talk show hosts have any idea who medaled at Worlds this year, let alone care.

 

[IceAlisa]

Gracie was on Leno pre-Sochi.

 

[zebraswan]

I would have a big problem with any American hosts taking swipes at Med or Pogo. And if it happens I hope it is posted here so we can respond. Putin? Not so much. And if their media takes aim at Obama or any candidates? Not so much. Politics/politiks whatever. But to make fun or light of a skater because of her nationality? Totally, totatlly unacceptable. Zebraswan if you have seen this let us know.

But Urgant didn't make fun of any skater because of their nationality or take "swipes" at Ashley. Do US talk shows even know skating exists? Doubt it, but you could probably go back to 2010 and find some crude jokes about Johnny Weir.

Nomad - I don't watch talk shows that often, because none of them are funny in my opinion...but just search Youtube for any late night host and "Russia" & you'll find examples. And YES, plenty of people here still have the Cold War mentality, and it's evident anywhere that Russia is a topic of conversation. This is not brand new information.

 

[Nomad]

Gracie was on Leno pre-Sochi.

Thanks for that info. But for the most part US skaters don't get that kind of media attention any more.

 

[Cachoo]

I can't even remember the last time a skater was on a talk show. I very much doubt that US talk show hosts have any idea who medaled at Worlds this year, let alone care.

True. I don't listen to the various programs about skaters. My hope is that those programs are not filled with cheap shots taken at skaters because they are Russian. Even typing that it seems almost silly to think it might happen. But I don't know.

 

[Nomad]

But Urgant didn't make fun of any skater because of their nationality or take "swipes" at Ashley. Do US talk shows even know skating exists? Doubt it, but you could probably go back to 2010 and find some crude jokes about Johnny Weir.

Nomad - I don't watch talk shows that often, because none of them are funny in my opinion...but just search Youtube for any late night host and "Russia" & you'll find examples. And YES, plenty of people here still have the Cold War mentality, and it's evident anywhere that Russia is a topic of conversation. This is not brand new information.

Speaking about Russia in general, sure, that'll come up on a talk show. No different from any big country that's in the news. Russian skaters vs US skaters? Not so much.

 

[zebraswan]

Speaking about Russia in general, sure, that'll come up on a talk show. No different from any big country that's in the news. Russian skaters vs US skaters? Not so much.

I read and re-read quiquie's translation and I have no idea what people are getting worked up about...his words seem pretty tame compared to Ashley's own jokes about "little Russian girls" and "sonograms," actually.

 

[Nomad]

I barely remember any Russian so I have no opinion on what Urgant may or may not have said.

 

[IceAlisa]

And YES, plenty of people here still have the Cold War mentality, and it's evident anywhere that Russia is a topic of conversation. This is not brand new information.

Do you have the official numbers on that? Are our main publications anything like the Russian, especially state-controlled? Do you read Russian?

 

[Xela M]

This forum and a TV show? Totally the same thing. It seems to me you don't follow the Russian media much, otherwise you wouldn't be making these comparisons. Yes, of course everyone roots for their country but the Russian media with rare exceptions, has been taking this to a whole new level. Or the whole old level if you recall the Cold War. Apparently the language of today's publications is indistinguishable from that of say, Pravda in the 70's or early 80's.

No one expects a comedian to be funny a 100% of the time, just occasionally.

Let's not even start on the fact that racist remarks against Obama form about 90% of the criticism against him on official Russian media channels.

 

[Frau Muller]

Let's not even start on the fact that racist remarks against Obama form about 90% of the criticism against him on official Russian media channels.

Oh, the banana jokes. They're terrible.

 

[Cachoo]

Let's not even start on the fact that racist remarks against Obama form about 90% of the criticism against him on official Russian media channels.

Oh, the banana jokes. They're terrible.

Are we talking about "man on the street" interviews?

 

[bardtoob]

No but I expect a Russian talk show host to actually be funny.

It is easy enough to make fun of the US in the same breath one uses to make fun of Russia. All one has to say is ...

... that it is a joke that the US designed the Chevrolet Aveo ... And then GAZ chose to manufacture them over the last Volga model, which was actually a rebranded Dodge Stratus ...

The only thing that struck me as egregiously wrong was calling the symbol of someone's highest achievement ugly.

 

[Cherub721]

I would have a big problem with any American hosts taking swipes at Med or Pogo. And if it happens I hope it is posted here so we can respond.

