Olympic skaters on thin ice with B.C. First Nations over Aussie aboriginal costume flap

[The Straight Story]

Olympic skaters on thin ice with B.C. First Nations over Aussie aboriginal costume flap

VANCOUVER — A Russian figure-skating duo who wore an aboriginal-themed outfit at a recent competition in Europe are skating on thin ice with natives in British Columbia.

And when ice-dancing stars Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin arrive in Vancouver next month to compete at the Olympics, Tewanee Joseph, the CEO of the Four Host First Nations, hopes to talk to the couple about Canada’s indigenous culture.

Domnina and Shabalin — favoured to win a medal in Vancouver — made headlines last week with their performance at the European championships. The two were criticized for a dance routine on Thursday that offended Australia’s aboriginal people.

Despite the criticism of their aboriginal ensemble, Shabalin made matters worse by indicating he would be wearing the same outfit at the Vancouver Olympics.




http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/Olympic+skaters+thin+with+First+Nations+over+Aussie+aboriginal+costume+flap/2477891/story.html

[Lorien]

1. Aside from being offensive, they look downright idiotic

I wonder who made that "creative" decision?

[The Straight Story]

2. So do the costumes

:rofl:

[blondeatlast]

9. That's precisely my reaction. I might suggest they chack a mirror

before they perform next time.

[dsc]

3. My goodness those costumes are hidieous.

I guess the routine needs to be seen to be judged but the costumes are not a great start.

[begin_within]

4. I'll bet $10 to $1 those costumes are discarded before Vancouver

They're stupid, amateurish and ugly costumes, apart from the issue of whether they accurately represent aboriginal culture. If these people have any clue and want to have any hope of winning a medal, they will ditch those costumes and makeup and make a call to Vera Wang or Tania Bass tonight. Figure skating has had enough controversy in the last 2 decades and the judges aren't going to step into it again by rewarding them with a medal with those costumes involved. My prediction anyway.

[Monk06]

5. It's a figure skating costume of course it's tasteless. n/t

[Raine]

6. It's theatrical so of course it's over the top nt

[uppityperson]

7. Here is another picture of the whole costumes. Too funny.

[tammywammy]

8. That did make me chuckle

I love the look on her face. lol

[Withywindle]

10. They stole the idea from an Australian pair.

Who won't be in Vancouver due to injury. But the Australian couple had detailed consultations with Aboriginal elders to make sure they represented the culture's dances authentically and respectfully. Still problematic from an appopriation point of view, but at least they ASKED. And they tried. The Russian pair actually said with a straight face they thought their routine was accurate because "they watched video clips on the Internet."

[KittyWampus]

11. they look like gingerbread people on acid.

[snagglepuss]

12. People IMO fetishize cultural identities. People have appropriated other

cultures since humans walked the Earth. Just as evolution wouldn't happen if DNA didn't commingle, human culture wouldn't progress if humans didn't appropriate other cultures and change them to suit their purposes. Cultures change and evolve and that is a good thing.