Kim Zmeskal being awesome on vacation.
Friends, we need to take a moment to marvel at Shawn Johnson and her capacity to bullshit her way through every media interview and come out looking like a darling of Shirley Temple proportions. In this interview with Matt's former paramour, Shawn manages to give the standard line that she and Nastia wants to go 1-2. True. Nastia knew that would be more interesting for the media and a potentially better story for their career. Savvy Shawn has taken her own capacity to take out of her very rich ass to a new level: she now claims that they didn't care who won gold. Two fiercely competitive athletes at the pinnacle of their careers suddenly didn't care about winning first or being the first loser. Right. Photos of Nastia's loss at 2005 Worlds or Shawn's tears with her family after the AA final are not necessary. The absurdity of this statement can stand alone. Why anyone would believe this outside of a morning show audience is beyond me. Those housewives are too busy cleaning up Cheerios to be real with themselves. Shawn gets so caught up in her 'cute and wide-eyed persona' to deliver these doozies. It is as though she gets lost in her own bullshit. People love it. That cute little Shawn Johnson knows it too. She isn't going anywhere for a long time. Mary Lou may be bubbly and annoying, but she has Bela to amuse us. That Shawn Johnson is dangerous.
Maroney: Golden or a Gamble. Frankly, I think her potential on vault is worth it. That said, the pressure on her to win vault has been building since Worlds. Everyone has called her a lock. At this point, she doesn't even need her upgraded second vault to win. I just pray she doesn't go for the stick like Day 1 of Nationals and give us a heart attack like Dominique Moceanu in '96 Team Finals. Bela and I will never get over the money and media exposure Domi would've gotten him by winning AA gold and being the unrivaled star of the games. As for Maroney, expect there to be big Bob Costas build up to all of her vaults. If she wins, she will be one of the most awesome girls of summer discussed at swim clubs at the beach. She won't give a lame post-victory interview like Carly Patterson and ruin her agent's income potential.
Yu-Na Kim's 'All That Skate' will be held this summer. Thus far, Joannie Rochette. Alexei Yagudin and Totmianina and Marinin are scheduled to perform. The show is being held the same weekend as Champs Camp, thus, the Americans will not be attending. Lambiel typically performs in her shows, so we will have to see if he has recovered from his eye condition. He is a fan favorite at All That Skate. Get ready, if YNK misses a jump, we can all freak out about her comeback and lack of potential. We will be watching every salchow (and she has never appeared to be one to jump as confidently under spotlights.)
The Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries of skating ring in Diva Weir's 28th year. In typical Johnny fashion, he is now all about NJ Equality now that it concerns him, yet he previously refused to be put into a box when he could exploit his glass closet in the press. The outfit is debatable as always.
Part 2 of the Aly Raisman documentary after the jump!
Aly Raisman Documentary (Part 2). I must say that Aly and Mihai appear extremely likable. The girl clearly works her ass off and is very bright. If only she had a coach to develop her toe point and swing on bars. It is almost impossible to correct at this point in her career with everything else she has to focus on. I am wondering if Aly's coaches at Excel were actually Russian. Did she get the rejects from Siberia? How did they miss the lessons on toe point and extension?! That said, the girl deserves serious respect for her ability to hit. And I live for her reaction to being asked the same questions again and again.
(Individual conditioning skills from the Chinese ''women.'' Jiang Yuyuan does actual beam work. It is cool to see them condition.
Jiang Yuyuan: Training For London
Huang Qiushuang Training
Yao Jinnan
Of course Elizabeth Price came on strong at the end, but what would she have contributed that Maroney can't? She wouldn't be doing beam, and her UB would only score well in the US. She has form issues on floor that can be picked apart. Maroney may forever give us a heart attack on that third pass, but she's elegant and has the international look.
ReplyDeleteThe "international look" is a meaningless phrase promoted by NBC sports to provide a convenient excuse when American gymnasts do not do well. You will never find them using it when Jordyn Weiber, Aly Raisman et al are doing well.
DeleteIn fact, the number of medals won internationally by the likes of Weiber, Raisman and so many other Americans should have alerted people to the fact that having the so-called "international look" is nowadays meaningless .
Some people value a modicum of artistry and elegance. It may not be as important in the code, but there's a reason why everyone outside of America prefers Komova to Wieber.
DeleteYawn. Skinny Russians with frily wavy hands and arms is not the definition of artistic. If it is for YOU, than more power to ya but get real, there's a lot of people who prefer Wieber to that frail big foreheaded Bolshevik you call Komova.
Delete"there's a reason why everyone outside of America prefers Komova to Wieber."
DeleteIncluding the judges at Worlds last year? Komova did lose, after all.
Obviously Wieber can beat Komova. But who do people want to watch? Anon at 2:11 is probably like Shawn and wonders why anyone would want to see line and toe point.
Deletewow Johnny weird has gained some weight.
ReplyDeleteI believe it is just the angle of his thigh in that photo. I get such weird vibes from his husband, who seems to be shady as hell and always up to something.
