Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Where are the Tessa's Tour Tweets?

Last we heard from Tessa:


It's as if her twitter account vanished into a social media Bermuda triangle somewhere between the airport tarmac in North America and the Sea of Japan.

Edited because China is not Japan.

Where's all the "See these flat abs but I'm also fat because pastries?" What happened to sharing on social media her one-for-all, all-for-one team spirit showcased at the ISC golf event, while bonding with Olympic teammates, and during skating seminars with wholesome Canadian youngsters? Is Artistry on Ice chopped liver? We've got international travel, enthusiastic audiences, a bunch of other great skaters, and these costumes:


Nothing to say? Okay, they're not Kaitlyn Weaver, but skating stars don't come more lively and personable than Volosozaher and Trankov, who are also in Japan, and Maksim and Scott are meant to be friends. You'd never know from Tessa's twitter account. Maybe Tessa's ipad/iphone adapter malfunctioned.

ETA again: Since I confused DW's Japan tour with VM's China tour (or, I believe, it never registered it was in China, which is on me) I checked to see if it's possible to tweet from China, and apparently with a VPN, or with a phone with international roaming turned on, it is. Further googling showed that the firewall isn't even fireproof for Chinese residents, as one North American reports that her daughter is staying for three weeks in China with a friend of hers, and the friend's family has facebook (another blocked site). The US Embassy also tweets air quality reports to Americans in 3 Chinese cities, and those Americans have to be getting the tweets.

It might be a bit much to expect Tessa Virtue to want to work around a twitter block even with a VPN or roaming, being as she's so brand new to social media and so all thumbs on the internet. And besides, she's a recent product of Canton, and Canton is a place where, if Meryl Davis and Charlie White are anything to go by, they like to respect international local custom even if it's repressive.

Let's see how Kaitlyn Lawes is doing:
r
Plucky, this one. No "Tour 1, Kaitlyn 0" here. No wine and pastries mention either, but otherwise she and Tessa are like a couple of tuning forks.

Love this ensemble:



 A/k/a  https://allthetropes.orain.org/wiki/Hide_Your_Pregnancy

 Scott does look a little douche-istic, standing by with a box and a water bottle while Tessa's loaded down like a mule, but ... priorities.

I've been giving some thought to the sponsorship situation within this entire sham matrix, because it was getting depressing, the number of high profile corporate entities willing to partner up with a set of athletes engaged in actively hoaxing the public. It appeared to me that if you wanted to employ a bunch of athletes to tell us all how great your stuff is, you didn't want those people to habitually lie their faces off whenever they went on record. Even if people don't know the athletes are liars now, it could bite your company in the ass down the line. Especially when you're partnered with Scott and Tessa, who tell the opposite of the truth. What are potential Audi buyers supposed to think? Holy shit - Scott and Tessa are partnered with Audi - does that mean the engine mounts will give out, twist upward and pull open the throttle, causing rapid acceleration while disabling the brakes?

 Famous car recalls

Scott and Tessa say "Lindt is great chocolate!" Uh oh. How badly is Lindt contaminated with rodent effluvia and invisble particles of stainless steel?
Then I refreshed myself with marketing nomenclature, and confirmed that there's a difference between sponsorships and endorsements, even though the terms are frequently used interchangeably. I do think it's significant that so far Scott/Tessa and Kaitlyn Lawes/The Curling team, and all of the different Canadian athlete configurations we've seen on twitter, are shouting out sponsors, not so much lining up endorsement deals.
Sponsorships tend to be partnerships with an entity/class/category. Even if that entity is a human athlete, the partnership is with that human as an athlete, and generally the brand covers its bases by sponsoring a number of categories of athlete, thus emphasizing that the affiliation is brand/athletics, or, even better, brand/support of athletics/athletes, and not brand/individual personality. (I wonder, too, if there's any restrictions about renumeration; if the money needs to go to the athlete's athletic-related expenses, even if the "related" part can be stretched.)
Endorsements, OTOH, are brand/personality, and expose the brand to more risk should the person(s) representing their brand turn out to be a big, fat liar every time they open their mouths in public.
This link addressed the issue most directly:


From the link:
1) research findings that consistently show sponsorship generally fosters more positive feelings and behavior toward brands than endorsements; and 2) partnerships with organizations are less risky (though not risk-free) than agreements with individuals in terms of the likelihood of bad publicity due to scandal.
That makes sense. One approach - celebrity endorsement - just validates celebrity worship, while sponsorships align the corporation/brand with sports. As well, we can see where the corporate veil is between a given sponsorship of an athlete or category of athletes all connected by particular credentials - Olympic team, a developing sport, a para-team organization, women-in-sports - and an endorsement deal where the corporate entity is employing the athlete as a celebrity and creating an association between that athlete's individual appeal and individual credibility, and the brand. It's nice to know corporations still give a shit enough to at least cover their ass with semantics.

264 comments:

  1. "It's as if her twitter account vanished into a social media Bermuda triangle somewhere between the airport tarmac in North America and the Sea of Japan.Where's all the "I'm skinny but also fat because pastries?" What happened to sharing on social media her one for all, all for one team spirit showcased at the ISC golf event, Canadian skater bonding, and Canadian skating seminars? Artistry on Ice is Tessa and Scott and some other great skaters in Japan, and what looks like some fun times and interesting costumes:"

    If Tessa and Artistry on Ice were actually in Japan, it would be one thing. However, Artistry on Ice is being held in China, and as was pointed out in the previous thread, twitter is blocked in China. What happened to Tessa's twitter account is that she's in China not Japan and behind The Great Firewall.

    The ICE, with DW and their own "choreography", is in Japan.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Did you delete the previous post without reading any of the 5 comments? Twitter is banned in China. From the tour, only Johnny Weir has tweeted since they've arrived (except for tweets linked from instagram.) Maybe he has someone tweeting for him from the US or is using a proxy. Maybe Tessa didn't know twitter was blocked as she hasn't traveled there recently and based on commenters here, it's not super common knowledge. Give her a break.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I made two starts at the above post on two different browsers without realizing that the first start remained live. I will have to copy and paste the comments from the first post onto this and will do that later, if I can do it without making the first post live again (there's nothing different between the posts. I started to post on one browser, couldn't find it in drafts and began again, and there were, briefly, two live posts saying the same thing).

      I've amended the above post to acknowledge that twitter is banned in China, although from what I've read it's more like twitter is "banned" in China, and those who want to hack the ban can do so without much trouble, particularly visitors from overseas using their phones. However, I certainly agree that Tessa Virtue isn't Johnny Weir and if past is precedent, she's not someone who would go out of her way to circumvent something like the China twitter ban.

      Delete
  3. Better pic for the trope about hiding the belly: http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=10i5e10&s=8#.U9hcuWNm3w0

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So, this is like the magical angles that make Meryl Davis's edges correct on keypoints in the SD?

      Fact is, when Tessa is not pregnant, she looks thin from every angle. Tessa's normal non-pregnant body shape has been discussed as has what her body does when it's pregnant. Right now, her body is doing what it does when she's pregnant. What I've seen from the China photos is a lot of pictures of a Tessa Virtue who's body has taken on the shape and size it did the last time she was pregnant.

      Delete
    2. @7:48PM, it looks like she's wearing his shirt now too.

      To the other pics, from the front at this stage she just starts to look more boxy, and sitting will hide it. I've noticed even if she's only partially turned you still can't really tell, until she turns completely profile. Much like last time.
      Ironically, I was just watching videos from Shall We Dance, and she looks very similar. I don't know exactly when LM was born, and if she was full term to compare, but my guess is Tessa is a little further now than she was within that year though (skipping 2014 Worlds/more time if they want a shot at 2015 Canadians), but maybe not quite as far as she was that end of Sept, if that makes sense. Just my observations.

      Delete
    3. That is a hysterical pic, 8:49.

      8:53, I also think her current size is similar to her size when SWDOI took place in 2010.

      My guess is that Little Moir was born within days of New Year 2011, most likely the 2011 side (based upon some old facebook posts that aren't around anymore). If she's roughly 2 months ahead of where she was this time in 2010, this would make the baby due sometime around November 1. Nationals will be late in 2015, which would give them almost 3 months. Given SC's complete change in tune when it comes to VM between March and now, Slipchuk basically kissing up, and VM receiving funding from Sport Canada (funding that Patrick Chan who is not competing this upcoming season is not getting), I'm starting to really lean towards them returning.

      Delete
    4. I like how you guys ignore the pictures where she looks skinny and latch onto the one where she's holding something in front of her abs. She was given flowers. What is she supposed to do, hold them down by her side and look disrespectful/ungrateful?

      Delete
    5. Tessa does not look skinny for Tessa.

      Delete
    6. 9:12 what " old facebook posts"

      Delete
    7. Please link a photo where Tessa looks "skinny". I'm interested if it's similar to the wide as a barn, shot from above photo of Tessa from her last ice show where she looked like Flat Tessa from that angle, albeit with her arms blocking her sides and rear end, and her torso the shape of a mini-fridge. Anyway, go ahead and link to "skinny Tessa."

      Delete
    8. 8:25, I've looked at the links and as they say in art class, I think some people need to learn how to look. Look at the actual outline and contours. These photos don't show a skinny Tessa. One in particular has a pronounced curve.

      Delete
    9. I'm starting to think the constant assertions that there are photos where Tessa looks "absolutely flat" or "skinny", accompanied by links where she looks anything but, are just propoganda because the person(s) claiming this know damn well she looks neither flat nor skinny. But they think they can argue others into believing it.

      Delete
    10. Kind of like the "I don't want to believe V/M would be married and hiding a baby because I personally don't see how they could get away with it and if it doesn't fit into my own worldview it can't be possible" assertion. Or "I prefer to believe they accidentally got pregnant and are embarrassed about it, hence why they won't tell us about the kid, because that makes me feel better than imagining them choosing not to publicize the existence of their kid with me for no other reason than they simply don't want to."

      Because that's how real life works. If we just argue others into believing that something didn't happen, it didn't happen, right?

      Delete
  4. Funny stuff

    Blogger plans for days..maybe weeks for the next ambush...with some shit story about why she is not tweeting. I am sure hours if careful thought went into the attack.

    One word sweetheart: china

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What's awesome about these kinds of responses to the blog is they don't matter. Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir are married with a child, and likely have another one on the way. That's not going to change no matter how much anyone wants to claim it isn't true or attack the blogger.

      Enjoy your posts, 8:01. Because they do not make a damn difference in the long run.

      Delete
    2. I do think it was unfair to get after Tessa on not tweeting from China, especially when only one of the non-Chinese cast members has bothered to try to get around things, however the rest of this post was spot on.

      Delete
    3. You don't give a damn or claim to not "live and breathe this crap," yet here you are, arguing about something you state isn't true. Over and over again. If you didn't care, you wouldn't be here.

      By all means, keep it up. It's amusing as hell.

      Delete
    4. No post on any message board or social media outlet is going to change the fact that V/M are married with a child and Tessa is probably pregnant again.

      Have a nice day. :)

      Delete
    5. I see, so OC has be right about everything, everytime, no mistakes EVER, otherwise the whole premise of the blog falls to pieces? How does that work when you don't believe the blog anyway? That makes no sense to me.

