Friday, November 30, 2012

Who do they think they are?

That's a real question, not rhetorical.

Their friends, along with the members of the media as fascinated with them as many fans have been, along with their families, declare that Tessa/Scott are great people. Part of it is Virtue Moir's talent, and their willingness to challenge that talent. Partly it's they're gracious and unentitled in person. Some of it is just good showing - poised, patient, always with the game face.

For example, there's the family friend who posted on her facebook that Scott and Tessa are "such good kids and always will be - what you see is what you get" despite the fact that she's a sham contributor and has helped them lie. ("You two are the best couple on earth!" is an example of her captioned enthusiasms under facebook sham spam). But when she says things like "What you see is what you get" - she believes it.

I think it goes to a parochial mindset cut through with immaturity. It's the entitlement and complacency that comes from "We're right because of who we are, not what we do." They're undisciplined, and unwilling to think critically or challenge assumptions they hold about themselves.

Who are the targets of the sham right now? The media? Most of those who interview them know they're together.

It's the public? Just the Canadian public? Is it the fans in front of whom they frequently don't even pretend they're not together?

What about those "dedicated" (™ Scott Moir) skating ladies?

Or the crazies that EVERYBODY in the public eye has?

The internet? Who gives a fuck about under a hundred people on the internet - so much that you  market a years-long program of ridiculous and insulting lies? That's not a problem - that's a nuisance. Stop thinking about it and it's not even a nuisance.

It's all Tessa and Scott self-indulgence and ego. They were anticipating revealing their status long before now, but when they realized they could get away with the pregnancy they decided why not continue to Sochi.

What they do now isn't necessary. It's not important to their mental health, to sustaining their personal life, to protect anything. They do it because they can. If you can treat a group of people you don't respect without respect and get away with it, why not do it? That's them.

If they had revealed their status, there would be no significant fallout. The media ignores what Tessa and Scott want ignored, emphasizing only what Tessa and Scott want emphasized. How often has a media package referred to their dramatic withdrawal at the 4CCs, for example? About never, I believe. That served its purpose and now it's like it never happened. The media would likewise ignore the lies in the book, the lies in their interviews, the anecdotal fables, the gratuitous embellishments and gaslighting.

When has anyone ever decided to notice that Tessa and Scott were in public together during the time they claim to have been completely out of touch, that they appeared on television for an interview, that a close associate of theirs, while commentating at Canadians, told us that both Tessa and Scott were away during her recovery, not just Tessa, because Scott was with her? Again, never.

There would be no can of worms. Fans would know their status, that's all.

It's power. They don't want fans to officially know (unofficially is fine) because Tessa and Scott want to hold onto the power they have to manipulate in petty ways and in what they once may have imagined are important ways.

There are no more important ways. There's no "the power to protect our privacy." Scott's own confused and inane explanations about getting side-eyed from fans (which doesn't bother him) while at the same time, keeping hands-in-pockets so as not to - what? Bump into somebody who also recognizes him but now he has to receive direct eye contact or suffer a greeting? - matched with their habit of baiting and stirring the pot, along with their correct insistence that they can go under the radar whenever - their privacy doesn't hinge on pretending to be platonic on social media. Their control of legit media has never depended on it either. The coy come ons and games they play show that's nonsense.

There's just pathetic and petty left. They like being one up, knowing something the fans don't, pulling fans' strings, reading how wrong fans are about everything, thanks to the lies they push on the fans, thanks to stringing fans along and setting them up to be wrong.*

How can you be convinced Tessa/Scott are wonderful people unless you believe the skating public are nobodies who don't count?

Social media happens mostly outside legit media, certainly broadcast media, so Scott and Tessa can treat fans with their characteristic mean spiritedness without it being held against them. Legit media prefers to ignore it because legit media is generally not a fan of social media either. Legit media prefers to control the narrative, and social media challenges that.

Virtue Moir go out of their way to remind fans of their pariah status. They could throw up a photo on www.virtuemoir.com, especially after Scott directed fans there once he left his fan facebook. It's not neglect. They do things like direct fans there and then ignore it on purpose. They don't want fans. They don't like fans.

(ETA - they've now changed the photo on www.virtuemoir.com, and lo, is it a new photo like the first two? Of course not. That would be sharing something. It's two stills from a gala performance everybody's seen from every possible angle already. It's Scott's fan facebook all over again.)

Some people have blamed the blog. Oh the blog has harrassed them.

Yes, because they never lied to fans before the blog. And because an ice dance team that wasn't together would let their buttons be pushed by some insane blog claiming they were. The only reason they let themselves react to the blog is they're together and married, have a child, and they're lying.