DeleteBetween the shady husband accused of a ton, borderline criminal agent, and attention seeking behavior, there is a poor reflection on Johnny that extends beyond being too trusting. When you pal around with shit, you start to smell like it. I find myself liking Johnny less and less.
DeleteHe's actually lost weight. He looked very skinny/fit in the photos from China. I've decided to take Victor at face value. He seems TOO perfect to be true, but it's not fair and a reach to accuse him of being "shady" when there's really no basis. I hope he and Johnny are in love for a long time. Johnny seems very, very happy and I could never wish someone any less. Not sure about the "NJ Equality" snark. This was a birthday party. And why not?
DeleteYou clearly have never read about Johnny's husband.
Deletehttp://www.ripoffreport.com/investment-brokers/victor-s-voronov/victor-s-voronov-vitya-f3d0c.htm
DeleteYeah, right. Ripoff Report is so reliable. I have no idea what's true, but I prefer to give him the benefit of the doubt, as I have learned not to believe everything I read. People's reputations are worth something.
DeleteBTW, there are a ton of crazy Twitter usernames (prob all the same person) constantly slandering Johnny and everyone in his life. So yeah. Someone has something against him. People are nuts to waste their time slandering people they don't even know.
DeleteJohnny has always had some seriously screwed up values (eg compulsive accumulation of obscenely expensie bags, watches and furs, star-fucking - no, not literally, K-L - d-listers like Jill Zarin and Kelly Osborne), why do people expect more? And there is no dispute that his husband has multiple dui's. Isn't that enough to call him shady, whatever the truth of other gossip?
DeleteWasn't Johnny's husband supposed to be studying for the NJ bar exam? Starting at the beginning of January? I guess that's not happening.
DeleteWho says it's not happening? Because he had a party it means he's not studying? Johnny said in China that Victor is taking the bar exam at the end of July.
DeleteSome of the comments on here say more about the
commenters than about Johnny. Because Johnny likes expensive things, that makes him a screwup and his husband shady. It makes him materialistic, like a lot of other people. It doesn't make him a screwup.
I did not say he is a screwup, I said he has screwed up values. I did not say that liking expensive things makes his husband shady. I said the multiple dui's make him shady.
DeleteDUIs are bad, no question. But unfortunately I've known people in my life to get behind the wheel when drunk. People are arrogant and think they're sober enough. They were lucky not to hurt anyone or get caught. A DUI is bad, but it doesn't make you shady. It means you're a person who made a serious mistake and got caught. As far as I have seen, Victor has one DUI. Some people say he has 2. Not sure about "multiple." Hopefully he learned his lesson.
DeleteInteresting comment from John Powers in the
ReplyDeletesecond part of the Aly Raisman documentary.
He likened Raisman to Shawn Johnson, describing
them both as being like the office secretary
that everyone likes because she's competent,
reliable, and amiable. But not memorable like
a Nastia Liukin.
I love the differences you see between Aly and Shawn. Aly has very little media training and her interviews ramble, but she is herself 100% and very likeable and relatable.
ReplyDeleteShawn is very media savy, never rambling, always says the 'right' thing and has a smile on her face. But my God is she fake. She says things people want to hear, very calculated in her answers. I can't stand it, I wish someone would call her out on her BS.
I'm guessing that's why Shawn is a millionaire off of two years senior gymnastics and Aly will have to compete as long as Chuso to make that much money. It takes talent to walk away the most recognizable gymnast from the Olympic games when it was your teammate that won the AA gold. Girl got skillz.
ReplyDeleteso true, and you can't fault her for that!
DeleteAly Raisman, has the same tone, never rising, never falling, breathe in, never rising, never falling. Drives me nuts. Somebody needs to coach her in her monotone voice....it reminds me of "In 1930, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, in an effort to alleviate the effects of the... Anyone? Anyone?... the Great Depression, passed the... Anyone? Anyone? The tariff bill? The Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act? Which, anyone? Raised or lowered?... raised tariffs, in an effort to collect more revenue for the federal government. Did it work? Anyone? Anyone know the effects? It did not work, and the United States sank deeper into the Great Depression. Today we have a similar debate over this. Anyone know what this is?(aly breath) Class? Anyone? Anyone? Anyone seen this before? The Laffer Curve. Anyone know what this says? It says that at this point on the revenue curve, you will get exactly the same amount of revenue as at this point.(Aly breath) This is very controversial. Does anyone know what Vice President Bush called this in 1980? Anyone? Something-d-o-o economics. "Voodoo" economics
ReplyDeleteDoes somebody know who this sounds like....A-L-Y R-A-I-S-M-A-N.
Shawn can be as sing-song as ever, at Least I don't want to go all POSTAL ON MY COMPUTER SCREEN.
yeah, her monotone voice is really bad, it needs to be fixed asap
DeleteYou need to be fixed asap so the world isn't subjected to your offpsring.
Deletewow, who knew Raisman was such a Fashionista, I spotted Chloe sunglasses and Victoria Secret Tote bag..
