Olympic Figure Skaters, offensive or not?

[andomano]

There's a little bit of controversy surrounding the Russian figure skating pair of Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin. Apparently the costumes they wore during the competition were already toned down versions of what they were originally supposed to wear, so they already knew they were skating on thin ice so to say.

 

[ganjavih]

Offensive, I'm not sure. Ridiculous, yes.

 

[Urban Shocker]

I'd be offended if the Russians didn't dress like that.

 

[Prometheus The Supremo]

ah, leaf tits. a classic side effect of eating produce grown on soviet nuclear test sites.

 

[andomano]

One of the announcers at the time was more disgusted that they appeared to be semi-nude, while newspapers are focusing on the disrespect towards the aboriginals. I wonder if they thought this one up after watching Avatar

 

[Hipster Duck]

Whatever. Ice dancing is a campy sport. Yes it takes incredible skill, but Will Ferrell had plenty of fodder to make fun of in Blades of Glory.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Quite frankly, they looked like life-sized gingerbread(wo)man cookies with all that white icing instead. Serves them right for being the tasteless fools that they are - and if anything, I would get a laugh as an Aboriginal out of THAT at their expense.

AoD

 

[JWBF]

What would happen if someone wore "black-face" in Harlem, for example; the word exploitation comes to mind.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

Here's what they actually wore:

They traded the blackface for "semi-nude" and changed the tribal paint to ribs and bones, indeed looking more like gingerbread cookies than aborigines. It is hilarious, though, that they consulted BC natives - and not Australian aborigines - for "authenticity" suggestions and approval. It was the poor program that was actually offensive.

 

[drone]

it's just flat out funny! Offensive? I doubt it, even if they were trying to look aboriginal...they did a poor job, that's nothing to be offended about. Maybe they were also trying to pay respect to B.C> pot, as the leaves they are adorned with look tempting

 

[Urban Shocker]

Didn't the Duchesnays try something like it in '88?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bO1mBvQP-o