      Delete
    6. I probably follow what they do when they do it (although I catch up) less than some fans because I know the salient facts about their status (that they're married and have a child). Other fans stay in tune to every detail because they're hunting for clues to whether it's true or not.

      8:01pm, the blog has been wrong about a number of things it's speculated about, if you bother to keep track. Here's a few that I can remember; I'm sure there's more:

      1) The chronology of when Brian Orser came out as gay; corrected in the comments section, then corrected in the post
      2) Mistaking Kaitlyn Osmond for Cassandra Hilborn at a HPC; corrected in the comments section, then corrected in the post
      3) Believing Moirville's reference to "10" was about Meryl Davis's unearned score and not about Vancouver 2010; corrected in the comments section quite some time after the post, and acknowledged as a correction (I don't think I went back and corrected the actual post).

      There's a distinction between speculation and fact and the blog has made those distinctions. Here are the two primary facts (there have been others), that the blog has:

      1) Virtue and Moir are married and have a child
      2) Davis White didn't earn their Olympic gold (or any of their victories over VM) on the ice.

      Delete
  5. There is apparently some access to Facebook in the FTZ (free trade zone) around Shanghai. The FTZ was established last September and it's a testing ground for economic and social reforms in China. They eased up on facebook in that one tiny area because it's a tool that businesses can use to market and sell their products. Fact remains, most of China does not have access to facebook at this time.



    To be fair, setting up a VPN can be a big pain in the ass for those who aren't tech-savvy. I had to do it once on my computer and it took me several days and a lot of tutorials to make it work. Most people aren't going to go to that trouble. It's also my understanding you have to have an unlocked GSM phone and buy a sim card when you get to China. Most people do not have an unlocked GSM phone, especially since most people get their phones under contract and therefore the phone is locked to a specific carrier. None of the other cast members not from China, save Johnny Weir, seemed to have bothered. Likewise, and know VM have plenty of money, international data roaming charges are insane. Again, no one else but Johnny Weir seems to have been interested enough. Also, yeah, most people if they go to a communist country where these things are technically banned may think twice about breaching the ban.There are plenty of things that VM need to be called out on, but I'm not going to hold this against Tessa for not wanting to deal with what can be a pain to set up on a device (VPN) or pay international data roaming charges when only one non-Chinese cast member seems to have bothered to try one of those things. Also, let's be real. The US Embassy in China is not the same thing as Tessa Virtue, tourist in China. Several of the US Embassies in China set up their own own air pollution monitoring devices and have been tweeting the results. The Embassy being able to tweet does not in anyway mean that US citizens in China are able to receive those tweets. Remember, embassies in foreign countries have special privileges. Usually that's diplomatic immunity, but I don't think it's a wild leap to think the US Embassy in China has the privilege of full internet access.

    Let's see what happens when the tour gets to Taipei where there isn't a social media ban.

    ReplyDelete
  6. This was in the comments section of one of the other posts, but have you seen these, OC?

    The number DW choreographed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGWN_E3hhvk

    And also this clip of DW giving a dance lesson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3j-Q7HYMYY

    In the dance lesson clip, there's something about Meryl's movement that seems weird, but I can't put my finger on it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's the same problem as ever - impoverished movement. She's not engaging her core, she's not extending her core, the movement isn't initated from there. She's tight and small.

      Delete
  7. Why do you post only unflattering pictures, and forget about the one piece skin tight outfits, cutout dresses, and every time she's not wearing a large sweater? She has definitely gained a couple pounds, but she's not training even half as much as she used to, so that does happen.
    Also, why discuss her lack of twitter comments, when unless you're in a free trade zone in china, you cannot access twitter at all. We haven't heard from Stephane or Joannie either, because they are unable to do so.
    The fact is, she doesn't look 5 months pregnant at all, but let's wait a couple more months and see if her body changes, as it would if you were pregnant. Instead, in the mean time, let's not call people "fat" because that's a terrible thing to say about someone.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tessa may not look like the average woman looks at 5 months with the typical belly, but her body does look like it did in 2010 when people know she was pregnant. Ergo, she looks pregnant for her.

      Tessa normally looks thin from all imaginable camera angles. The photos that 11:52 demonstrate how camera angle can hide what's going on with someone's midsection. Comparing Tessa's current shape and size to her normal shape and size and the shape and size she was in 2010 tells someone a lot.

      Delete
    2. 12:07 When was the last time Tessa wore a cut out dress or a skin tight outfit off ice? I think it was at hello! gala. But maybe she just likes to wear something really loose and comfortable when she travels... I agree with you, though, let's wait a couple more months.

      Delete
    3. It's also how Scott poses next to her, and again, take a look at Joannie Rochette's t-shirt in the photo with Tessa not too long ago. WTF? The whole thing last season was to play with scale, since her proportions "appeared" to remain arguably constant (although really not). Constant meaning everything stayed within the frame of her shoulders, and although she squared off, she wasn't photographed with a classic pregnancy contour (which many women never get).

      Delete
    4. And the pictures where she looks absolutely flat from the side are showing her from a bad angle for those who believe in preg. Lol you're right it goes both ways

      Delete
    5. Actually, later on I will add some of the photos linked here where people claim she looks "skinny". In one of them her abs are slightly over the waistband of her tights (her stomach is bare) and you can't see her ass at all. IOW, you can't see the relationship of her abs to her pelvis or her entire silhouette.

      It would REALLY REALLY help if people who expect Tessa to look like an archtypical media pregnant woman would do something as easy and simple as google "Pregnant and not showing", whereupon you will find photos posted by ordinary women, not elite athletes, most of them older than Tessa, and most with nice bodies, who are not showing even unto the third trimester, and these are women who have their shirts lifted. It's not that difficult. The other thing that would be useful is for those who link the "skinny" pictures to truly look at them, not quick hit them. There's more to them than meets the eye (and less, in that we're seeing less of her entire body).

      I will post some of them but really don't want to do the MS Paint contour outline thing that others have done, although with one in particular I might.

      Delete
    6. There are no pictures where she looks absolutely flat from the side. Link one where it's "absolutely flat" to you, and I'll post it here.

      Delete
    7. Why do conspiracy theorists keep ignoring pics like these?

      Delete
    8. I debated even bothering to respond to this because it seems no matter what I say regarding the "skinny" pictures and trying to explain scientific pregnancy facts, people are bent on ignoring it, but I'm bored, so here we go.

      The Sochi picture is irrelevant... And also ironic, because by posting it with the others only shows how her body has indeed changed since then.
      The first one is not from the side, so it cannot be properly evaluated for this purpose.
      The second may look "flat" (although, I would even argue a small belly if you actually follow the skirt), but as you've so kindly showed/explained, her normal shape is not flat. It's concave, with a clear outline of ribs and then further indents below that to her abdomen.
      The third is, again, slightly off angle/from the back, but even with that, you can still tell there is something different from her usual incredibly skinny self (whether it be a small bump or just a widening from front to back in that area, *for her*).
      I will reiterate again, her normal shape is not a continuous "flat" line.

      Delete
    9. 9:00--Conspiracy theorists? Please. The people who know for a fact VM's true personal status are not making up theories. Facts are facts no matter how you personally feel about them. What are true conspiracies in this fandom are all the tumblers dedicated to their own theories and speculations re. VM, based on fan feelings and desires not based on facts.

      Delete
    10. To be fair, I don't think anybody here has absolute proof of a pregnancy. I would be completely shocked if Tessa wasn't pregnant but I could still be wrong.

      9:00, and why do people who categorically state there's no pregnancy refuse to explain the numerous pictures where she looks pregnant (or at least far from her usual shape)? The poster above me has given an explanation (and others have as well), if you think it's wrong you can explain why and we can have a real debate. So far, nobody has tried to address the pictures I linked above (2:02), preferring instead to post pictures that seem to confirm their opinion. If you're secure in your opinion, you can't be afraid of truly considering seemingly contradictory evidence. It will only be stronger for having been tested. And if you believe that a pregnancy is such a crazy idea that it's not worth debating, why are you trying to convince the crazies?

      Delete
    11. 9.47 Of course its different from her usual skinny self, for god's sake. She took 3 and a half months off and gained some weight

      Since when a continious flat line is an indication of pregnancy? And don't tell me she already carried a baby this way (because I don't take that as a fact). Those girls who 'do not show ' still have bumps. Smaller, yeah, but bumps not flat lines

      Delete
    12. There IS a bump there! She is NOT flat in the photos posted that are supposed to prove she is flat. Because it's not basketball-sized, the little bump emerging doesn't count? It's visible in the myriad of photos posted above, for God's sake!

      Women who gain weight from eating badly do not gain it the way Tessa Virtue, nor does someone like her, who is an elite athlete intending to skate in shows, just let herself go and pig out continuously. Furtheremore, to let herself go by gaining weight from pigging out for months would be an incredibly irresponsible action by a skating partner because to add weight in such a ho-hum way is unfair the guy who has to do the lifting. And I think it's pretty clear Tessa Virtue would not do that to Scott Moir.

      Go ahead and keep doubting she's pregnant, but please give up the "her stomach is flat and that means there's no baby!" arguments. It's not flat, nor does it not having a basketball-like protrusion mean there's no baby.

      Delete
    13. I think the person constantly claiming she's "flat" knows she's not flat, and that's why the constant insistence she is. It started when she appeared in the skin tight unitard where she was not pin slim but the commentator tried to jump in and control the conversation by claiming she was. IOW, I doubt this person's sincerity.

      Delete
    14. A non-pregnant (in elite-shape athlete) does not have a bump then not have a bump. Or look thicker then not look thicker. She's either thicker/has a bump or she doesn't.

      Like 1:58 said, you can laugh all you want @ 12:00, the camera wouldn't be picking up *anything* if there was nothing there and with MANY many views there is definitely *something.*

      What, do you want to believe disciplined, perfectionist Tessa spent the months post-Sochi pigging out and letting herself gain weight? Go ahead, if that POV makes you feel better.

      Delete
    15. oh, god, she was a teenager who's just been back from a surgery! Her body looked breakable and she never looked like that since 2009/10

      You wanna say her body was as fragile during the carmen season? ok, but that's just not true

      None of you have proof she's pregnant but you go to extremes saying she is. Why so? So scared she's actually dating Ryan Semple?

      Delete
    16. You're right. No one on here has absolute proof whether she's pregnant or not. (At least that I know if, ha).
      That doesn't mean she absolutely isn't or can't be. You are entitled to your opinion, just as the rest of us are entitled to ours. You're not going to convince us, just like we clearly aren't going to convince you. Having said that, because this blog is largely dedicated to the facts that VM are married and already have a kid, it's going to naturally discuss and speculate about her being pregnant again when her body is definitely changing (including how she looked last season when comparing pictures), and changing in a similar way it did the last time she was pregnant... paired with other things that point to her being pregnant again.
      If you don't think she is, then save some time and energy and just stay out of the conversation. We understand you don't think she is. Your point has been made.

      Regarding Ryan: LOL! No one here is afraid of that.

      Delete
    17. http://38.media.tumblr.com/ecf57b78086ca4ea6737832fa009b953/tumblr_n9ncvcIXj11twsoc7o2_400.jpg

      Last year. Her *normal* shape. (And still looked like that as recent as the very beginning of this year's SOI, but I can't find the pic). This is a good pictorial example of what people keep referring to.
      She may not look traditionally pregnant or fat, but her body does not look like that anymore.

