WAG Why Does Shawn Johnson Lie So Much In Her Speeches?

[GymMom4]

My kids got to meet Jordyn Wieber about a year ago before the Tour show and she talked with them a bit while they were having pics taken and she autographed something for them.

They met Nastia Liukin before the previous tour show (she came to our gym like Jordyn Wieber did) and she just took pics and signed autographs but I know she was on a tight schedule to make her flight on time.

 

[jenjean70]

I find it extremely distasteful @Gymmommy71 — seemed totally staged and was just not something you’d video like that for any other reason. She also showed up on Whitney Bjerken’s channel a while back too...with a click-thru to her channel. Very odd.

She has done collabs with almost anyone with a big following esp the gymnastics channels....I saw a couple- kind of boring.

 

[Seeker]

She has done collabs with almost anyone with a big following esp the gymnastics channels....I saw a couple- kind of boring.

Yeah... “collabs” = syphoning off their popularity to benefit herself. Not a bad strategy but still rubs me the wrong way. I used to like her, but find myself really turned off by the adult Shawn.

 

[MILgymFAM]

My kids got to meet Jordyn Wieber about a year ago before the Tour show and she talked with them a bit while they were having pics taken and she autographed something for them.

They all must have their days. My girls ran into her at the Olympic trials and she straight up told them she doesn’t take pics or sign autographs without her manager setting it up, and then walked away from them. She was the only person the whole trials that said no.

 

[GymMom4]

They all must have their days. My girls ran into her at the Olympic trials and she straight up told them she doesn’t take pics or sign autographs without her manager setting it up, and then walked away from them. She was the only person the whole trials that said no.

Yeah, this was something set up at our gym as a promotion for the Tour of Champions. It may have been different if we just tried to approach her, I guess. We were in Oklahoma City waiting in line for the NCAA meet during the Nadia/Bart meets and saw Nadia. We went right up to her and she happily posed for a photo with my girls. I guess it all depends on other circumstances and we all have bad days.

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

Yes, citing sources would help here.
While we have no hate, my dd lost a lot of respect for her after an appearance last year. She filled in for a signing when Aly couldnt come, and it was very obvious to the parents and children around us at the event that she wasnt psyched to be there. She was 'forced friendly' (my dd's own words), and wouldnt even answer my child when she said how excited she was to meet her...she just pulled her to her for the photo, released her, and then looked to see who was next. The people behind us in line actually talked to us about it afterwards, as they experienced it themselves. I get she has done many of these, and it can get old...and that she was asked to fill in, and it might have been a bit of a sting to be second fiddle, so to speak....but you werent even allowed to meet her unless you paid for a photo of her to be signed, so it wasnt like the line was 5 miles long. I am sure she is a very nice person, but to give you an idea of the impression she made on my dd, she gave away her photo to a disabled rec little girl at her gym because she was not impressed with her behavior.

Shawn has a bit of a reputation for this. However, I really don't think she deserves the flack she gets for it.

The impression that I've gotten is simply that she's very much an introvert, and is uncomfortable in social situations, especially ones where she's the center of attention. Were she just another person on the street, nobody would have any problem with this. But because she's such a star in the gymnastics community, she probably can't go within a mile of any gym without being swarmed; not only that, but all of these fans expect her to be the smiling bubbly kid they see in videos from years past.

I understand that it can be really disappointing for fans who expect a warm greeting, but consider it from Shawn's perspective: she's probably utterly exhausted from having to deal with an entire decade of this -- and having no choice, since it's her only source of income, as far as I'm aware. I imagine it's a lot like working a customer service position in a store you're sick of.

 

[duyetanh]

Shawn has a bit of a reputation for this. However, I really don't think she deserves the flack she gets for it.

The impression that I've gotten is simply that she's very much an introvert, and is uncomfortable in social situations, especially ones where she's the center of attention. Were she just another person on the street, nobody would have any problem with this. But because she's such a star in the gymnastics community, she probably can't go within a mile of any gym without being swarmed; not only that, but all of these fans expect her to be the smiling bubbly kid they see in videos from years past.

I understand that for a fan it can be really disappointing for fans who expect a warm greeting, but consider it from Shawn's perspective: she's probably utterly exhausted from having to deal with an entire decade of this.

