Friday, August 17, 2012

What up with Jessica?

Jess Dube facebook photo from Mexico
This post is inspired by the gazillion polls on figureskating universe about everything under the sun. But before wading into that, it's amazing how much Jessica's social media presence celebrates the various travel opportunities she has had, free, on someone else's dime, due to no accomplishment of her own. Due, in fact, to her participation in a public hoax engineered and enabled by a publicly supported organization. So yay!

I, too, am susceptible to thinking - boy, she really enjoys those perks. But I have to remember that whatever she shares on her facebook must first not only be screened by Team Virtue Moir, but is just as likely posted per Team Virtue Moir's instructions.

Back to topic. Jessica and Sebastien were listed for, yet did not participate in, two summer figure skating competitions. Jessica's pinterest account is rife with the sort of self-help, self-pep talk pins that only a long-suffering, frequently put-upon, much sinned-against woman like Jessica Dube needs in order to keep going in this unjust world. The sort of woman who is always right, but compelled to suck it up and let other people believe is at fault. The sort of gal who is misunderstood by not only haters, but people she mistakenly thought she could trust. The womanly woman with soul who acts like she's fine, but perhaps is not, but for whom pride prevents from revealing how other people's choices have hurt.  The femme who has been sinned against and disappointed in others time and again and is weary of being judged. In short, a martyr. I swear, I have to pick myself up off the ground every time I realize Jess Dube sees herself in this light. Who knew?
Don't judge her. Him - okay.
What is happening with Jessica and Sebastien? Did they decamp from Annie Barabe' late in the summer day and seek out serious pairs coaching assistance, but late in the game? Unwilling to admit it was a mistake to stick with Annie this long, they're down lowing things til a low key mention at the launch of 2012-2013?

Did Sebastien quit on her?

Did Jessica quit on him? To do what? I have difficulty envisioning a woman with that apparent self-image and fantasy life resigning herself to singles skating, Concordia U, and diminished opportunities for international travel (difficult to afford once frequent flier miles are consumed and not replenished, and when quid pro quo associates of considerable means aren't underwriting the tab).

Did the "break-up" of Scott and Jessica and the downgrading of her status to "former girlfriend" impact support for her training somehow, leading to the pulling of the plug on her pairs career with Sebastien? I have difficulty thinking this is it. She's Annie's "star" pupil, grade on a curve though we must. She is the current Canadians silver medalist.

Still, I find it awfully weird that Scott and Jessica's "break up" happens and suddenly Jessica and Sebastien are skipping summer comps. It's not as if they flatlined at last season's summer comps. They pretty much stunk, given the resume of each, but still beat the limited competition. I can't imagine them not being competitive at the 2013 Canadians. Sure, MTM have thrown down this summer, and IMO are unlikely to crash and burn at another Canadians. That still leaves the bronze medal podium spot up for grabs, even though Skate Canada's highest profile directors have traditionally and publicly not given a flying fuck about their figure skaters below silver, unless they believe the skaters in question are only waiting their turn. If you're not a star, go home, that's Debbi's attitude.

What is it? What has happened to them?

My personal guess is, they haven't gone to outside coaching, but figure they have Paige and Rudi's number at least, and why interrupt a fun summer to compete when they'll be ready to kick Paige and Rudi off the podium by Canadians?

12 comments:

  1. Regarding Jessica's facebook photos, the question then seems to be, "What kind of hoax are the Virtue-Moirs trying to put over on the public now?"

    If Jessica's photos are vetted by the VM's, they probably are still acting on the premise they're smart and the rest of us are dumb. Screw them.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm disappointed that no one seems to have the inside scoop on what's up with Jessica and Sebastien. They're still on the list for their GP assignments, correct?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Perhaps it's nothing more than what the blogger suggests--that Jessica and Sebastien didn't feel it was necessary to work so hard as to be competition-ready this early.

      I actually hate to think that of any full-time athlete. I usually assume this kind of commitment to sport means they're more than willing to put in the work. I really am not understanding why a team that obviously has things to improve didn't take advantage of the summer competitions. I'm wondering if one of them could be injured?

      Delete
    2. As far as I know. They were on the list for Liberty and Quebec, too, until the competitions came and went.

      It's easy to speculate the team has either split or is experiencing rocky times, and everybody involved wants to keep it down low in hopes things can be resolved. Both have incentive. Unless Jessica has dragged a third partner out from the retired junior ranks or pulled someone senior out of retirement, I can't see her breaking up the team with Sebastien. Working with Jessica may be no picnic but Sebastien also has nothing to lose. It's skate with her or become a fire fighter, or whatever other real life job (and real life life) is waiting for him.