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOh8VAtcXjY
      (0:38-0:41, in particular for comparison)

      If you want to say it doesn't because she's packed on a few pounds in the off season (which to be fair, was a narrative further supported and egged on by herself), that's fine. But I fail to see how that's "nicer" than saying her body is changing because she's pregnant, and that the reason she doesn't look traditionally pregnant is the fact that she's in amazing shape, and therefore doesn't show as readily because of her fantastic body... And furthermore, that it's exciting and happy for them to be expanding their family (regardless of how they choose to display said family to the public).

      Delete
    18. I totally agree with your last paragraph, 7:27. This packing on the pounds narrative doesn't make sense to me. Last time people said she "packed on the pounds" because she had surgery, even though she very thin when she had the first surgery. And now we are being told we can't even compare current pics of the Pink Floyd dress to the last time because she'd just had surgery, and was therefore thin (but apparently this did not apply in 2010?).

      This time there's no plausible reason except Tessa just pigged out? Women definitely do tend to gain weight after retiring from elite sport, but not this fast, and VM haven't retired. Even if you don't think they're training, they are still touring. None of the other girls on tour have gotten this "fat."

      Tessa is unfortunately perceived in the skating community as "big" with a tendency to gain weight. Most women in that situation would NOT be tweeting about how many pastries they ate and not going to the gym. They would also not be struggling to fit into the dress from 5 years ago that clearly shows how much bigger she is. Those actions are consistent with someone who is trying to convince people she's not pregnant, IMO.

      Delete
  8. I will look at the positive - judging from the pictures from China - this cast really is a gem. It's been nice to see Scott and Tessa smile period. I mean think about it Joannie Rochette, Shae-Lynn Bourne, Shen and Zhao, Johnny Weir, Plushenko, Lambiel, Maxim and Tatiana...do I dare say it - this cast just loves to skate and entertain...and it appears that China has been a great host...VM were at a press conference for Worlds 2015 and recently we learned that they will receive funding as athletes for this year...I see that as a positive...and if I had to guess - if they do come back to competition - it will be interesting to see where they go in terms of coaching. I don't think they will go back to Canton.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The show look amazing! I wish I could see it live. I hope Tessa and Scott compete at worlds 2015, I want to see them in a Paso Doble so bad.

      Delete
    2. I find Shae-Lynn Bourne absolute torture on and off the ice, but other than that, I agree with you about the cast.

      Delete
  9. Why are Tessa & Scott still collecting hard working Canadians tax dollars when they aren't even working for it. Training, etc. Money for Nothing. #Welfare.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. How do you know they're not training.

      I think we'll be seeing them compete later this season.

      Delete
    2. Wow, haters will really grasp onto anything, huh?

      Why are Peng Cheng, Hao Zhang, and Zijun Li skating in a show and not training? What about the Shibutanis? Ohhh, they're stealing money from the Chinese and US governments!!! Ohhhh, Plushenko is in the Russian national team envelope, and he isn't doing the GP either! Better call the cops!

      Delete
    3. 2:05 can you like do us all a favour and never speak again?

      Delete
    4. 2:05PM - how do you know they're not training? It never fails - fans don't believe in anything they can't see or aren't told. They believe because an athlete or celebrity has a public profile that therefore everything they're doing must be done in public.

      Delete
  10. Hey 2:52 Appearing in shows is fine. But, not competing or training and collecting tax dollars is just wrong. Are they or aren't they retireing? Sarcasm doesn't suit you. 4:06. Why would I do you a favour? Shut your piehole.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Every other skater on that list is also an eligible skater who is receiving funding. Obviously they are not training or competing while doing the show. Virtue Moir are in the exact same position. The top skaters aren't competing at all because it's the SUMMER.

      Skipping the Grand Prix does not make them ineligible for funding. Hint: The list of funded skaters was released on July 1. The Grand Prix assignments were released June 27. If Canada didn't want that money to go to skaters who were skipping the Grand Prix, they did not have to give it to them. Virtue Moir in no way misrepresented themselves in order to collect that money. The deadline for Nationals, which they have not ruled out, is sometime in September.

      Next you are going to tell me that it's different because the other skaters, although not training this week, are training in general, whereas we have not seen Virtue Moir training. To that I say we're not privy to everything they do. Just because we haven't seen pics of it doesn't mean it's not happening (even if you think they're fat). And even if they're not training right now, there's still the possibility they are planning to do so for Nationals and they have every right to receive the funding any other athlete in their position would get. I assume if they don't end up competing, they won't take the money and it goes back into the pot.

      I don't understand this obsession with pushing VM out the door. The sport is so lucky to have them.

      Delete
    2. It's such a silly thing for haters to focus on, as if Sports Canada would fund them without making sure they were going to compete, and VM would be so hard up for cash that they'd lie to them about it. I mean really.

      I do, however, believe that coming back this year would be incredibly risky. It isn't just fans who want to push them out the door and if they show up undertrained at nationals they could easily lose to W/P or win but have many people complain they were gifted. Not a good way to set themselves up for the new quad and force the judges to let them win even if they've already had their "turn".

      Delete
    3. I disagree that it's risky for them to come back this year. VM aren't going to easily lose to WP, and SC has done a complete turn around about VM between March and now.

      Yes, there will be fans of WP and haters of VM who whine, but that's tough. VM are far more talented than WP.

      Coming back and competing at nationals is different than just competing at worlds. There are a number of skaters who have skipped the GP with no ill effect later in the season.

      I think it would actually be smart to get back out there in a season where DW definitely aren't competing and presumably reclaim the big titles sooner rather than later. It's better to be out for only about a year than to be out for 20 months.

      Delete
    4. if they do come back i think marina will start politicking against them and they'll unjustly lose to another inferior team like C/L

      Delete
    5. If the ISU plays fair then no politicking by a former coach can make VM lose. They're the best by miles no matter how Marina would package her teams. It's not Marina who handed DW undeserved scores. It was corruption starting at the ISU's highest levels.

      Delete
    6. "Coming back and competing at nationals is different than just competing at worlds. There are a number of skaters who have skipped the GP with no ill effect later in the season."

      But they didn't need to compete only 2-3 months after a pregnancy and ice dance is the most political discipline. I also don't trust Skate Canada who only a few months ago was trying to push them out the door.

      Delete
    7. If ice dance is out to get Scott and Tessa (still) it will be out to get Scott and Tessa whether they return for the back half of the coming season or wait until 2015-2016. The sport doesn't need the excuse of a less-than-optimum Virtue and Moir. Strategizing is a waste of time. It's going to be what it is. My hope is that VM have tested the political waters - that is what their Federation is for - to determine if there's any point in coming back.

      Delete
    8. Oh for God's sake "politiking" did not defeat Virtue and Moir last season. It was corruption from the very top that completely rendered pointless any "politiking" that could be done at training center level. It was more than obvious from the comment booth to the judging panels to the defeated skaters' own Federation that everybody best be on board.

      Delete
    9. " It's not Marina who handed DW undeserved scores. It was corruption starting at the ISU's highest levels."

      no but she helped them tho

      Delete
    10. I think a lot of people are still misunderstanding (some willfully, I think) what corruption beginning at the top actually means, how it's different than politicking, and most importantly, how it renders politicking null and void.

      Marina Zoueva could have screamed to the high heavens that D/W were awful skaters who had no business being on an Olympic podium or ever defeating V/M. It wouldn't have mattered. If she'd done those things, D/W would have still won gold after the USFSA removed them from their training center and put them with a different coach, made a big stink about it in the press, publicly slammed Zoueva or found some way to besmirch her name and coaching credentials, and then held a parade.

      That's an illustration of how corruption works from the top down, and corruption from the top down is how the ISU functions.

      Delete
    11. Maybe it would help all these willfully ignorant posters if you could acknowledge that a difference of opinion is not the same thing as a misunderstanding and stop creating straw men that represent the most extreme opinions out there.

      Delete
    12. 10:17
      What are you saying, that Marina should NOT give her teams the choreography they can handle according to their skills? It so happens Marina is genius at smoke and mirrors choreography, so? That's a good choreographer. It's the ISU, the judges, the federations, who are responsible to call a spade a spade and score it accordingly. Any good coaching team will try giving their skaters every opportunity to win and if the system is corrupt and rewards bad skating, how is that a coach's fault?

      If fans, skating media, any with any kind of "power", rose up in protest against the ISU's practices in ice dance scoring, then perhaps there might be a hope of any change or accountability. All the hate directed toward Marina accomplishes nothing but make fans feel good about "defending" VM. Such a waste of hate. Meanwhile, no one holds the ISU's feet to the fire (how about "hating" on the commentators who delivered all that bullshit about DW? No one is calling them out except on this blog).

      The judges and their "training seminars" receive no scrutiny. Why? I wish all the scrutiny towards Marina would instead by directed at all these others that gave out the scores.

      Delete
    13. That illustration was not meant as a straw man, it was a scenario (hypothetical in nature) meant to illuminate how top-down corruption works. That could have been better clarified, but the original point stands. A lot of people claim Zoueva politicked D/W to victory over V/M through her words or whatever, but then also claim the ISU's corruption is why Zoueva's words and other actions (whatever they were claimed to be) had the impact they did (i.e., giving D/W the gold medal). Top-down corruption doesn't really work that way. When it starts from the top, that's where the ultimate decisions are made and how the people below actually act or what they say has no impact on the end result. In other words, their actions or words can't change it.

      Delete
  11. isn't marina still their coach?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "isn't marina still their coach?"

      With reports of Tessa and Scott having cleared out of Canton and Marina not listed as their coach on the SC website, it certainly looks like she's no longer their coach.

      Even if VM end up back with Marina, IMO the fans assign her too much power. Like OC and others have repeatedly said, Marina is not the one who defeated VM. That was the ISU.

      If the ISU decides to score ice dancing according to their rulebook, then all of Marina's choreography that is intended to cheat the system and hide weaknesses will get scored as it deserves. Marina (and Igor) have learned how to give their teams elements that get high levels under this current corrupt system. It's on the ISU. Start scoring without cheating, and all that shady choreography starts getting the low scores it deserves.

      It doesn't matter who coaches VM. The problem is the ISU.

      Delete
    2. I think some are assuming that because Virtue and Moir reportedly cleaned out their lockers at Canton while Marina wasn't around, that they're done with Canton. Because of course there is no way they communicated or communicate with Marina at any other time. We don't know, IOW. She is not the reason DW won in Sochi, but ice dance remains a political sport and if VM understand through ye old grapevine that they need to position themselves differently if they want to stay in, that could be a reason to change, if they change. Although the ISU told them all kinds of things running up to Sochi that turned out to be (or appear to be) nothing but setting them up.

      Delete
    3. Their condo was put up for sale, so I think that's a big reason why people think they're done with Canton.

      Delete
    4. What other teams are training with Marina this year, other than Anna and Luca... I thought that I read something on here about another team, but cannot recall.

      Delete
    5. Shibatanis, Aldridge Eaton, Sinitsina Katsalapov. I also read she planned to do more pairs choreography.

      Delete
    6. Unless I'm mistaken, they owned that condo for a pretty short period of time, certainly far less time than they trained in Canton overall. I don't recall if the timing of the purchase arguably coincides with the planning of the reality show, but this is definitely not their long-term residence that they then unloaded. They also purchased it on the cheap, even though I know the housing market in Canton was depressed at the time, and so anyone looking for an interim residence would have numerous options for value at low cost.