It's from a long time ago but I remember when Leno had a mockup Wheaties box called "Cheaties" with Berezhnaya & Sikharulidze's photo.

 

[Cachoo]

It's from a long time ago but I remember when Leno had a mockup Wheaties box called "Cheaties" with Berezhnaya & Sikharulidze's photo.

Yep and that was uncalled for---I think those of us who love skating wanted B/S to know they were loved during the upheavel.

 

[IceAlisa]

It's from a long time ago but I remember when Leno had a mockup Wheaties box called "Cheaties" with Berezhnaya & Sikharulidze's photo.

And then there was the San Francisco Chronicle article that compared B/S program with a Ferrari with a scratch on a bumper vs. S/P perfectly intact Volvo.

 

[Cachoo]

And then there was the San Francisco Chronicle article that compared B/S program with a Ferrari with a scratch on a bumper vs. S/P perfectly intact Volvo.

Wow...I think I would have rather been the Ferrari.

 

[IceAlisa]

Wow...I think I would have rather been the Ferrari.

Right?!!

 

[quiqie]

True. I don't listen to the various programs about skaters. My hope is that those programs are not filled with cheap shots taken at skaters because they are Russian. Even typing that it seems almost silly to think it might happen. But I don't know.

Christine Brennan, TSL?

 

[quiqie]

@quiqie I did think he was sarcastic with the Averbukh remarks but why did he mention the "American-made" unattractive medals? 1. They are Swiss-made, it turns out and 2. it's not exactly respectful to the skaters who won them. Medvedeva clearly likes hers. 3. Not funny. It does however, go with the whole America bad, Russia good narrative we see a lot lately. Is he jumping on that bandwagon or is he mocking it? I'd like to think the latter but who knows.

WRT to the podium antics, it seemed to me that he thought it was a cute prank on Anna and Evgenia's part, not "kindergarten behavior." But of course this is totally open to interpretation.

Because the Worlds were held in the U.S.? If it was Canada, I suppose he'd say "Canada-made", if it was China he probably would have thrown in some "made in China" joke. He's not very funny, that's true. I think it comes from him being arrogant and sarcastic by nature, and it's not a very good quality in a talk show host. I remember he commented on Sochi volunteers during the program with Lipnitskaya "Asked the way to the Olympic park, had a nice trip to Abkhazia".
I agree that he thought it was cute, it was cute, kindergarteners in general are very cute.

 

[Frau Muller]

It's from a long time ago but I remember when Leno had a mockup Wheaties box called "Cheaties" with Berezhnaya & Sikharulidze's photo.

Wasn't it Didier G. on the "Cheatie" box?

 

[aliceanne]

I think Cold War stereotypes/rivalry persist in the U.S.. It has been awhile since I have watched late night tv so I am not familiar with the current hosts, but I can easily imagine Leno/Letterman resorting to stereotypes (none of them flattering) if a news story about Russia became the topic. And yeah, if it was about the Olympics they would diss Russian athletes.

 

[Xela M]

I remember he commented on Sochi volunteers during the program with Lipnitskaya "Asked the way to the Olympic park, had a nice trip to Abkhazia".

Now that made me laugh

 

[IceAlisa]

Because the Worlds were held in the U.S.?

A coincidence. I see.

I agree that he thought it was cute, it was cute, kindergarteners in general are very cute.

What I meant was that in this instance it didn't seem derisive. I interpreted it as you guys were being cute, fun, etc., not necessarily immature. But again, totally subjective and if you watch his show regularly, you're in a better position to figure out what he meant. I only watch when he has a guest who interests me.

 

[Vash01]

I was wondering that a bit too.

It seemed that Liza got some attention but Elena got none. I am not surprised that Zhenia is getting attention as she is the champion - and it being a bit different than Liza also is not that surprising as she is much younger and as a different story. It is interesting how Anna fits in. I am guessing either Anna is more comfortable with the attention (possibly due to age) so it helps Zhenia to have her there to take some pressure off her. Or it is just that they finally realized Anna is gorgeous and highly marketable so they want to take advantage of that.

It seems last year Liza was winning a lot of competitions and then she won the world title, so she got some attention. Her 3A at worlds was gorgeous and deserved the attention too. Elena was great during the season but skated the LP at worlds with fever and was less effective. May be that's why she didn't get as much attention. Had she won the silver, she might have.