So let's say they're pissed because how dare some nobody (which is everyone who isn't them, someone they know, or someone of high status) call them out? So what you do is continue to treat countless well-intentioned people like garbage because you think it helps you score points against an anonymous blog.

If it wasn't the blog, they'd find another reason to piss on fans, believe me. They will always find an excuse.

It also makes Scott's friends feel important. So there's that. We all like to feel important by screwing with anonymous nobodies, or with people stupid enough to take us at our word.

Maybe Scott and Tessa are in the category of neurotic insecure people who aren't comfortable unless there's people they can look down on, and in the skating world and among family and friends, they're in a top dog position where this egocentricity is indulged. Maybe having extraordinary talent has made them believe they're extraordinary PEOPLE, superior to common people who have to pay for tickets to skating competitions, who can't skate the way Tessa and Scott can.

I think there's one category of people that don't excuse and rationalize Scott and Tessa, and that category is figure skaters. Figure skaters with more natural humanity and empathy than Scott and Tessa, skaters who don't resent it when they have to breathe the air others breathe. Skaters who are flattered when fans put together a video or some other shout out because these figure skaters are grateful there are people "out there" who notice and appreciate the work they put in. Figure skaters who see Scott and Tessa actively working to alienate a public other skaters would kill to have and don't say anything in public ... right now.

Scott and Tessa don't need the public. They don't care about post-eligible blowback. They're set. The judges will give them the points. They'll have money whether they suck up to the public or not - they're not financially insecure. Since they don't need fans, why bother treating fans with common decency? One of the axioms of good business is to allocate resources where it will generate the best return, and public good will isn't something Scott and Tessa give a shit about.

There's no incentive for them to be decent, so they're not. I know it's noticed by fellow skaters who'd make different choices even if they found themselves in Scott and Tessa's impossible-to-understand, unique position. You know what it is? Disappointing that they haven't the courage in their public life that they have on the ice, and it's fans who get the fallout from that.
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*Callback to Scott saying anyone who thinks Tessa is too sweet and innocent for Carmen doesn't know her at all.

Isn't that what you both want, Scott? Nobody to know either of you at all, not even the basics about your marital status? How can you say something like that, when if people don't know Tessa it's because of her decisions and yours? You're the one whose used "sweet" as the go-to adjective for years whenever you were asked to describe her. Just because this year the promo spin for Carmen is different doesn't mean it makes sense to scoff at people who think of Tessa as sweet, mostly thanks to everything you've said.

35 comments:

  1. i think the only sham is this blog. There's no such thing as bad publicity, so thus, create a tabloid style blog dedicated to Tessa and Scott because despite what they say they are sincerely aware of the vast amount of fans they have and frequently scan the threads themselves, so why not capitalize on the fact that they (the fans) will read this, gossip will spread, intrigue will be itched, and people will follow because they are curious and it will obviously easily bleed over to their skating. Even if people dont become fans of them, it must be "hate to love them" sort of a situation for the rest. They are too good not to love.

    That said, you fuel the fire. You are here TOO fuel the fire.

    You know exactly what i am getting at here.

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    1. I do but the blog doesn't exist TO fuel the fire. It's evolved to where Team Virtue Moir exploits the blog's existence for their own ends, but I'm not going to try and outsmart myself in some way as a reaction. Yes, they're exploiting the blog. The blog exists to chronicle their lies and manipulations and PR schemes and set ups. It does appear as if they've dragged the blog into it, so I'm going to comment on that when they appear to be doing it. I'm not going to ignore something they do just because it's exactly what they want the blog to do (such as publish photos). Of course I'm aware of it, and I say so.

      If I tried to outmaneuver that in some way I'd be playing a game or trying to control THEM (which is impossible) and I'm not playing a game, nor am I trying to control them or use/push the buttons of anyone who reads the blog.

      What they're doing when they use this blog, is the same as what they do with everything else - using a bunch of people - their fans - as a weapon, as pawns.

      The blog is nearly 2 years old and has one consistent message. That message is no longer news but they still want to play games with it. For me, that's interesting. What's important to them? Winning. They could ignore the blog but instead they are pissed off and because of that continue to exploit the fans. Being right is what matters to them. It's like - fuck you, we're not stopping. And who is the fall guy for this? As ever, the fans are. So they flip the bird and what's the message - fuck you, we can lie and treat people like shit if we want and you can't stop us. We'll even use the blog to do it!

      Good for you, Moirs and Virtues.