      Delete
    7. 5:11
      According to the public records, they purchased that condo end of 2010 or beginning 2011.

      I have a definite feeling they had already planned to unload it right after the reality show and it wasn't connected necessarily to their plans re. Canton. It was to get rid of the place featured on the show, since it showed outside shots and it would be easy for anyone to figure out where it was. Also, like you said, when it was purchased the housing market was depressed. Selling now they made a lot of money on it and it was a good time to reinvest into something bigger/nicer.

      Delete
    8. Didn't they both own their own condos or was there only 1? It seemed like they lived in the same complex, but owned separate places.

      Delete
    9. Only one condo.

      There was a record of a house where the tweet picture of Ryan Semple was taken. I don't know what the story is about that house. But some shots of Tessa in the reality show (supposedly her alone in "her own plance") were unmistakably in the condo.

      What it looked like to me was that most of the reality show scenes of supposedly Tessa-in-her-own-place (whether Canton or London) were the same place (probably the house in London). The decor/style was the same. In addition, someone recognized the brand of flour being used to bake cookies with Kate (where they were supposedly in "Tessa's place in Canton") as a Canadian brand.

      The scenes where she's not in the London house, it's the condo, regardless of the show's narratives (pretending it was her home where she's supposedly by herself).

      Delete
    10. 9:19 how'd you know the shots were unmistakably taken in a condo?

      Delete
    11. 11:57 - I think 9:19 is talking about comparisons made between settings in the reality show (that included Tessa) and the photos of the inside of the condo that were posted on the real estate site when the condo was put up for sale. Same place, not two different condos/houses.

      Delete
  12. It would be a dream come true if they moved to Montreal, trained with DL and got choreo done from Jeff Buttle, Jenn Swan and JMG!! It could be wishful thinking, but I still have hope that could happen!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know a lot of people salivate over the idea of D/L doing choreography for V/M but I've never been that impressed with their competitive choreographic work. Like her or not, I don't think D/L's choreography can hold a candle to Zoueva's knowledge of the interaction between rhythm and music, musicality, use of momentum and tension, and brilliant interweaving of dance vocabulary into V/M's programs.

      I haven't seen enough of Jeff Buttle's ice dance choreography to formulate any kind of opinion on this work, but to my understanding he hasn't done much ice dance or pairs choreography at all.

      All together, I'm not sure that a combination of Buttle and DL would be a better choreographic fit for V/M than Zoueva.

      Delete
    2. Swan and JMG, to my knowledge, had never done ice danceor figure skating choreography before and they created magic with VM. VM are no small part of the equation. Buttle or DL choreography is going to look different on them than on others, just like Zoueva's looks different, and better, on VM than any other skaters.

      I have a very long fantasy list of choreographers I want VM to work with. Buttle in particular was not on it, but I've liked a lot of his stuff, and I liked what DL did with Hurtado Diaz and would be interested to see what their stuff would look like with a much higher level team. I can see why people would be excited at this prospect. DL seem to "get it," and I can see from their work with HD that they're serious about skating not filling the programs with bullshit. HD are really dancing, using their edges and their whole bodies to express the music, creating new lifts that both fit the theme of their program and the criteria for CoP. They don't have all the skills yet to pull it off perfectly, and you have to keep in mind they were only single skaters a five years ago, that Spanish skaters don't get a lot of support and ice time, and that they were barely qualifying to the FD a few years ago. I would love to see DL take the skill, dedication, knowledge, and artistic eye they have put towards HD into a team that already has the basics. Who better than VM?

      Delete
  13. I think that if VM are planning on continuing, they're going with Igor.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I believe it should be clarified that Swan and JMG created magic with V/M *and* Zoueva, though perhaps that's what you meant. I'm acting like a stickler on this, but I believe choreographers are due the respect they've earned and I feel like there's a lot of dislike of Zoueva around here and elsewhere that clouds the brilliance of the work she's done with V/M. I'm not speaking to the legitimacy of those complaints (though I happen to feel a lot of them are based on emotional anger and assumptions more than anything else), but to the actual, physical programs she's created with V/M. They are brilliant results of her vast knowledge base and genius-level understanding of how V/M's talents can translate to the ice, partly (I myself would like to assume) based on her years and years of closely working with them.

      I think, based on their body of work, that VM are the best ice dancers in the world with the innate abilities to feel and understand rhythm and bring it out through extremely difficult, textbook technique and various dance vocabularies on the ice. BUT, I don't know how much that comes from Zoueva having been able to bring that out of them in a variety of different fashions and how much of that is actually coming from V/M. Together, V/M and Zoueva are absolute lightening in a bottle. Perhaps one of the greatest team/choreographer combinations of all time. I'm certainly not averse to seeing V/M work with other choreographers, but I'm very skeptical of them achieving the same kind of almost subconscious connection and understanding they have/had with Zoueva with other choreographers that translates to such absolute brilliance on the ice.

      Time will tell, I suppose.

      Delete
    2. Sorry, that post right above this was meant as a reply to 10:35 AM.

      Delete
    3. I think it would be D/L with maybe Igor in a consulting role.

      Delete
    4. Why would Igor consult on the work of a competing team/coach?

      Delete
    5. 11:08 You're stating your opinion of Zoueva's choreography as fact. Not everyone thinks her work with V/M is brilliant or that their collaboration is lightning in a bottle. You can explain why you think this is the case but I'm getting really tired of the Marina fans acting like we need to recognize her greatness or we're being ungrateful or disrespectful. Choreography is incredibly subjective, and we do not owe Marina anything.

      Delete
    6. Give me a break, 11:30 AM. You think V/M got to where they are in spite of their choreographer? That they just skated out to center ice, then stood there and did nothing for 3 and 4 minutes every season?

      This is what I don't get. "We do not owe Marina anything?" This isn't about YOU or ME, it's about V/M and what they created with Zoueva. And that was gold-medal worthy choreography. Did you like Mahler? Farrucas? Carmen? Funny Face? Their SD from this season? Etc.? None of those programs would have existed without that team/choreographer combination of V/M and Zoueva.

      Choreographic *taste* is incredibly subjective. That means you or I can like or not like "modern" choreography. But what is NOT subjective is the brilliance of what V/M and Zoueva put on the ice together. That was by the COP rulebook, difficult as fuck, detailed, nuanced, absolutely genius-level work that blew every other team out of the water and put V/M on an Olympic podium THREE TIMES.

      Delete
    7. The only programs I truly loved are ones where Marina collaborated with someone else (Pink Floyd, Farrucas, Carmen and this year's SD). Now obviously Marina played a part in these programs but I don't consider her a brilliant choreographer on her own, and I've often thought V/M were better than the choreography they were given. That's my opinion, and I'm just as entitled to it as you are to yours.

      I said we didn't owe Marina anything in response to 11:08 saying choreographers are due the respect they've earned, as if we owed Marina respect for her choreography. Ok, so V/M's programs wouldn't have existed if she hadn't designed them. So? If you loved an actor's performance in what you consider to be a mediocre movie, are you obligated to respect the director/writer/producer for their work? What if you think an actor's considerable talents were wasted in a particular role? Or what if you liked a director's earlier work but are disappointed in his more recent stuff, is expressing your disappointment also disrespectful? We all face criticism in our line of work and if we got mad every time and wondered how dare they disrespect us, we wouldn't lead very happy lives. All choreographers are going to have their defenders and detractors, that's part of the job, and frankly I don't see why it's such a big deal that a number of V/M fans have expressed disappointment in Marina's choreo efforts of the past few years.

      And what I'm getting from your last paragraph is that style is subjective but that we can objectively determine what makes for great choreography. Sure, just like you can objectively determine great music, movies, painting, photography, etc. The only reason critics ever disagree is because they're blinded by their style preferences, something that apparently doesn't happen to you when it comes to Marina's choreography. That last sentence (and the whole post really) was emotionally charged and certainly didn't come across as objective, not to mention perfect objectivity in anything is impossible. But OK.

      I would hope that we could all like what we like and find common ground in our admiration of V/M. For some it seems like Marina and V/M are almost a package deal, and you can't like one without the other. I respectfully disagree and am excited to see what V/M will do with new choreographers. Great dancers don't spend their whole careers with one choreographer, and different people can bring out different sides of them. There's so much more out there to explore for V/M and I'm excited to see it.

      Delete
    8. Hi 11:08. This is 10:35. I appreciate your response (gotta love this blog: detailed debates about choreography and flatness of stomachs going on at the same time).

      I personally have never cared for Zoueva’s work since well before she started working with VM, so my opinion of her as a choreographer isn’t based solely on emotions.

      I agree that Zoueva and VM, together, have done absolutely incredible and nuanced work. What those prove (to those of us that loved that work, not to the non-VM fans obviously) is that Marina capable of great choregraphy. For me, when I look at the other work she’s done with other ice dancers, there’s absolutely nothing memorable or outstanding there. I’m specifically thinking of DW, BA, and Shibs – no one else comes to mind right now – and they all had pretty much the most mediocre bodies of work I can call to mind in history. There’s nothing brilliant there at blade level, no great risk-taking (like the edgework in Farracus), nothing special in the lifts. These teams, to me, utterly epitomize paint-by-numbers CoP choreography. The Shibs in particular, IMO, have a lot more skill in them to give that’s not being exploited. DW can’t skate anyway, and BA never rose above “ok,” but the Shibs could have done more technically (not talking about “theme”).

      So, for me, VM are the “this one is not like the others” of Marina’s teams. Ok, so you can do outstanding work with the greatest technical ice dancers of all time. I feel that accomplishment is lesser knowing she can’t (or hasn’t) do it with anyone else (IMO of course). Further, I do think at times Marina fans here are remiss in crediting the extensive team that works with VM. Paul McIntosh helped give them their amazing basics without which they wouldn’t have been able to carry out a program like Mahler. That program relied on effortless quiet blades and the seamless flow of the elements. On another team (if they could even attempt to carry it out) it would look like crap.

      Igor, Oleg Epstein, and their other technical coaches helped them be masters at the elements. That can’t be divorced from choreography. That they are so good at twizzles is what allows Marina as choreographer to actually be creative and change up the twizzles in their programs to complement the music. If they didn’t have the blade skills they have, there is no way they could have pulled off the full body movement of Carmen because they would fall. They have a team of specialists for every possible thing… they have lift coaches, even a transitions coach we briefly saw on their show. That ability in lifts helps give Marina freedom to create instead of trying to dress up the same two lifts with different arm flourishes (Meryl). I’m not really sure how the transitions coach intersects and how or why Marina as the choreographer isn’t the person officially in charge of transitions (not clear to me whether the transitions coach is designing the transitions or just helping them practice what Marina has given). Marina is the one who ties it all together, but she is FAR from the only person who has a substantial degree of involvement so I can’t personally agree that she and VM have this subconscious psychological connection between them, not when everything is funneled and filtered through many others.