      The positive spec is they made a late game decision to step up their training, and went elsewhere to do it. Keeping quiet would be a face saving move, as Jessica was so adament about staying with Annie.

      Or, you know, Jessica's cold virus may be flaring up, or her wrists, or her tendonitis, or some other ailment that she's bravely keeping to herself, not being the excuse-making sort.

      OC not logged in.

      Delete
    3. If they left Annie, it was obviously a mutual agreement or she wouldn't be doing photo shoots with Annie's family. I'd be pleasantly surprised if they did take that step.

      Delete
    4. Nah, I doubt they've left their coach.
      I bet it's that darn tendinitis. During Canadians, it only affected Jessica's singles skating, not pairs. (And gee, whaddaya know, it was the cause of withdrawing from the singles competition and suddenly nothing more is said about a singles career. It was magic. As if she had never even been training for it or thinking about it.)

      Maybe the tendinitis is finally also hindering the pairs' skating. Lol

      Delete
    5. Oy. The split with Bryce was an epic bungle. Skate Canada let it drag on. The horrific press conference where Jessica was allowed to extemporize, damning herself in the eyes of so many fans. Either Skate Canada didn't know what she would say before she said it, which, after years of dealing with Jessica would be a ridiculous mistake, or they thought as Bryce was there the situation was covered, or they saw nothing wrong with what she would say, which suggests they're as small-minded as she. Only afte the fan push back was Bryce repeatedly declared "retired", despite his own obvious ambivalence, was his coaching career touted, and his promotion to high performance director at Hamilton quickly accomplished. Skate Canada re-wrote the facts a bit too late, but that's how they roll, rewriting reality. Then they just piled on by Canadians - the fantasy of the break-up was hammered in.

      The summer comps - who knows. They didn't appear to have helped Dube/Wolfe last season. It wasn't until the season proper that they got themselves in gear - the summer comp lifts were placeholders, so was the twist. So why do it again, that could be the mentality. OTOH, while Jessica's in the photo shoot on Annie's page, Sebastien isn't.

      I can't ever overlook the reluctance of a figure skater to retire, unless they have a glitz future ahead or are financially secure with a real passion for something else. Jessica is ambivalent about the work it takes to sustain her life as an elite skater, but I don't think she's ambivalent about the lifestyle that doesn't involve 9-5, involves world travel and hours that are a whole lot kinder than school or real work, not to mention an environment where she's enabled because demand (for a top ten calibre female) outstrips supply. That's not real life.

      Delete
    6. This is only distantly related but does anyone know if Shawn Sawyer and Maximin Coia are a couple? They look nice together if they are!

      Delete
    7. I don't know if they are but it was funny that they were one of the "couples" at the table of sham for Sophie Richard's wedding. It would be ironic if they were the only real couple at that table.

      Delete
  3. You mention Jessica's public facebook pictures as still somehow being controlled by Team Virtue Moir. I don't get it. Scott went to the trouble of sliding in a very non-subtle "former girlfriend" during an interview, and Team Virtue Moir has made sure it is one of the few interview links posted on the new VM website. If they've been purposeful (apparently) to put out that Scott and Jessica are no longer to be considered a couple, then what could possibly be the intention in still manipulating things through Jessica's social media presence?

    I'm not sure I don't just think Jessica likes to brag both about all the places she's visited and her "special connection" to Scott/the Virtue-Moirs. It's not like she can brag about her past with Bryce, given the way she publicly finished things with him. What else does she have to show how special she is?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Because she's still the ex-girlfriend. We're still meant to believe she went to Monaco as Scott's girlfriend and to Mexico as his girlfriend/wedding date. Everybody who sees those photos knows they are associated with Scott. If she's featuring those photos, it's to maintain that she was his girlfriend. If Scott and Tessa wanted that association to go away, they'd be gone from public view. What Jessica shows on her fb reflects back on Scott and Tessa and if Scott and Tessa didn't want those photos there they wouldn't be there. What she shows off is fake memories of a romantic time with the man who is and was with Tessa. Paid for by, very likely (IMO) Tessa's folks, at least in part. These photos are not her property to do what she likes with on facebook, because of what they say about VM.

      Delete
  4. Tessa and Scott are together. They prefere to avoid saying that reality to all the media. But after retiring they will be officially together. It's really hard to let a person you lived with her since 1997 and shared with her all the emotions...

    Tessa and Moir don't want distablish their careers that's why they prefer to say nothing about the fact that they are together!!!

    ReplyDelete