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    2. Amen. The sham is this blog, blogger and their supporters. Social media is a great thing but to be used in this manner should be illegal. So hateful.

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    3. You have it backwards. The sham uses social media in a manipulative, obnoxious manner. There's nothing hateful about calling people out on their horrible public manners. I'd love if someone would make the case as for why it's bad to call liars who lie to the public what they are - liars.

      Of course, if you don't believe the premise of the blog, that they're together, then the blog would just be insane, which is nothing to get upset about.

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    4. anon 2:26am here - you all seem to miss the greater message between the lines in my first post. The accusation I am insinuating.


      "Capricious"

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    5. I know what capricious means, and that actually makes your message less understandable to me.

      My original take-away is that you were saying that this blog, either intentionally or unwittingly, is enabling Virtue and Moir's manipulations of the fans - their pattern of baiting and stirring fans up to get their attention, then slamming the drawer on fans' fingers, as it were. And if you call the blog a sham, then you are also saying the blog is only pretending to call them out and be against them, but actually exists to help them and is in collusion with them.

      If that's not what you're saying then I missed both the actual message and whatever greater message exists between the lines.

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    6. Everyone 'can' know what capricious means, its easy enough to google anything, but it should MEAN something to you.

      sigh - I am saying the blog acts as a tabloid constructed to further the interest in their career, and that it was created by the main antagonists this blog focuses on.

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    7. Well, I didn't go there with what you said, that's for certain - that you were saying this blog was created by Scott and Tessa.

      Per the Oxford online dictionary definition of capricious:

      "adjective

      given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behaviour: a capricious and often brutal administration


      changing according to no discernible rules; unpredictable: a capricious climate"

      So maybe the adjective isn't as apt as you believe, as I'm not certain what it's supposed to mean to me or, hypothetically, mean to the person who created a blog at the behest of Scott and Tessa in order to further their public relations aims.

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  2. Whether they're together or not, Scott and Tessa are assholes and seem to get off on it. I hope that one day it all just blows up in their faces. They're the best ice dancers in the world but right now, pretty shitty people.

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  3. I see Mr. Ryan Semple is back to his homophic ways again. When people like him and @billsauce19 say "that's gay" OR #sogay. They are antil-gay slurs. How could Tessa go out with this homophoblic Neanderthal. She has so many gay friends. I don't get it. He uses that term too much for my liking...

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    1. 12:44

      Probably too many years in the bubble of not only a macho sport but being told everything he did was wonderful. They don't sound like they've been in the real world much, apart from their own ego-bubble.

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    2. I don't think many figure skaters at Skate Canada want to deal with the idea of having gay friends but still self-indulging in casual homophobia. They'd rather not notice the disconnect.

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    3. Tessa's not going out with him; she's just implying she is.

      Just understand that everything, including common decency, comes second to their personal priorities. They do think a lot of themselves because the justification for what they do is basically, "it's us." And they're unique.

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    4. With regards to Semple, besides a few Ottawa based friends /skiers giving him a shout-out for his retirement on twitter - there was no other real shout-out from other skiers or former skiers...I mean Alpine Canada didn't really announce his retirement on their facebook page - and this guy was a 2 time Olympian...thus I don't think this guy has really been a popular guy within the skiing community including female athletes - skiers. Semple's dad is in real estate and skiing is an expensive sport - so the family has some $$$ and they have some connections...but yeah - this guy is definitely on the macho, entitled list...my two cents...

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    5. But it's like Jessica (no role model for anyone) - who he is and how he presents himself isn't important. There's nothing as important as what Scott and Tessa think they need.

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    6. They think they need privacy because contrary to everything you have said, and everything else out there, Tessa is a lesbian and that's only a fraction of the 'real' reason why there's a sham at all.

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    7. I can see how portraying herself as a girl whose mommy is still her roommate at the age of 23, as a woman who's never had a flicker of romantic attraction to her partner once puberty set in, would be just the thing to subdue any possible speculation that Tessa is gay. She's smart like that.

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  4. This is anon from 5:17...I think like other fans out there - I've decided to just enjoy V/M's skating. I am just thankful that at least with regards to their skating and training - they seem to be surrounded by a solid team. I think every fan would agree that the lack of professional management for this team is mind boggling. I am not saying that they need twitter accounts or even a facebook page but lord that official website and the lack of maintenance of it...not exactly business savvy Ms. Virtue...then over the weekend with Brenda Irving's interview for the CBC - her intro indicated that they are a hard team to get an interview from during the season - and I am thinking to myself - why the difficulty for an interview by the CBC? and then you wonder what about that documentary coming up featuring them and Patrick Chan...I actually don't mind that they get into their bubble and we don't get interviews etc but when a broadcaster says upfront that V/M are not easy to schedule then what's up with that? It's not that complicated to do a 5 minute interview...