Zhenya not only won most of the competitions (I think she lost one to Elena) this season. This was her first season as senior, so she got that extra attention ('surprise' factor). However, in my mind Liza's comeback last year was just as amazing. In any case both these world champions were totally deserving young ladies and each had a different story.

I think the surprise factor may have helped Anna too, plus the fact that she is slightly older and beautiful. Also the fact that Russia had not won a single medal upto that point in Boston, and these two young ladies somehow saved Russia from total embarrassment. So this seems like a bigger story.

I am just guessing and speculating, of course. It is nice to see Zhenya and Anna get the attention.

 

[Cachoo]

Wasn't it Didier G. on the "Cheatie" box?

Now that would have made me smirk.

 

[Tinami Amori]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdt0r5rPu54

Here are the highlights. The host, Ivan Urgant, starts out by quoting Ilya Averbukh that all the gold, silver and bronze in figure skating should belong to Russia always. Then he introduces Med and Pogo, the ladies who have begun taking back what's rightfully Russian. I think there's a certain tongue in cheek here, or so I hope.

The girls come out and he wants to see their medals. He immediately says that the medals aren't attractive, small and the ribbon is sort of meh. American made clearly doesn't impress him. He then asks the girls if they have prettier medals in their collection, clarifying that he is talking about the looks of the medal, not the value. Med says right away that that this here World gold medal is her favorite.

For a Russian speaker, who is familiar with Ivan Urgant's show and style, to think that any of his comments, regardless of the subject, are not "tongue in cheek", is the same as for an English speaker to think that Stephen Colbert of "The Colbert Report" is a Republican......

Urgant is never serious, he takes on characters of "Ivan the Fool", "Zherenovsky", "Vovochka, the nasty Boy", "Old Shtetl Jew", "Village Idiot - Muzhik", "Old Soviet Bureaucrat", "Homophob" and whatever other politically incorrect or comical characters there may be.

In the previous shows, for example, with a straight face, he asked Pluschenko and his wife if they can afford 2 sets of presents this year (for Christmas and for early January Birthdays of several family members), or are they being cheap and giving only 1 gift for both......

When Navka and Aurbuch came to his show, right after Navka's Big Society Wedding, Urgant goes on and on congratulating Navka "with the most important event in her life ......... becoming good enough skater to perform Carmen in Aurbuch's show".

Not to mention he came out with Polina Gagarina (Eurovision) and said "In support of Russian Athletes involved in Meldonium witch-hunt doping scandal, we are starting a support initiative - Eating Meldonium with the Stars. Polina, our first participant, let's go for it!"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBlG7ugzQPY

Urgant's paradoy on UK's "Sherlock". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JjU2rsSjlE

Who is smarter, a Jew or an Armenian: Auerbuch vs. Galustyan
2 jews against 1 armenian. 1 armenian is worth 2 jews. etc.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lWAU10Tj18

But, I personally, don't mind if all Gold in skating goes to Russia..... And I hope there are more jokes in Russia about America given all the nastiness towards Russian; even commercials about Russians (even after the cold war) have not improved:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkB9OT2XVvA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPXfN8Pbq2Q

....., it's just that Urgant was joking....

 

[Vagabond]

The host, Ivan Urgant, starts out by quoting Ilya Averbukh that all the gold, silver and bronze in figure skating should belong to Russia always.

So true. I still haven't gotten over the unfair treatment of Ksenia Doronina, Nina Petushkova, and Olga Naidenova at the hands of the international judges. WUZROBBED!

 

[IceAlisa]

@Tinami Amori I don't ever watch Urgant unless there is a skater or a ballet dancer on as a guest.

 

[Tinami Amori]

@Tinami Amori I don't ever watch Urgant unless there is a skater or a ballet dancer on as a guest.

I understand..... I am certain you don't watch Urgant all the time..... you only watch when there is something that can be turned against Russia. Because if you watched most of the shows which are about skating and ballet (and there are plenty of such episodes) you would have know that Urgant very often plays the role of "the Dumb Party official", and would not have brought the attention to his supposedly "Anti-US comments".

Funny enough, you happened to watch the one show which you can list on a American dominated discussion forum and get kuddo-points for being "a unique Russia which loves America".... I hope the "love you get" from his keeps you warm at night and financially stable...