ReplyDeleteI wish Shawn would just go away already. I'm so sick of her fakeness and this is coming from someone who LOVE, LOVE, LOVED her. When you start realizing she made a comeback to snag lucrative sponsors in the pre- and olympic year you beginning to see she went to the gym with $$$ signs in her eyes only. She never wanted to really be on that Olympic team, she just wanted to make sure she got the sponsors for acting like she did. I hope she enjoys her cash and shuts the hell up after London. Bye Bye Shawn, don't let the chalk bowl hit your ass on the way out.
ReplyDeleteApparently she wants to be on The Amazing Race. They'll probably be pushing for it if she doesn't get on DWTS again. Ugh.
DeleteAnd I can't stand how she says she's going to London to cheer on the girls, her sisters. She's going there to be on camera, and these girls could care less if Shawn is there to cheer them on.
It was rather brilliant of her to pull out when she did. She booked up all the preolympic interviews, grabbed a broadcasting opportunity, and didn't have to go through the stress of Olympic trials. She's going to be on Oprah with Mary Lou and Nadia and gets all her Nike stuff for free. Well done Shawn Johnson, well done.
ReplyDeleteI'll always respect Shawn for pulling out when she did. I have no doubt that she could have pulled together a couple of sloppily done and unprepared routines. She didnt though she let those girls have their moment at trials and nationals. Honestly Nastia should be embarrassed of going to trials and nationals so unprepared and stealing the attention away from the actual gymnasts. She was either completely dilusional of her own abilities or is the biggest media whore of all time. I was disgusted by her actions at trials especially.
ReplyDeleteYou respect Shawn for lying about training when she was off shooting commercials, shopping and doing interviews? I laughed at 'let those girls have their moment' she certainly was ok with having all the attention last year and getting interviewed this year. And now she gets to have her mug all over TV this summer. Nastia is a media whore but Shawn is a much MUCH bigger one.
DeleteThe fact is no one knows when she stopped training. Basing it off of how out of shape she looks now its pretty clear she was training until at least mid may. Also you would have to be a complete idiot to think the whole comeback was a hoax. One does not get back into the shape she was in in November for endorsements. Stop being foolish.
DeleteI never said it was a hoax. I think she came back with the intention of trying for 2012, after she wasn't picked for Worlds she knew she wasn't making the Olympic team and used her knee as a convenient excuse.
DeleteAnd it's very easy to see she was lying about training. She was at the DWTS finale and shopping in LA when Covergirl was going on. Her agent came out and said she wouldn't be there to cheer on Gabby because she was 'sick'... please. Gabby herself even said she hadn't seen Shawn in a month.
But she still maintained that she was competing at Visas.
What are you talking about? She was retired by visas an she announced her retirement the week after the dwts finale. I think she decided to retire a week or two before she announced it. Not really a big deal and hardly some scandal. The only people who seem to care that they didn't find out about Shawn's retirement the second she made the decision were people who didn't like her to begin with.
ReplyDeleteAnd please, a reconstructed knee is hardly a convenient excuse. It's a legitimate reason for not getting back to previous form. There's no shame in assessing your abilities and realizing you'll never be good enough. I admire her for being able to do that and walk away than lying to herself ad fans about her abilities and competing completely unprepared just for a few more hours in the limelight. That's where nastia lost all my respect. What an embarrassment. And i used to love and respect Nastia. So sad to see what she's become. Hopefully a few years away from home and gymnastics will help her .
Hmmm Olympic Media Summit-May 14
DeleteDWTS Final-May 22
Covergirl-May 26
Shawn Retirement- June 3
By your estimation she would have known she was retiring possibly by the media summit, but continued to say she was training. I don't think it's this huge scandal I just think she is incredibly fake and she gets away with it.
I was debating whether to buy her book, luckily there is an audio version of her first chapter. Thank God I didn't spend any money on that thing. She lies through her teeth while reading it. I'm not sure I believe much of what comes out of Shawn's mouth
Or I'm just able to put myself in her position and realize I wouldn't be able to announce I was reitiring the second I realized I was. I personally would take a few weeks to let it sink in. I don't know how you wouldn't need that time.
ReplyDeleteI really don't have a problem with her fakeness to the media, it's the only way to handle them properly. Rather that then watching her drone on like aly jordyn or Ross. Poor girls better not fall on their asses in London because their charm certainly isn't going to get them anywhere.
Agreed. Why all the drama and accusations of "fakeness," etc? All very junior high. She's under no obligation to share her every thought with the media. If people don't like her, don't listen to her. Seems silly to invest that much emotion in someone so innocuous.
DeleteI love that documentary with Aly and her coach. I do believe that she has form issues that we all can cringe at. However, she has this amazing drive and determination that is infectious and makes you want her to do well. She is a fierce competitor which they must have in TF and I would put money that she will hit while others might collapse under the pressure. She just has that focus that cannot be taught. She is a well rounded, hard working young lady who will excel at whatever life brings her post gymnastics. I wish her the best.
ReplyDelete