Netflix Ice Dancing Documentary (C/B, G/P, F-B/C)

[Karen-W]

Making my point for me. Americans view immigration to their country and becoming American as natural whereas that same view isn’t extended to other countries.

Maybe because every single person in America and Canada is an immigrant or descended from an immigrant except for the Indigenous people?

What even is a standard American or Canadian surname? There is no such thing.

Other countries don't have the same legacy of population by immigration as North America has.

I'd put Australia in the same category as the US and Canada.

Adam wasn't wrong in humorously noting there aren't that many Reeds listed in the Lithuanian yellow pages. It's just a simple fact. Beyond that, everyone in the sport - skaters, coaches, officials & fans - knows that the skaters specifically mentioned have never lived in the countries where they've obtained additional citizenship beyond their birth citizenship. This isn't about emigration, it's about gaming the system in order to go to the Olympics.

 

[allezfred]

I'd put Australia in the same category as the US and Canada.

Adam wasn't wrong in humorously noting there aren't that many Reeds listed in the Lithuanian yellow pages. It's just a simple fact. Beyond that, everyone in the sport - skaters, coaches, officials & fans - knows that the skaters specifically mentioned have never lived in the countries where they've obtained additional citizenship beyond their birth citizenship. This isn't about emigration, it's about gaming the system in order to go to the Olympics.

Again they didn’t “game the system” - they went through the proper channels to obtain citizenship.

 

[allezfred]

Maybe because every single person in America and Canada is an immigrant or descended from an immigrant except for the Indigenous people?

What even is a standard American or Canadian surname? There is no such thing.

Other countries don't have the same legacy of population by immigration as North America has.

The more you all write, the more you are proving my point. It’s all very provincial.

 

[skatfan]

I actually found this to be quite problematic and hypocritical. Two of the top US teams going to the Olympics had citizenship issues. What would we call someone who said “Kolesnik” or “Carreira” don’t sound like American names?

He’s not dissing the teams but mocking the citizenship gymnastics required to compete. And yes, the Spanish team is a crazy result of different countries requirements, because otherwise they’d be British or German.

 

[skategal]

The more you all write, the more you are proving my point. It’s all very provincial.

Maybe it's just a different perspective.

 

[allezfred]

He’s not dissing the teams but mocking the citizenship gymnastics required to compete. And yes, the Spanish team is a crazy result of different countries requirements, because otherwise they’d be British or German.

Except he and Hubbell were kind of laughing at the idea of someone British or German becoming Spanish or someone Japanee-American becoming Lithuanian.

I am sure they would find it very amusing to find Irish people not called Murphy as well.

 

[PRlady]

I got put in my place here, by you @allezfred, when I innocently asked how a Swiss skater had a Japanese name (please don’t ask me who it was, I’ve forgotten.) So I did assume that Switzerland is a pretty homogenous country with mostly ethnic Swiss living there and come to find out they actually do have immigration and cross-border marriages yada yada.

Up until the last generation, most European countries WERE pretty homogenous except for formerly colonized immigrants, so it’s not a terrible mistake for an American or Canadian to make.

 

[skategal]

I got put in my place here, by you @allezfred, when I innocently asked how a Swiss skater had a Japanese name (please don’t ask me who it was, I’ve forgotten.) So I did assume that Switzerland is a pretty homogenous country with mostly ethnic Swiss living there and come to find out they actually do have immigration and cross-border marriages yada yada.

Up until the last generation, most European countries WERE pretty homogenous except for formerly colonized immigrants, so it’s not a terrible mistake for an American or Canadian to make.

My point is that there are names derived from certain countries.

We don't have that in North America or Canada or Australia except for Indigenous people.

When I travel to Thailand, I don't expect to see people there with my last name. Not that it is impossible but I expect to see many more people with Thai surnames.

It's not just North Americans that think that either.

My husband has an Irish surname.

Regularly, when we travel and he flashes a Canadian passport he gets asked how he ended up in Canada.

Kind of similar to our friend who has the surname MacDonald and the hotel staff in rural Italy assumed he was the owner of the MacDonalds fast food restaurant business.

 

[allezfred]

Up until the last generation, most European countries WERE pretty homogenous except for formerly colonized immigrants, so it’s not a terrible mistake for an American or Canadian to make.

It is still coming from a place of ignorance and then doubling down on it when it is explained how offensive it is. Especially bad when it comes from those who are supposedly on the left given all that is going on internationally right now.

 

[Allskate]

I actually found this to be quite problematic and hypocritical. Two of the top US teams going to the Olympics had citizenship issues. What would we call someone who said “Kolesnik” or “Carreira” don’t sound like American names?

I don't find it problematic at all. It's absolutely true that there is a lot of country hopping in ice skating, especially ice dance, because it is so hard to be able to compete at an elite level and find a partner who is a good match.

Take a look through phone directories in the U.S. and you will find an incredibly wide variety of surnames. Christina certainly isn't the only Carreira.

And, for a lot of the skaters who are changing citizenship, they aren't doing it in a very common manner. The reality is that you probably wouldn't find Allison Reed in a phone directory in Lithuania, but you might find her in one in Canada. There are plenty of skaters who don't live in their new countries. How many years (days?) has Laurence lived in France? How about Gubanova and Georgia? Skaters hop countries in order to skate. Some of them really want to be citizens and residents of their new countries for additional reasons, but it's not the primary driver.

 

[skateblessing]

I also enjoyed the series and watched it all on Sunday.

I think even from a non skating fan the series was exciting and perfect edited with all building towards GP and all the drama in between. I even thought at times that the material is too good, that you almost wonder if they did it purpose for the show. The judging drama at Finlandia and the fall in the final after all the skirt talk must have been a dream for the producers.

Some thoughts: I learned so much about Piper. I honestly missed out on that the Vincent program is dedicated to her mother. It´s going to be very very special to watch the program now at Olympics, I´m probably going to cry knowing the story now. I´m rooting more for them now.

Not that I expected anything else, but Bock are sooo ready to retire after Olympics. I hope Evans back holds until Worlds.

I don´t want to comment as much on the FBC situation because I don´t want to bring too much attention to them. But I noticed one thing that had me wondering. There was no indication in the series that they are aiming for 2030 Olympics, despite that Gui has indicated that in interviews. However I did notice that Laurence said that she and her former partner was supposed to retire after Milano Olympics and that was their plan. Also you could see a glimpse of that she coached kids so it seemed to be a preview into her plans after retirement. I don´t know, the feeling you got from the series is that they won´t aim for another quad either, but maybe you get the impression also because the series is focused on the other two teams who is preparing for their last Olympics.

 

[kwanfan1818]

I’ve only seen the outtake, but, in general, I find that Rippon, whom I like in general, thinks he’s more clever than I think he is.

Hubbell’s part in the convo is interesting, because her husband wouldn’t have had a successful second phase without a British-born, naturalized partner, and her personal and their professional lives might be quite different.

 

[skatfan]

Except he and Hubbell were kind of laughing at the idea of someone British or German becoming Spanish or someone Japanee-American becoming Lithuanian.

Well, would these individuals have done so except for the IOC requirements of competing in the Olympics? I don't think so. Again, mocking the system.