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I posted about this two days ago. I thought it was adorable and nice to see them being the kids they are. What is the criticism?
Right. But there is a difference between serious, hardcore news and just not treating Aly and Simone like Olympians. Simone has gone down in history as this eras greatest gymnast -- maybe the greatest gymnast of all time. Aly just pulled off an astounding comeback that even we (gymnasts, coaches, serious fans) did not think possible. Surely even a "fluff" interview should have included something beyond their crush on an actor and junk food?NBC is a fluff channel. Aimed at the uneducated masses. They provide what people want. You want serious news, switch channels.
Right. But there is a difference between serious, hardcore news and just not treating Aly and Simone like Olympians. Simone has gone down in history as this eras greatest gymnast -- maybe the greatest gymnast of all time. Aly just pulled off an astounding comeback that even we (gymnasts, coaches, serious fans) did not think possible. Surely even a "fluff" interview should have included something beyond their crush on an actor and junk food?
Bob tried to ask what they wanted to see, implying Olympic events and they said the beach. He asked about something else and Simone mentioned Zac. If Costas had tried to make them more serious he would have come off worse.
Looks like the article you linked was from the Associated Press TV writer and this kind of reporting typically stirs up lame controversy. If whoever wrote this column was actually doing their job, they'd have more than enough ammunition to take Al Trautwig to task for his serial sexist behavior. Instead, further down in the article you linked, we get cuteness about Trautwig as opposed to serious commentary.Right. I just watched it again. Aly was actually the one who first brought up Zac Efron. She and Simone then launched into silly mode. It may have just been the mood they were in and that was driving the interview. But again, Costas is the professional sportscaster here.
To be honest though, it was not until I saw all the criticism that I started questioning this.
For me, it isn't an either or type of situation. Why can't they be seen as BOTH? That could have been accomplished by asking each of them just one or two questions about their sport and their training along with all of the fun and personal questions.I don't think it needs to be an either/or between fun loving kids/young adults with vivacious personalities and capable young women and I hate that that is a societal norm that you can't be both. Just because you can giggle about a celebrity crush and ooze excitement over eating ice cream does not make you any less intelligent or capable, it makes them normal girls their age. Madison is going to UCLA in the fall, she's obviously a smart and capable young lady, but she also loves Carrie Underwood and celebrating her medals like a 19 year old. And I think that's what essentially any broadcast or interview is going for, they want to show these amazing athletes as normal human beings who have personalities and interests outside of their sport. And really, anyone watching the Olympics can see that every single one of these girls is exceptional at what they do. Their gymnastics did the talking. What else do you want interviewers to ask? "Simone, can you explain the biomechanics behind your signature tumbling pass?"
I just hate that showing women/girls as silly or fun loving seem to HAVE to carry the implication that they are being belittled or shown as inadequate. I get this all the time in my life. I work with children, I love bright colors and sparkles, I do craft projects for fun, and get very excited when I see a cute animal, so obviously I'm an unintelligent person. Actually, I have a Masters degree, I'm well read and well traveled, I just happen to like "silly" things too. The same with these girls. The world has seen they are exceptional at gymnastics, now they want to see the people behind the gym- what makes them who they are.