      Delete
    9. 4:09 PM, cont

      Mainly though, I feel it is VM that bring a lot to the table. I know they’ve been with her their entire senior careers (and Igor for most of it) but since they started so young, IIRC they had already been skating together a good 6 or 7 years before they went to her. And according to MacIntosh, their connection, rhythm, and timing bloomed early. Those qualities were inherited by Marina, and she certainly exploited them fantastically well, but I’m not convinced any other good coach/choreographer couldn’t do just the same. It’s hard to say, because even though I’m totally fangirling here, I think the qualities VM have together are magic and very rare and they were so blessed to have found it, and each other, at a young age, and to have had the money (Tessa) or the family connections (Scott) to make it work early. There are reasons they are the youngest Olympic champions ever that go far beyond Marina and Igor.

      I just feel that even as young as they were, Tessa and Scott individually brought so much to the table (and together, OMG – to me, THAT is the lightning in the bottle – and I’m not talking about romantic chemistry but a shared rhythm, attention to detail, work ethic, uncompromising nature, and determination). Scott coming from a coaching family is significant, IMO. It means he took his skating seriously from the early years and developed his skating with a certain eye. He seems the type who doesn’t want to just do the move; he wants to understand exactly how it’s done, why it’s done that way, if it could be done better, etc (and I think CoP really allows him to geek out). And Tessa has a dance background, not just the dance classes that most figure skaters take, but the potential for a serious ballet career. I think she does a lot of the choreography, almost naturally. If Marina says “do this” Tessa is going to do it oh so differently than Meryl, Tanith, or Maia – she’s going to subconsciously add her special something. She and Marina work off each other – I think Scott said that watching them choreograph together was the greatest thing to witness. So, my POV is more that Marina’s choreography would be nothing without Tessa and Scott’s input, rather than the opposite. And since VM have skated every program brilliantly enough to make me love it (even when it’s a style I hate), and I’ve loved all the programs they’ve done whether they are Marina only or Marina + someone else or a non-Marina exhibition, whereas I haven’t really liked anything else Marina has ever done in ice dance, for me it’s VM that make the team and it gives me 100% confidence they could be brilliant with another coach. An argument could be made that if they hadn’t gone to Marina 10 years ago, they wouldn’t have developed to be what they are – actually, it’s not an argument, they wouldn’t have, and she’s an indelible part of it. But at the stage they’re at NOW, if they go someone else, I have absolutely zero skepticism that they would be able to create something really freaking good.

      Delete
    10. 4:09 PM, last part

      Finally, I must say that Marina’s smoke and mirrors approach, and the choreographic laziness with all the recycling (and that’s not just on Meryl’s limitations, because a lot of BA was recycled into DW too, and the Shibs are not exactly burning it up with creative elements), with her less technically able teams, doesn’t give me a positive impression of her. I cited the example of DL with Hurtado Diaz. They don’t have HD running across the ice like the abomination that is Coomes Buckland or CB. They probably were not even as good as DW when they started with DL, but now they outskate DW (automatically, because they skate, period). Of course whatever HD is doing is on a far lesser scale than what VM do, but I think they’re good for what they are, a 11-20th ranked dance team. They really try to move like ice dancers rather than saying "fuck the skating part, we'll skip over it." Even Piper Gilles’ coaches and choreographers have her stepping it up and really trying to skate. Krylova’s teams don’t cheat their skating either… I don’t really like their camp’s choreo from a subjective standpoint, but there’s no doubt they are really doing it, and WP are improving a lot and really dancing now. I respect coaches that can bring out good qualities in all their teams, not just the already technically gifted ones like Virtue Moir. As I see the type of love, attention, and care those coaches are putting into those (admittedly mediocre) skaters, I have no doubt they would do the same with VM, and how could it not be great, then, is my feeling.

      Delete
    11. 11:30 AM EXACTLY people here need to stop praising the very ground she walks on

      Delete
    12. I don't mind if people want to praise the ground Marina walks on. I just wish they would respect that some people don't and it's not because they have secret motivations and implications that it's really because they wish she would have called out DW's skating, etc.

      Delete
    13. Without getting into the discussion below (because I've been there already and my views haven't changed), why on EARTH would they go to Igor?

      Delete
    14. w/o zoueva, VM cant cut it. I love into the mystic but nothing special.

      Delete
    15. V/M's exhibition progams show better skating and dance technique than most competitive programs, that's how superb their skills are. The reality is that a team like D/W should have never made it out of their own Nationals, that's how shitty they were (and still are). V/M could probably whip up a new SD in a week and it would still kill anything anybody else is attempting.

      Delete
    16. 8:07 I really don't think they'd choreograph their competitive programs themselves.

      Delete
    17. Agreed, 8:17. Didn't they perform PF with only 3 full run-throughs under them? And that was one of the most difficult FDs of all time.

      ITM was a quick rehash of this year's FD lifts created for a tour where they knew she'd be skating pregnant.

      Delete
    18. 8:07 AM perhaps the reason why ITM is "nothing special" is because its a rehash of this year's fd, which marina choreographed. the sequences which are original are so much better than what marina came up with. marina's choreo is so stale nowadays and v/m outgrew her quickly. also y'all seem to be forgetting that VM choreographed the intro to their latin SD

      Delete
    19. V/M did not "outgrow" Zoueva. Their FD this past season was an extremely intricate, difficult piece full of nuance that was far superior to anything any other team put on the ice and pushed the envelope of the sport. Did it ever occur to some of you that if any moves in that program seemed somewhat similar to past programs, it might have been because V/M wanted it that way? That there was a thematic or choreographic reason for taking something similar to what they'd done in the past and upping the difficulty, nuance, or placement of it as a transition? Everything has always had a purpose, a meaning, etc, and the same held true for that FD. I don't give a shit what the ISU might have told them to do, there was nothing wrong with that program. It was fully deserving of winning a gold medal.

      Do some of you really think V/M would allow ANYONE to give them a program with lesser difficultly or recycled choreography/elements? I don't. Zoueva and V/M got it done with that choreography. It was not stale. They are proud of that program, as well they should be.

      Delete
    20. OC at 8:56 - I'm not an advocate of them moving to Igor at this time. I don't want to get into *whether* they should have changed coaches before the Olympics but *if* they were to change, I thought Igor made sense at the time because they already were comfortable working with him, they didn't have to move far, he knows their technique and how to manage Tessa's condition, basically it was a change they could have made without losing too much time before the Olympics. Most teams who change coaches talk of a period of re-learning how to skate, which VM don't need because they have near-perfect technique, so with Igor they could've gone straight into the nitty gritty of their elements.

      But that didn't happen, and if they change coaches now, they have the whole fall season (and maybe the spring, but hopefully not) to scope out training centers, talk to different people, and move their home. So I don't see any compelling reason they should go to Igor at this time.

      I guess the only plus with Igor would be that he already knows how to train a pregnant Tessa Virtue to World champion level quality. However, Marie-France and Patrice also have experience training pregnant Delobel, and combined with VM's own experiences of what they did last time, that could work very well.

      Delete
    21. 2:18 - Yes. I adore their FD from this last season. I've never understood the fan-dislike toward Seasons.

      It was a huge step up from Mahler. They did say Seasons was about some kind of continuation of Mahler. What they showed IMO with Seasons is they could take what is considered the same genre as Mahler and create something new, that showcased their huge growth since Vancouver in every single area of skating and expression. It was fabulous!

      It should have easily scored 10-20 points over the shite presented by DW and not only because in every way VM are better skaters, but also because it was a superior program from all the programs at Sochi. It was intricate, detailed, necessitating the highest skill to execute. Only VM could have skated that program.

      Marina helped create Seasons, as she helped create all their competitive programs in the last two quadrennials. Whatever one has against her personally doesn't take away the body of work VM and Marina created together. Every season something totally new. Every season more difficult and intricate programs. Nothing VM have done is stale and so much of that is on Marina. I think very few choreographers would know how to tap into the superb talent and skill VM bring to the table and be able to shape something outstanding every year.

      It's been said already. Marina deserves a lot of credit for VM's amazing programs and that has nothing to do with what kind of person she is or whatever role she played in helping push DW to the top. Her character (or ambitions) are a different issue from her specific work with VM.

      Delete
    22. "It should have easily scored 10-20 points over the shite presented by DW and not only because in every way VM are better skaters, but also because it was a superior program from all the programs at Sochi. It was intricate, detailed, necessitating the highest skill to execute. Only VM could have skated that program."

      I think it's possible to fully agree with this comment while still disliking the program on a subjective level and finding it stale.

      "Whatever one has against her personally doesn't take away the body of work VM and Marina created together. ...
      It's been said already. Marina deserves a lot of credit for VM's amazing programs and that has nothing to do with what kind of person she is or whatever role she played in helping push DW to the top. Her character (or ambitions) are a different issue from her specific work with VM."

      I just re-read this entire string of posts from 10:35 AM down and not a single person who criticized Marina's work said ANYTHING about disliking her personally. Each and every post was a comment about the work that was put on the ice. You are arguing against assumptions you have instead of the actual posts. I feel offended by your implication that people can't decide for themselves what they like about a program and to assume that they only dislike it because of how they feel about Marina's character.

      I understand you liked Seasons and Marina's work and I can respect that.

      Delete
    23. "I just re-read this entire string of posts from 10:35 AM down and not a single person who criticized Marina's work said ANYTHING about disliking her personally. Each and every post was a comment about the work that was put on the ice. You are arguing against assumptions you have instead of the actual posts. I feel offended by your implication that people can't decide for themselves what they like about a program and to assume that they only dislike it because of how they feel about Marina's character."

      I'm 3:20. You're right. No one said anything personal about Marina. It's my own knee-jerk reaction to the many previous comments (here and elsewhere) that were of a personal nature. I also should have paid attention to the context of this string of comments. I'm sorry about the implication regarding liking or not liking Marina's work being tied to a personal opinion about her.

      I was only responding to the one comment about the Seasons FD, which I happen to love and I do realize I'm one of the very few in the fandom who adores that program... I do not think Marina walks on water, I just really like the body of work she's done with VM. Thanks for reminding me of the string of comments upthread - I also agree very much with many of those comments and especially between 4:09 - 4:11. While Marina (IMO) struck lightening with VM, I don't think she's done the same for her other top teams. The person making those comments had many insightful observations that I agreed with.




      Delete
    24. 3:20/7:01,

      This is 3:37 (I also posted 4:09-4:11). Thank you for re-reading the posts and changing your conclusion. I really do understand that a lot of the Marina fans here are sick and tired of constant digs at Marina with nothing to back them up at places like FSU, and that your reaction is with that context in mind. I think there is a double-edged sword with not having screennames here. On the one hand it’s nice to argue or debate someone and not have to carry that baggage into another conversation. On the other, when you’re reading through dozens of anonymous comments it can be hard to keep track of who said what and to just respond based on assumptions about comments from the past.

      As someone who has never really liked Marina, the comments here over the years from OC and others have actually given me a greater respect for her in reference to her work with VM. She (and Igor) did start working with them during very substantive years, and their talent could have been wasted – thank God it wasn’t (like IK, what a sin). And other than Dark Eyes (which for some reason no one seems to like!), all of the programs she did with VM have been beautiful.

      About Seasons, I feel that it was perfectly honed to the rules of CoP, it was pretty to watch, and the performance in the Olympic event was outstanding. There’s no question it should have won, however it does remain my least favorite of their senior FDs. I’m not judging it as “choreography” under the judging standards, but the colloquial sense of choreography where I just didn’t enjoy the makeup of the piece. I did not get the pleasure of seeing it live, and I know that many who did had very emotional experiences watching it, so I hate to think they feel robbed of that knowing that there are so many complaints about it from other VM fans.