I hear ya...but on the same token, she puts herself out there for all the wprld to see, and even pubicly documents her miscarriage....um....thats kind of weird. Ok, she isnt dealing with anyone in person, so maybe thats why she has such confidence? But it truly is an oddity.

 

[NY Dad]

pubicly documents her miscarriage....um....thats kind of weird.

Did I read that right?

 

[txgymfan]

Oh yes and posted it after less than a week. She taped herself taking a pregnancy test (not her first) , telling her husband, getting sick the next day, at the doctors, the sonogram, and telling her mom she lost the baby.

Second video she talks about her media appearances after the first went viral.

 

[sewgood]

My oldest met Jordyn Wieber and McKayla Maroney. Both were very sweet and happy to sign autographs.

 

[GymmieC]

Shawn was my all time favorite gymnast after Mary Lou, but I am appalled by the means to rationalize her lies. “Stretching the truth” is a lie. This is what I see so wrong in our society within the last year. Telling the truth and being morally sound has been thrown to the wayside. I will continue to emphasize truthfulness in my house no matter what the consequences may be.

 

[azara]

What I don't understand is, how is she not bored of doing essentially nothing? She seems to just make money off her YouTube channel and the occasional event/signing/speaking engagement. Gymnastics is over. Her celebrity is fading, and the fact she has to tell these fantastical stories (to offer a charitable description) and promote herself on kids' YouTube channels is evidence of that.

She finished high school, and I'm sure she'd be accepted into a college, if she wanted to go. There are so many fascinating careers she could pursue, including ones related to gymnastics, if she so chose. Coaching is one, management or perhaps owning a gym another; motivational speaking a la Dawes, etc. Or she could go for something totally different. I just can't fathom how she can feel satisfied with not doing much. I feel restless after the three-month summer break for uni!

 

[bookworm]

The miscarriage thing really rubbed me the wrong way. What bothered me even more was in her next video, she listed all the tv shows and magazine that she was on, or talked about on after. To me that’s someting super personal, and the whole way It was filmed made me a little suspicious. I can’t imagine telling a camera I’m pregnant before my husband.

I think it’s hard for a lot of the gymnasts who have gone pro to find “real careers” after they retire and that it’s hard for must to stay relevant as “celebrities.” I feel bad in a way, but I also think they’re exploiting their personal lives for a dollar. Shawn and her husband also openly talk about how they’re struggling financially, which also bothers me.....

I don't know if it's a generational thing (and I guess I'm showing my age ) but watching these videos of Shawn and her husband just screamed TMI to me....I felt really uncomfortable thinking "did she really film this for all to see?" . I get that you would want support from others during a rough patch but it was out of my comfort zone for things I would be filming for the general public..

 

[tucktwisttumble]

What I don't understand is, how is she not bored of doing essentially nothing? She seems to just make money off her YouTube channel and the occasional event/signing/speaking engagement. Gymnastics is over. Her celebrity is fading, and the fact she has to tell these fantastical stories (to offer a charitable description) and promote herself on kids' YouTube channels is evidence of that.

I mean - this is her 'job' right. That is how she makes a living. Ask anyone if they get bored at their desk job 9-5 every day, and most would probably say yes. The difference is - her income is not capped and she is living quite a luxurious lifestyle all things considered. So to you it may appear as though she is doing nothing - but to her, she has built a brand that will likely support her through life if she so chooses, and her job is to maintain this brand and capitalize on it. She has to stay relevant. A perfect example of this (on a much larger scale) is the Kardashian family. Not all will agree with it, and not everyone will support it, however, they have built a killer brand for themselves and are living a lifestyle so many people could only dream of having.

I don't know if it's a generational thing (and I guess I'm showing my age ) but watching these videos of Shawn and her husband just screamed TMI to me....I felt really uncomfortable thinking "did she really film this for all to see?

Generational maybe - but with social media/instagram/youtube etc. This has provided people with a legitimate revenue stream in todays day and age. Like I said above, these people have to stay relevant if they want to continue making money from their content. Not only with Shawn, but every youtuber/ insta model might exaggerate their lives to make it interesting for viewers. Think of it in a way that everything on TV is scripted - as is almost all the content created by youtubers. Take it with a grain of salt.