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    1. Obviously the lack of professional management serves their purposes. They don't want professional management, possibly because of the "professional" part of the arrangement. They would have to reciprocate by acting professionally themselves, and clearly, they like the option of being assholes when the whim strikes.

      One of the nastiest parts of the sham is how they keep the nasty down low where they can't be called out, while working the butter wouldn't melt in our mouths routine in legitimate outlets. They can't own their complete disinterest in conventional public relations, for example, so they put up a web page and for awhile Scott had a fan facebook. Not satisfied with that, they create expectations and make promises, and then they ignore the whole thing.

      It would be cleaner and more mature if they'd never had either one of those things - a web page nor a facebook, but that would require actually admitting something about themselves that's real, which is against policy. They do not want to share a single real thing about themselves, not even professionally.

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  5. "but if you say that Tessa and Scott were married because there are no reliable data or photos about? the child is what is seen in profile alma moir on fb? and what are these pictures of alleged boyfriends and girlfriends? is a game for 4? or for 5?"

    This was someone's comment from an earlier entry. I hope it's okay to bring it over here, I thought this comment in answer to it wouldn't be seen if I posted down below.

    I just wanted to make an observation about Alma Moir's facebook profile picture. I don't think I've seen anyone say either one of those babies could be Scott and Tessa's. I think they are Scott's two nieces, who were born within a couple months of each other, if I'm not mistaken.

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    1. I didn't comment myelf because of the premise in what this poster said - that because there's no data or photos on the internet available to the general public it must not exist. That's a mentality that made the sham work on some fans for as long as it did.

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    2. sorry for the comment! I was just a question. however, it can also be a nephew or a cousin, however, seems to be a baby born in January maybe is to tessa and scott but I doubt they have made ​​a mistake so trivial.
      another question .. Data pregnancy tessa are there but the marriage as it gets to be certain?

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    3. Thank's to 16.14 to have put my message here! shame not to have more reliable data ..

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    4. one to the right of alma is clearly a male and then dressed in blue. is a picture of Christmas 2011 Charlotte was born in 2011 summer and queen do not know when she was born but it is definitely after charlotte

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  6. Is it just me, or does anyone else think that Tessa & Scott seem more distant this season??? Is it because they both have Significant others??? JMO

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    1. Their connection is diminshed...

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    2. Okay, this is a reminder that I can see ISPs. If someone wants to express an opinion, that's fine, but hijacking a comments section and/or padding it out with alter egos or otherwise simply entertaining themselves with nonsense isn't.

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    3. With regards to their connection, I think it is still early in the season to say that they seem more distant. I think it's a combination of learning new lifts and still being slightly tentative in their skating. At Skate Canada - they had to deal with Igor and then at Cup of Russia, all eyes were on them in terms of the Russian media. Their game faces are on. Sometimes I wish that Worlds were not held in London this year. My two cents...

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    4. WoW, is this Communist China or FF? I can't tell the apart????:(:() I see dead people, what's your point. I meant off the ice. I shouldn't have to explain myself to you anyway TROLL. Just My Opinion. JMO. You cannpt disagree with someone elses opinion... Free THinking...If you want to control what people say then type something on the other site WEIRDO. Victoria here I come...This is____ BITCH (From Coast, to Coast, to Coast...

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  7. Yeah. Back to the topic before I was sooooo rudely interrupted. I find them to be distant from each other. They were close in the past. Double cheek kiss. What's that noise all about???

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    1. Do you mean in the Kiss and Cry? And moreso Tessa being distant?

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    2. Their progam just seems SLOW 2 Me... They definately have the speed of Davis/White...??

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    3. Here's the thing - a "they seem distant" discussion is off-topic to the blog. One, they're together, married, with a child. The blog isn't speculating about that, they are.

      Second, taking people's emotional temperature based on what people do on camera is the exact opposite of the blog's perspective. It's one reason some fans resist the idea Tessa and Scott are together - fans want to believe they can watch their relationship's ups and downs right on camera. They can't.

      As an aside, fine. As a main comment - oh they seem distant, blah blah - pointless and says more about the poster than the skaters who are the topic.

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    4. oycanada you saw scott at the kiss and cry of the final of grand prix that says a name and touch the teeth on it? it seems clear the message or not? What do you think the meaning?

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