      What I felt was that while it was beautiful, creative, used their edges masterfully, I wanted a program more like Carmen, something extra-innovative that would really blow people away and go down as a classic. I hate that Seasons gives some of the DW-ubers the opportunity to say stuff like “they played it safe and went back to that boring old style, so they lost.” I wanted one of those goosebumpy programs that all fans could rally behind a masterpiece leaving no doubt as to who was the best. This is all subjective, of course, and I do understand the danger of mixing up what makes us "feel" with what is actually a good program (a la FSU). IMO Seasons deserved all 10s, so it’s not that there was something exactly wrong with it, it just wasn’t that really special extra FD that I wanted for the Olympic season. I feel like I can express that among friends - other VM fans who know what great skaters they are and should have won - but I wouldn't bring it into a debate about scoring.

      I have no problem with people explaining why they love Marina’s work as I have learned a lot from them. I just hope that this place will evolve to a level where both sides can respect each other, so I really appreciate that you apologized.

      Delete
  14. http://magicaleggplant.tumblr.com/image/92855492373

    This picture kind of breaks my heart - I get that Tessa and Scott have the right to protect their privacy and their family in whichever way they see fit (excluding jerking people around and being assholes) but really, would it be so terrible to have their daughter publicly included in something that is such a huge part of their lives? That is, in fact, the very reason she exists?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Regarding the picture of S/Z with their baby, I saw a few others from that same time where you can see more of the cast, and it's obvious V/M were looking at them... just made me wonder what was going through their heads when they watch that situation.

      Delete
    2. What a cute baby.

      Delete
    3. What a gorgeous photo. Everybody looks beautiful. I can't even start with how VM have handled their situation.

      Delete
    4. OC, what do you think about Scott and alcohol? Is alcohol a problem for Scott and Tessa upset because of this? It seems that she is concerned. http://ww4.sinaimg.cn/bmiddle/71eb2af7jw1eixljo462rj22io1w0qv5.jpg

      Delete
    5. I'm not OC but I don't think Scott has more of a problem with alcohol than any other Canadian male his age. Meaning, he probably drinks way too much at times and Tessa does get pissed about it but that's just the way it works.

      Delete
    6. 12:07 What do you think about escalation of his alcoholism theme on the Internet and why people do this? It confuses me.

      Delete
    7. Tessa looks concerned? Well then Tatiana, Evgeny's wife, and Edvin Marton's wife must be even more concerned, because they are not on the bus at all! Tatiana must be so disgusted that she won't even travel with Max anymore, or she is hiding in the back, out of shame. Evgeny's wife obviously didn't travel with him to China because she's horribly concerned about his terrible drinking. She must be so concerned that he'll do something to the children! Probably filing for divorce as we speak. And I have not even heard of Edvin having a wife, so that proves that he doesn't have one. He must not even be able to find a woman to marry him because of his terrible drinking problem.

      Scott is actually lucky that Tessa is even there to make a face!

      Delete
    8. LOL!
      Why the hell are we talking about alcohol all the sudden? This blog is giving me whiplash today. Seriously.

      Delete
    9. ^^ Didn't you hear? This is the latest "problem" that Scott has. It's a little more palatable than him being a sexual predator, but still "explains" why Tessa can't stand him, spends no time with other than for skating and business and more importantly, means that there is NO WAY they are a couple.

      Delete
    10. Because that tumblr blog is trying to convince people that Scott is an alcoholic who abuses Tessa and many fans are worried that it might be true.

      Delete
    11. The idea of Scott abusing Tessa is the most absurd thing I've ever heard.

      Delete
    12. FFS he was picking something off her foot at one of the press conferences - who would think to do something like that for show? I wonder if any of these people have every actually been in a long term relationship or even witnessed such a thing? There is an intimacy between two people that have been together for years that cannot be faked and cannot be mistaken, and Tessa and Scott have it.

      Delete
    13. 1:45 ITA i dont think he could ever do that to her even when drunk. he's no don jose no matter how excellent his portrayal of him was last year. in addition to picking something off her foot he was also sharing his food with her.

      1:38 PM who is actually worried this is true? it is 100% bullshit and everyone knows that.

      Delete
    14. 6:00 I think some V/M fans are worried that it's true otherwise they wouldn't be asking OC's opinion on it here or asking further questions that tumblr blogger. And I think many of the anon messages are legit and were not self sent by the blogger like the one from a Taiwanese fan or a Russian fan.

      Delete
  15. What kind of a married couple are they?! didn't spend a minute together on the tour outside the rink or the press conference room. Do you really believe they purposefully hang out with different cast members all day all night just to never appear on the pictures together? bwahaha

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I believed this theory at some pont but I don't anymore. They never go out together, eat together or have fun together. Never in 4 years. And they don't hide just to fool a bunch of crazies, they're just not an item

      I ship them hard but I'm still sane

      Delete
    2. They're only seen out together when they have no one else to go out with. Like after an interview in Toronto, restaurant spotting

      Delete
    3. Oh my God - what do you people want? Cameras in the bedroom? You seriously think that because there's no photos that proves they're not together? This proves OC's point - fans can't get over the fact that they didn't have a ringside seat to the important moments of Tessa and Scott's lives so they draw inferences from the tiny percentage of their lives they do see. I have news for you - Tessa and Scott can stand at opposite ends of a room but it doesn't make them any more unmarried.

      Delete
    4. First of all, married couples do not do every single together (especially when they already spend so much time together), nor have all the same friends, tastes, or interests. It's perfectly acceptable (and healthy, imo), for them to be apart and do separate things from each other once in awhile, just like every other married couple.
      However, just because you see a few pictures where only one them is present, doesn't exclude the other one from being there. One or two snapshots do not represent 99.9% of the rest of situation, or how they act around each other outside of that pictur. Independent of whether you believe they're doing it on purpose to trick fans, or not.
      If you don't believe they're together, fine. But stop trying to stir up shit, regarding something you don't know, or don't choose to know, anything about.

      Delete
    5. 5.51 I don't want cameras in the bedroom, thanks. But every puzzle piece we get (from random sources) just proves they're avoiding each other when its not business. There is not such thing that proves otherwise.

      5.57 And by once in awhile you mean 24/7?
      Oh, sorry, I forgot their sole purpose in life is teasing shippers!

      Delete
    6. No, I believe they only pose for split-second photos of themselves hanging out with other cast members that they know will be posted on instagram. That doesn't mean the other one wasn't right there at the same time.

      Yes I know Scott went to play golf but are you also going to tell me Shen is neglected by Zhao, then? Married couples are allowed to do things separately. If he spent 4 hours golfing while Tessa spent 4 hours with the others that still leaves 20 hours a day to spend together.

      Delete
    7. Zhao can do whatever he wants to, we see that he's not ignoring his wife.

      And that comes straight from your (and mine) wishes. Tessa is out today again with Maxim, Stephane and others and the love of her life barely even looked at her at today's practice

      all in all, it's too much to be coincidental

      Delete
    8. @5.51 People want anything that hints this blog is not purely fictional. Years pass and there's still no such thing

      Delete
    9. 6:51. I don't believe Tessa and Scott live to mess with fans. They're doing normal tour-life. That's all we get to have glimpses of, it's not *real*. It's fans who get twisted into knots trying to extrapolate meaning from a few pictures.

      Please--don't get anxious over implied meanings. No couple, no matter how close, is together all the time. What makes such a difference for those who observe from the outside is to know the facts. Then all the anxious speculations can stop. I think you're still trying to decide what is truth and that's fine. I urge you to take into account the reports from people you trust as well as the big picture going back years, not only some pictures that by their very nature can never provide a complete story. I wish for you and all fans who are trying to figure things out the peace of mind about VM that comes from the real facts.

      Delete
    10. To me, the fact that the pattern of Tessa "gaining weight" and dressing exactly like she did when OC says she was pregnant, and how OC correctly predicted the Lawes sham to a T, are enormous hints. It depends on perspective - it's harder to buy it if you don't already think the underlying sham and first pregnancy are reasonable.

      7:19, what would be a legitimate hint in your opinion?

      Delete
    11. "Tessa is out today again with Maxim, Stephane and others and the love of her life barely even looked at her at today's practice"

      Are you out with them too? Have fun!

      Delete
    12. @7.42 Ahem, predicting Lawes was easy, she was dining with him and his parents. Its not like oc first mentioned her when we had no idea she exists (I didn't, never watch curling). I'd keep this girl in mind even without oc's post

      Delete
    13. 7.42 at first? anything that proves they spend time together outside the rink

      8.19 you're so fun!

      Delete
    14. How do you know he barely looked at her in practice today?

      Not that it changes anything regarding their relationship. I doubt "looking at, interacting with, and paying attention to you all the time" was in their marriage vows... As has been said here already, married couples do not do everything together and gaze longingly into each other's eyes every second, (although there could be an argument that these two do more than most, lol).

      It makes me wonder how many married couples these posters have substantially been around, other than their parents...
      There can be 8 million reasons why they weren't interacting as much (if this is actually true), or he supposedly didn't go out with the group she was in. Maybe he was just tired and wanted to sleep, or maybe he had other plans with some of their other friends. It's ok for people that are married to have other plans that don't involve each other. Really.
      And even if they do spend some time apart, what about all the other nights on this tour that we don't have "photographic evidence" of? Or all the other hours of the day/night, than a dinner or a few hours sightseeing? (I really don't need photographic evidence of that, lol).
      Widen your focal lenses, people. There is WAY more to the big picture than the public sees.

      Delete
    15. 8:36, don't you think it's odd though that Lawes going to dinner with his parents is a predictable sign of the impending relationship? How come all of his girlfriends always play out with the same telltale signs - going out with his parents, beach vacations, random leaked photos on someone else's facebook in lieu of him referencing his girlfriend directly, special necklace, pictures with starfish/dolphins/horses? Do you know anyone else whose relationships play out in the exact same way every single time?

      9:07 great points. Another point is that with them being a married couple who work together they have an extra need to spend time apart. Most married couples are at work at least 8 hours a day plus at least a 1 hour commute and time for running errands and personal things like working out. Tessa & Scott are together all day at work, while traveling, and can even train in the gym together. They have more of a need to spend time apart than they do together. They don't see Tatiana, Maxim, Hongbao, Stephane, Johnny, and Evgeny every day so of course they would hang out with them. If you and your husband worked together all day every day and then you went to your high school reunion weekend don't you think you guys might hang out altogether in a group sometimes, or in smaller groups with your separate friends sometimes, and then be alone sometimes?

      Delete
    16. 9.07 When you only can get proof from your dreams then it's not a fact. Look, they never sit together or hang out together but imagine them having hot sex at night! How cool is that! *cough* fanfiction *cough*

      And I've seen married couples. They do things together, it's habitual

      Delete
    17. I agree, 9:45, that married couples do things together. It seems as if Tessa and Scott do nothing together outside of business. At some point, someone would have seen them together but no one has. They are only ever spotted apart or with their significant others.

      Delete
    18. Do we have pictures of every single day life of Tessa and Scott? If someone does not photograph them in some days means that these days they just do not live? Your arguments apply to the argument in the style of "Tessa and Scott are trained only on those days when we have a photo or video of their training" or "Yesterday Scott was filmed in a bar late at night. This means that in the morning he was also at the bar because nobody did a morning photo of Scott in another place. "Haha Why do not people take pictures of Tessa and Scott at the grocery store? Because they are not Hollywood stars.