 

[GymFan96]

She has to stay relevant. A perfect example of this (on a much larger scale) is the Kardashian family. Not all will agree with it, and not everyone will support it, however, they have built a killer brand for themselves and are living a lifestyle so many people could only dream of having.


Generational maybe - but with social media/instagram/youtube etc. This has provided people with a legitimate revenue stream in todays day and age. Like I said above, these people have to stay relevant if they want to continue making money from their content. Not only with Shawn, but every youtuber/ insta model might exaggerate their lives to make it interesting for viewers. Think of it in a way that everything on TV is scripted - as is almost all the content created by youtubers. Take it with a grain of salt.

Yeah YouTube and social media is the new reality TV. I didn't mean for this thread to turn towards critiquing Shawn as a person. But I found it somewhat poor sportsmanship to imply she was better than others who made the London Team. I find Nastia exaggerates as well in speeches and describes her fall on bars in at 2012 Trials as a "fluke" when actually she hadn't made it through a single bar routine and knew she was unprepared. Nastia's delusions of grandeur completely baffled me in 2012: did she really want to go to the Olympics in such poor shape and risk another disaster on the world stage?

 

[Muddlethru]

FYI, Shawn Johnson's net worth according to several sites is $9M; and she's only 26 years old.

 

[sce]

FYI, Shawn Johnson's net worth according to several sites is $9M; and she's only 26 years old.

Pretty sure that is highly exaggerated.

 

[Muddlethru]

Pretty sure that is highly exaggerated.

Perhaps you don't know how much money people make from endorsements.

Her likeness did appear on a limited edition Cheerios box in January 2009. In 2011, Johnson signed a sponsorship deal with Nike. Other endorsements include:

• Longines watches (2007)
• Crest toothpaste (P&G)
• Sanofi-Aventis pharmaceuticals (2008)
• Oroweat baked goods (2008)
• Circuit City
• InterContinental Hotels Group
• Eukanuba
• Nestle
• Bounty paper towels (2012)

Other work[edit]
She has served as a spokesperson for the pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Aventis, advocating awareness of women's cancers through the "What You Do Matters" campaign.[107] Johnson has also partnered with Crest toothpaste to promote dental health, passing out toothpaste to low-income people.[108]

Johnson now runs a successful Youtube channel with husband Andrew East, with 364,000 subscribers and often millions of views on her videos. Content usually includes vlogging of her day-to-day life and collaborations with other youtube stars such as Bratayley and Whitney Bjerken. Her most successful video is "Fun at the Gym with Bratayley (WK 5)", with 4.4M views.

Books published:

In December 2008, Johnson unveiled a book, Shawn Johnson: Olympic Champion: Stories Behind the Smile (ISBN 978-1-934417-01-0), chronicling her life story through personal photographs and quotes.

In June 2012, Johnson released another book, Winning Balance: What I've Learned So Far about Love, Faith, and Living Your Dreams, about her experiences as an elite gymnast and post-Olympic life.

In June 2016, Johnson released a young adult novel, The Flip Side, about a young gymnast trying to balance her dream of obtaining an Olympic gold medal with her burning desire to be a "normal" teenager.

I'm not a fan of Shawn Johnson nor do I follow her or read about her until this thread. I am just not a fan of cutting people down and nitpicking people to death. Shawn Johnson clearly is not sitting doing nothing. She has accomplished more than majority kids her age. If she exaggerates during her speeches but inspires someone interim, that's a win win for me.

 

[sce]

I agree that Shawn is doing quite well, but 9 million is a very large number. On a recent video Shawn and Andrew googled themselves. They found sites with 2 very different net worths. They were pretty clear that the 9 million was wrong.

 

[duyetanh]

I agree that Shawn is doing quite well, but 9 million is a very large number. On a recent video Shawn and Andrew googled themselves. They found sites with 2 very different net worths. They were pretty clear that the 9 million was wrong.

See, this is just weird to me. But whatever....I dont watch this stuff anyway. And I guess I am just old school. Because I just dont get the appeal.