Russians Offensive Ice Dance Routine in 2010 Olympics

[Lumberjackshorty]

Personally I really liked this program. I thought it was funny and light hearted, unlike most figure skating programs. And really it's figure skating who cares if a team decides to do a program based off of another culture, Tanith Belben and Ben Agusto skated to a Greek folk song and nobody cared.

[dima9944]

I thought it was gonna be naked stuff.

[DoTaDAwg]

lol

[jozsefkacsa]

For fuck sakes they did the number out of respect to Aboriginese.This is Ice Dance they don't just copy the Aboriginal dance they put their own style in with it.It's a type of an ART!!!! The same here in Canada the Indians are bitching because the Vancouver Canucks using the Haida Orca symbol.Or in the States the're pissed off cause of teams like the Cleveland Indians,Washington Redskins.SICK'N TIRED OF THE BULLSHIT

[cicada300]

@jozsefkacsa

sometimes people are too sensitive...to be perfectly honest, it's only racist when somebody goes out and yells out that it's racist...It's not as though they painted themselves black, wore afro's, and put absurd amounts of red lipstick to make them look cartoonish and actual black face ;:|

[irishgodfatherchris]

@jozsefkacsa but the problem is by law in Australia any representation of a native dance or person must be approved by the tribe in question

[violetviolets]

Their dance was awesome. They deserved to win....

[gvmeacalll]

What song is this?

[Dusty8417]

well they tried to ban Elvis because he was so offensive.

[dinavienna]

@Dusty8417 Interesting - I did not know Elvis insulted an already stereotyped and almost culturally extinct minority with his dance style!

[Dusty8417]

@dinavienna You know I was just using a example, I also enjoyed the Russian couple. But you are right, we fall into our own little world of what 'we' like and do not accept the new age art. I hate hip hop, but dont judge it some is actually good.

North Carolina folks call clogging is actaullay taken from Irish dance.

I went back and watched the Russian couple and they were not perfect. The routine was as not syncronized as most routines, and maybe that was a reason.

[dinavienna]

@Dusty8417 I do not know about North Carolina dance - being inspired by something and making it your own folk dance does make it your own, right? As long as North Carolina folks do not claim to represent Irish dance by making changes to it that is a different thing, would you agree? One always builds a culture upon another culture, and is inspired by other dances. That is not the same as using another culture for a quick show! Right? I do not know enoug about iceskating to judge them :)

[BornToSkatee]

There was absolutely nothing wrong with it it was just an interpretation of that style of dancing. Its the same in anything, I'm sure Irish people don't go round with their arms by their sides jumping around all day. Its just an interpretation of the dance style, and they made it fun! It was an amazing routine.

[173sakura]

@BornToSkatee yes there is a lot of things wrong with it they should of done there research they made native people look like fools it is sooooo racist native people it is so stereotypical native people dont even dress like that . And saying that nothing is Wrong it mean your beaning racist

[rentcarotid]

You definitely need to look up the word 'racist', because you don't know what it means. The fact that they are wearing those ridiculous costumes does not signify in any way that they believe they are racially superior. It only signifies that someone didn't have the balls to tell them how absurd they looked before they stepped in front of cameras. Colonization is in the past. Most people who lived during the European imperialist era are dead. It's time for racial sensitivity to die as well.

[dinavienna]

@BornToSkatee LOL - of course Irish people doN't folk dance all day. But if you are referring to Lord of the Dance - it was IRISH dancers who had trained with IRISH experts, who represented the IRISH dance to make IRISH people proud.

Here apparently no experts were consulted and Natives were INSULTED. That is lack of cultural sensitivity and not "interpretation". With Native people threatened by cultural extinction extra senstitivity is due. That is quite different.

[aaless12]

but they should have at least researched what they were trying to impersonate, or done something that they knoew more about. What they displayed was a stereotypical presentation of aboriginal culture - and! they did african american moves, and rubbing of the noses at the end which is maori!!. It has nothing in common with reality.

[Branmuffin911]

this whole "controversy" is bogus i watched this when it was on its just like Oh no they are skating a tiny bit different that the other skaters and putting there hand over their mouth since when was that illegal i saw nothing wrong with it

[dinavienna]

@Branmuffin911 When you are clearly impersonating a people (shown by their dress and colours and announcement to do so) ethics demand they do their best to not misrepresent or insult the people. This goes even more for Native cultures who have suffered tremendously by colonization and Europeanization of their own countries.

[WeDIDitFORaShow]

whats the big idea?!?