      Delete
    19. Now reality is fanfiction?
      I still don't see how a few pictures intermittently posted on the internet of them occasionally doing things with other friends (some of which the other one is most likely at as well), proves they're not married and have a kid, and spend all their time outside of skating, apart.

      "It seems as if Tessa and Scott do nothing together outside of business."
      Seems would be the key word in that sentence. It's all about perception and narrative. Even if one believes/wants to believe the truth, but still reads fanfiction and false reports of them on blogs, and the fans ideations, little things here and there can creep in to cloud the real picture, cause doubt, and be accepted as fact, (if one doesn't have proof for themselves). That's human nature, and I can understand that. However, it still doesn't change what is the truth.

      Delete
    20. @10.55 How recent is your information regarding their marriage?

      Delete
    21. 9:45a.m., your problem is you think what public figures do happens entirely in public, and if fans can't see it, it's not happening. That puts you more firmly in the land of fanfiction than the people you mock.

      Delete
    22. "Zhao can do whatever he wants to, WE SEE that he's not ignoring his wife."

      All caps mine, for emphasis.

      That's why you're a sucker for VM's social media bullshit. You don't believe anything that's not transmitted on social media, and you believe what IS transmitted on social media. Scott and Tessa are just living their lives in public, not at all aware of what's put out there.

      Delete
  16. Heads up, warning, duck and cover etc., however you want to take it... we're back in the land of Tessa Twitter.

    ReplyDelete
  17. oc, how'd you know they're still a couple? what if they share a kid but broke up some time ago?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I wonder that too. The info people have about them seems to date back years. They could have been a couple and yes, even had a child together but are no longer together. I see nothing now that proves they are a couple.

      Delete
    2. I can see what you guys are getting at. It is not unreasonable. FWIW my latest information on them was from about a year ago confirming they were married and had a daughter. Could they have divorced since then? Sure, it's not out of the question, but I don't think they are acting any different than they did 2 or 3 or 4 years ago.

      Delete
    3. Personally, I do believe that at one point they were together and married and did have a child in 2011 but they have since split up. I think they have a bit of an on-again/off-again thing going on, with some attempts at reconciliation but in the end, they just don't work together that way.

      Delete
    4. oc, let's be honest, when was the last time you were updated about their status? 2011?

      Delete
    5. @9:13--Just to clarify. You are not OC? You have had personal confirmation they're married with a child and this was separate from anything on this blog or from OC?

      Delete
    6. That's right, I'm not OC and have independent confirmation from last year.

      Delete
    7. Do you have confirmation about Scott and alcohol?

      Delete
    8. I have never heard rumors of Scott having a drinking problem. I've just seen the same photos as everyone else of him being drunk on a couple occasions.

      Delete
    9. 12:47 This blog is full of rumors about his drinking problem. This is pretty shitty http://thetruthabouttessaandscott.tumblr.com/

      Delete
    10. I meant rumors from within the skating community. I know about that dumb tumblr.

      Delete
    11. Don't you think that blog might be part of sham, red herring?

      Delete
    12. That has occurred to me, since that tumblr/blog plays into a lot of the favored narratives of Scott getting drunk with his buddies and Tessa wanting nothing to do with his antics. What gives me pause is that this popped up right after the so-called "diq blog" was closed, which was 100 times nastier and I don't think Moirville was a part of that. I assume that this blog was created by the same person (Sense & Sprite?), but it could be that someone in Moirville liked the idea and decided to come up with their own, more believable, spin.

      Delete
    13. 1:30 An interesting fact is that a blog takes any rumors except that Tessa and Scott are married and have a child. Author gladly believes that Scott is an alcoholic, Tessa and Scott lost virginity together, Scott cheated on Cassandra with Kaitlyn, even Tessa and Ryan are expecting a baby. Anything other than marriage with Scott.

      Delete
    14. Hahahaha. I haven't read that blog, nor do I intend to, but that's pretty funny.
      Although, if they've always been together then they probably did lose it to each other but can't say I've thought about it, or need to further.
      If Scott cheated on Cassandra with Kaitlyn, then he was cheating on both of them with Tessa at some point too.
      Explain to me how Scott, extremely disciplined and incredibly in shape, watching every minute thing he puts into his body, Olympic athlete, is an alcoholic? Binge drinker maybe (not my opinion, just saying that would be a little more believable to blow off steam/stress or whatever in the off season), but not an alcoholic... or is this supposed to be a more recent thing?
      I'm not sure which is more unbelievable between Scott abusing her, or her being pregnant with Ryan's child... Oh, I forgot she spent a month in Europe with him, so if she is pregnant (and not just gained weight with all those French pastries and wine they consumed-because obviously she nor Scott have any self-control anymore), then it MUST be Ryan's. Because it's definitely not Scott's since they didn't see each other at all for like 5 weeks.
      The abuse one is an extra kind of special though, a.) knowing how he really feels about her, it's just so absurd and wrong, but even if you don't think they're together, b.) simply how he touches her and treats her... unless this only happens as a product of his drinking (which if he was an alcoholic would be more often than not), then c.) do you really think anyone in their circle of friends/support system would allow for that to go on and just turn a blind eye? I think her brothers (and probably his too) would have killed him by now. At the very least, she would be removed from that situation regardless of how good of skaters they are together.
      I'm glad I don't read it... this was enough to make my head hurt.

      Delete
    15. 1:25 PM false. its starting to get nastier now, like diq blog kind of nastier spreading rumours that scott is gay. i dont think moirville will like that. its obviously the same person behind the diq blog.

      Delete
    16. Lol @ 3:42, that part was somewhat in sarcastic jest (gotta love trying to write expression on the web), but the point was that that behaviour would not have been tolerated by their family and friends if he was truly abusing her. It's a non-issue (thankfully), and a really horrible thing to accuse someone of. Especially in light of their actual relationship, and his obvious affection towards her, whether you believe they're together or not.

      Delete
    17. Not tolerated by their family and friends? How about not tolerated by TESSA?

      IMO the social media image Moirville puts out in general (unbelievably juvenile, even among the fifty/sixysomethings), the juvenile celebration of getting shitfaced (even among the fifty and sixtysomethings), coupled with the display of themselves Scott and Tessa decided to make on the reality show (Scott - moody, volatile, macho, impatient, liable to blow, restraining himself from some sort of physical explosion), Tessa, timid, low self-worth, neurotic as hell, walking on eggshells around Scott, holding herself responsible for every warp and woof in his emotional state - was unforgiveable, disgusting, damaging, and contemptible. I don't give a fuck if they thought they were pandering to the lowest common denominator. DON'T. Fuck you. DON'T. Lie your asses off, but don't do that. All they did was validate anyone who thought that was an okay way to be. They could have role modeled a better relationship, and still lied and shammed their asses off.

      Delete
    18. I don't think Moirville cares about this shit, because while we're the target of their lying, the form the lying takes appears to be geared towards what they see as their own kind, their own peer group. Showing off for their neighbors, friends, etc.

      Delete
    19. 3:28pm - Last summer I had a conversation with a family member who had recently graduated university from a really good school, was taking a gap year working as a financial analyst and is going to grad school this fall. His lifestyle is what I'd call moderate. He doesn't binge drink, but can party. He goes long stretches without drinking or partying at all. He told me other family members have said to him, boy, you really like to drink. This is based on facebook uploads. He said "Yes, because all of my friends just love to upload photos of me that say "Here's Alex, diligently studying in the library." He was basically irritated at the inability of some of the family to understand context, and social media norms.

      Scott's as susceptible to that shit as anybody. Amp it up because, on social media, he's not just hiding his real life as a husband and father, but he's hiding his actual personality (a guy who likes rom coms, a guy who actually reads in his leisure time, a guy with a fairly sophisticated appreciation of music). They're pandering.

      I have said before that I believe the social media reports of his behavior on Victoria Day weekend were orchestrated. They were nominally negative (Scott getting tossed from a bar, Scott waxing asshole at a hockey game) both because Moirville knew online fans had gotten wise to how Moirville generates "sightings" on social media, and figured nobody would believe "negative" reports came from Moirville, and because Moirville, while knowing some fans consider such reports negative, doesn't themselves think this shit is negative. They think it's macho - they love that shit.

      While I'm pretty sure a bunch of the speculation on this topic in this particular comments section is insincere, I'd also note how much of it is based upon what's on social media and in public, and how some in the comments section continue to believe we can extrapolate what's really going on from what's in social media or from what otherwise makes it to the internet, because OF COURSE Scott and Tessa still don't understand how the web works, and how what they do even in China will get reported here.

      Delete
    20. "Not tolerated by their family and friends? How about not tolerated by TESSA?"

      Just to clarify, if this instance was actually occurring in reality, I don't think she would put up with it either and remove herself from the situation, (b/c she is not the scared wee little girl of the show/social media). I was more responding to and out of the vein of the made-up characters in this perceived bull shit story. I was mixing some truth in with the lies throughout my post though, so that's my bad on not being more clear what I meant.

      Delete
    21. 5:29 Couldn't the blog be part of the sham, but the anon messages about Scott being gay are from someone else? That blogger does answer every single question you send and it seems to be the only nasty fact about Scott the blogger doesn't think is true.

      Delete
  18. "but I don't think they are acting any different than they did 2 or 3 or 4 years ago."

    That, and I'll add another. If they were together before and all those relationships were shams, what would be the point or advantage to doing exactly the same thing again now?
    I know there are other things, and people that know too. Just contributing my 2 cents.

    I don't understand how it's easier to believe they were together, had a KID, and then broke up, with no change in their behaviour from before, over they/things are still the same as they've always been?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Maybe things are not the same and he actually dates Lawes

      Does anyone have RECENT information?

      Delete
    2. Volunteers in Sochi told that other athletes who wanted to flirt with Tessa, quickly realized that Scott is her husband.

      Delete
    3. Do you have any more details, 10:03?

      Delete
    4. Only the fact that Scott was in the women's area on the night of February 14th. Volunteers pasted stickers on the door as a surprise on Valentine's Day and saw Scott. He told them: "You have not seen me," if I remember correctly. Russian volunteers who worked in Sochi with Canadian athletes talked about it. These girls were volunteers in Sochi in fact (many photo evidence). I apologize for Google translate.

      Delete
    5. LOL! Is that something from VK or FSO that you could share the link or it's something private?

      Delete
    6. I read about it in the VK group, there are about 2,000 people and it is private group. Will be quite difficult to find that post now after so many months. I do not think these descriptions are proof that Tessa and Scott are married and have a child. But volunteers are confident that at least in Sochi she belonged to him. I also remember the story that Scott kissed her temple as they were leaving meet and greet and thought that nobody sees.

      Delete
    7. 10.03 No,no such thing. There was a Canadian guy who thought they were dating in Sochi and a Russian girl who reported they were close and Scott followed Tessa everywhere (tho she didn't thought they were dating)

      As for the stickers on the V Day, Scott opened the door (thinking it was the doping control) and he and the volunteer girls shared a laugh, thats the whole story

      Delete
    8. 11:06
      Could different volunteers have different stories?

      Delete
    9. 11:06, thank you for having better memory than mine lol

      Delete
    10. 11:20 I believe these are the same stories, interpreted differently. We didn't have that many volunteers talking about VM

      Delete
    11. 11:25 Then why he said "You have not seen me"? I remember he said something like this maybe in other situation?

      Delete
    12. 11.45 I've just reread the Valentine's day story on vk. That was definitely another story

      Delete
    13. 11:53 would you be so kind to post link?

      Delete
    14. He actually dates Lawes and his ex-wife/estranged wife enthusiastically enables the publicizing of this relationship? Okay.

      People who go "Why would Lawes want to sham!" act like they know Lawes. They don't know Lawes. They know Lawes' accomplishments as a curler and they know her public image. That's all we know. There are plenty of reasons to sham, or at least, plenty of reasons a celebrity thinks there's a reason to sham. Someone's gay, and it's not always the guy. Nobody's gay, but the real significant other doesn't want to be publicly attached to a celebrity. We may think it's no big deal but it can be a HUGE deal, even dating a minor celebrity (forget widespread fandom, consider the person's family, community, work, etc.), and there's plenty of people who love their SO but want no part of a public profile. And then there's, significant others aside, how plenty of people who want even what appears to be a smallish boost in their public profile or social media profile, and Lawes could be one of them. Anyone who's read the stuff one of Lawes' teammates (I think the actual captain) interviewed about her and the team's new fame can read an enthusiasm for fame and an enhanced public profile that's pretty intense.

      Delete
    15. I also feel like the "reports" of Scott's supposed distance are exactly like the "reports" of Tessa's incredible flat and skinniness. The opposite is evident, so comments are coming in aggressively spinning in the other direction. Other than Meryl Davis fans, who resent that Charlie doesn't feel the same way about Meryl and don't want VM fans to have the satisfaction, what would motivate these people to say the opposite? I can think of a bunch of agenda but they're all fannish and ridiculous.

      Delete
    16. From things I'm following elsewhere, I think part of these comments have to be coming from a or a few VM fans who struggle with accepting the reality about VM. These are people who seem to buy into each and every piece of sham put out there and then get distraught because they take the sham stuff as "proof" that VM aren't together. They belly ache about a situation that isn't real because they buy into something they should know better about by now and refuse to be reasoned with.

      That is not to say that we also don't have Moirville and others joining in to try to insist the opposite of what we see right in front of us or dispute information that some of us know.

      Delete
    17. Also, fans ought to consider that they're not the only ones this stuff is aimed towards. For instance, if a celebrity is gay, sometimes the family isn't comfortable (lamentable, but there it is) and the celebrity isn't ready to deal. This was a reason put forward by "can see it from space" Clay Aiken about why he delayed coming out. It wasn't about the fans (even though country fans are thought to be more conservative). There's also, as has been said, the matter of a real significant other and the significant other's situation. One example, for instance, is when the significant other has recently ended another relationship, and prefers not to parade their relationship with a celebrity or athlete around, out of consideration. There are a zillion permutations with actual significant others, including one mentioned above - there's "this" category of people that is hungry for the spotlight, and there's a whole other category of people you couldn't put in the spotlight at the point of a gun. Sometimes the two end up together, and the more private party is accomodated.

      There are different reasons people sham; different combinations of reasons, but even in this comments section fans are unwilling to consider anything they can't SEE. And that's how come shams work. It's the public figure playing into the incredible egotism of fans.

      Delete
  19. From 7:16 (Aug 2): "Tessa is out today again with Maxim, Stephane and others and the love of her life barely even looked at her at today's practice."

    I've just looked at the video of the press interviews in Taipei and I've seen some airport pictures of the team arriving in Taipei (the Chinese fans have been amazing in sharing pictures and videos). It looks like Scott isn't feeling well. He's keeping his sweater close around his throat, as if trying to keep his throat and chest warm.

    Besides that I don't see anything along these speculations that "they don't look at each other", it's very possible Scott is coming down with something. And no, I don't think it has anything to do with alcohol. I think it looks like someone coming down with (or already has) a cold.

    Such OTT speculations based on a few minutes. Geez.

    I agree that there is nothing different from 2 or 3-4 years ago in how VM are around each other. I also agree with all the posts saying how normal it is for real-life couples to not spend all their time together. Separate fun activities do NOT equal non-couplehood nor "problems" in a relationship. It's Disney fiction to want to see Tessa and Scott as some kind of fairy-tale love that acts infatuated every moment. That's not real life.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree with you about Scott is ill.

      Delete
    2. The whole cast seemed tired and less energetic to me, (some of them didn't even bother getting on the ice), but I agree that Scott was very toned down for him. He was barely skating or doing any of the moves, not just the ones with Tessa. I don't know if he's sick/getting sick, although, that wouldn't surprise me, especially after that really delayed flight the other evening... where he and Max were posting pics/videos from the hotel after they landed, throughout the remainder of the night (based on the times/succession they were posted, some now deleted), presumably while they let the girls sleep (yes, this last part is pure speculation). Plus, the way he was holding his sweatshirt and coughing a lot didn't look like he was feeling well. Or he could just be tired like the rest of them, but I agree he was definitely not acting like how he typically does during practice sessions. And if he's that tired or not feeling well, I wouldn't expect him to be lifting her and carrying her around for safety reasons (especially if she is pregnant). I'm sure it was discussed before they got on the ice. She knows him better than anyone, so she's going to know exactly what's going on with him and respond accordingly either way. She's got years and years of practice. It looked like she was aware of him and whatever was going on. I didn't notice anything different regarding their interaction during the press conference than the other press events this tour.

      So, when he's acting like he was today during the practice, that's further proof they're not together... but, then when they're all over each other and goofing off and he's pulling out a chair for her and being sweet, they're together then? Or not then either... I'm not understanding this logic presented way upthread.

      As an aside, she's had some interesting practice clothes for this tour... either really baggy shirts/sweaters, or if that comes off, there's immediately a jacket tied around her waist, whether she was using it or not-funny girl.

      Delete
    3. And if Scott is sick that explains why he's keeping away from Tessa - can't imagine he'd want his pregnant wife catching a cold or whatever.

      Delete
    4. 1:59. When /where was he keeping away from Tessa? They're all traveling and performing together. No one can really keep away.

      Delete
    5. @2:45PM, I think the anon at 1:59 was referring to them not interacting/touching as they usually do during the practice before the press conference, and possibly him not going out with some of the others afterwards, (which has yet to be confirmed.)

      Delete
  20. So these are the new tactics - no photos together proves Tessa and Scott aren't married OR if they were together the no longer are. Makes a change from calling the blogger a psycho, I suppose.

    ReplyDelete
  21. 12:24 - Another tactic I've been seeing a lot recently on the various tumbler sites are fans who report "directly asking" Tessa and Scott some personal question during a fan-encounter. It's all kinds of bizarre that a fan would think they're going to get a truthful answer about rumours. As if a public personality is waiting on some fan to ask in person or social media something hidden from the rest of the public, so they can expose the truth via such a fan encounter. *Rolleyes*

    Give me a freaking break. These fans are delusional idiots.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Well, well, well, so many people are willing to believe Tessa is pregnant but no one can actually confirm their current relationship status. That is interesting

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 1:02
      I don't understand where you're coming from. Someone said they had confirmation about a year ago. OC has never wavered in confirmation received before Vancouver and blogger has never said anything about continuing confirmation (as if that's necessary when all else has remained the same?). Yet somehow you believe unless there's very recent confirmation it's no longer true? And you believe this because....???

      Nothing has changed. Scott's "girlfriends" follow the same patterns as before. VM's narratives remain the same as do all the public interactions (the .01% of their lives we see on video or in photos). Tessa is looking exactly as a certain period of time in 2010 when there was confirmation of both being together and pregnancy. I guess you could call Tessa's twitter account something new, although in the very short time of its existence it's already been used to further the same PR patterns as ever before. So really, nothing new there. Tessa is still "Tessplaining" herself.

      Why does none of this remain credible now unless someone comes on here and says they *know* since yesterday it's still all true? You're not making any sense.

      Delete
    2. So 1:02, are you saying you believe that they were once married/together and Tessa had a child, but they are not anymore and Tessa is now pregnant by someone else or from a one night stand with Scott and now things are awkward between them?

      Are you also someone who believes the Lawes relationship is real, but that Cassandra and Jessica were shams, but you thought the Cassandra and Jessica relationships were real at the time?

      There seems to be a large number of fans who can believe that T&S have lied in the past, but always think they are not lying at the present time. Sorry, they lie all the time.

      Delete
    3. They don't follow the same patterns, that's how I see it. They just act like girlfriends. And, as I don't have any information, I don't know whether it's all a sham or not.

      Kaitlyn Lawes seems like a sane girl who achieved a lot (that is one of the reasons for me not to believe the drinking rumors, she wouldn't date an alcoholic) why does she need all of that?

      You keep mocking people who don't believe the blog or who don't believe Tessa is pregnant again but in fact you don't have your own information. The only person who owns some sort of a confirmation admits its old (a year is enough for things to change)

      Delete
    4. They act like girlfriends? How can anyone think that the behaviour of Jessica and Cassandra was any way normal? I've been in relationships (one of which was long distance); I have friends and family in relationships - I have never known anyone to behave in the way those girls did in relation to, and with, Scott. It was all so beyond weird, it was a dead giveaway that it was fake. Now, that doesn't mean it was a marriage between Tessa and Scott they were covering for (I happy to believe it was), but they were covering for something.

      Delete
    5. There are certain patterns they have all followed, and the fact that what was going to happen was laid out here before it happened, is an example of that... not just by the blogger, but also by many others who have watched this unfold before.

      I, as well as many others on here, agree with you regarding being stymied why the heck KL is involved in this. No ones knows except for them. However, there have been many thought out explanations speculated on this blog, again, by both the blogger and other posters.

      Not everyone on here is mocking. Some of us are trying to explain and back up with known facts why things aren't the way it seems or is presented by VM, fans, or gross tumblrs. And it is my understanding from reading over the years that there are multiple people that know they are together (independently). Just because not all of them are recent sources, or haven't posted immediately in response, doesn't mean they're not out there.
      I'm also still puzzled why all the sudden many people are of the thought that they were together (with or w/o a kid) and in the past year have split. Why would they do that? What has changed all the sudden? Nothing that hasn't happened before is happening now. If anything, I would say I see most people thinking/feeling the opposite, between their behaviour in Sochi and on the two tours, and her Twitter. So confused.

      Delete
  23. This is your friendly PSA about this blog*... It's most likely not going to give you the "proof" so many of you want.

    So, if you choose not to believe it, fine. Ignore it and think it's crazy, or whatever, and believe whatever you want to believe about them. You are more than welcome to do that in your own mind and on your own blog/tumblr/twitter/fanfic, etc.
    If you choose to believe what it says is true on blind faith, good for you. Hopefully, someday VM will tell the truth.
    If you want to believe it, but aren't quite sure, read it from the beginning, pay attention to them and ask new questions in a non-threatening way, and be aware that you may or may not get the answers you're looking for.
    If you want your own proof, and you absolutely won't believe until you have it, then go out and find it for yourself. Nobody is stopping you. (You might not want to stalk their house or their kid though-follow the law please).

    *This is not OC. (Feel free to correct me if I have misspoken about your blog).

    ReplyDelete