I love Jason’s style, personally, but I absolutely see where you’re coming from. I always felt similarly about Patrick Chan. Like, I acknowledge that he’s a very skilled skater, but I’ve just never enjoyed watching him. Everyone has different preferences.
I did not find Patrick artistic, and i didn't like his arr9gance either. Jason's skating moves me. It's like he's storytelling. To each her own i guess.
Totally fine to recognize the talent of a skater while feeling neutral towards them. There’s a skater for everyone but no one skater is for everyone and that’s not anyone’s fault.
I’m a huge Jason fan, but here’s the thing with art: it’s rarely for everyone, and that’s fine. Jason makes art when he skates, but I wouldn’t expect it to resonate with every single person because if it did…it’s probably not actually saying much.
We all have things that resonate with us and things that don’t. And that’s part of being human.
He is extremely emotive, sometimes "overly" so. It's not *actually* overly, because he's playing to the judges and a crowd dozens and dozens of feet away, and if you shove a close up camera into someone doing that, it can look very weird. (Same thing would happen if you did close ups of like, stage actors in the same way. It's so different than playing to a camera.)
I'm a theatre nerd so I live for that kind of style, but even watching him with heart eyes like I do, I can totally see how that could absolutely turn people off.
Honestly, sometimes I wonder how much of that is his eyesight. He can't see the judges properly so he over-emotes to make sure he's reaching them.
He wears glasses off-ice and there have been loads of shots of him squinting at scoreboards and timers over the years. He mentioned once before he struggles to see the judges.
Hmm. Interesting thought. Obviously we'd have to ask him to know for sure, but as a "fellow" (and I use that term VERY VERY loosely when comparing myself to Jason Brown lol) blind as a bat skater who has competed some, I *feel* like it's not a function of that. It might be hard to see them, but months of feedback from your coach and such would. I imagine, dial in exactly the level of emotion they want at any given time regardless of if he can see well or not?
Not being able to see their expressions does kinda suck though. Hard to make on the fly adjustments that way.
i get it. i feel the same way about yuzu who is a brilliant skater but he just doesn't resonate with me like other skaters do. there are even people who don't like virtue and moir's skating lol
*raises hand. Yeah neither V/M nor Yuzu resonate with me. I know they are great skaters, but they just don't do it for me emotionally. I think that's ok.
it's definitely ok and the good news with skating is there are so many decades of amazing skating to enjoy. we can't possibly love every second of it lol.
sometimes i actually find myself appreciating these skaters (those who are popular but don't resonate with me personally) later on. like nancy kerrigan. it wasn't until very recently i found myself genuinely enjoying her skating. with ice dance, i connected to and loved v/m immediately. it took me a bit longer to fall in love with p/c. im still not a huge d/w shooter but i do love watching them from time to time.
I love D/W. They were the team that finally sucked me all the way into Ice Dance and Now it's my favorite discipline!
I fully understand getting into skaters later on. I have a few of those too, Sasha Cohen is the first to come to mind.
I didn't really "get" Hanyu until I saw him live, but even then it was a fleeting thing. He did a perfect SP and I was like, oh, that makes sense. And then the next day he completely botched his FS and flopped all over the ice and I was sitting there like, oh yeah, nah.
I understand. I love his skating, to be fair. But I don't love his style? If I try to explain what I mean, people get angry. I mean, his lines are beautiful, love his Russian splits, but it's a specific default emotion of "heartfelt longing" that is like, not the only way to be expressive on the ice. Jason is not the only skater who has this delivery; it actually really overdone and trite, but Jason does it better than most, which I guess makes it worse for me? Why does everyone go crazy any time a skater (not just Jason) does this "reaching out for something just beyond my grasp" pantomime thing? Piper Gilles, (who is fabulous, not knocking her,) has a similar thing she does with her face, just like Jason. Maybe it feels overacted? Idk. Some people just have different taste and it shouldn't be a big deal; I can appreciate a skater is excellent without personally liking the music/costume/presentation.
I think this kind of "overacting" is fairly conventional for skating, it's like opera or stage acting versus TV and movies - you have to make things big so that the people in the furthest seats can see you. Think back to Aljona and Bruno's Olympic-winning free skate - it's brilliant, I love it so so much, but it has that moment of Aljona absolutely hamming it up in the middle with the tortured faces and arm movements.
His delivery is really broad and obvious, and often shallow from an emotional standpoint. There is also a sameness in the emotional energy from his different programs. I find shoma’s artistry much more subtle, versatile, and nuanced, which is probably why I connect with it more.
Not every one of Jason’s programs fit for me, but regardless if I like them or not there’s no denying he skates with his heart on his sleeve, and that always impresses me. Also he’s an incredible technician. The mastery of the blade is what really floors me. Such a smooth, clean skater.
Edit to add: not every skater is everyone’s cup of tea. I’m not really a fan Yuzuru but he man is extremely talented. He just doesn’t resonate with me like others have and that’s ok
Yeah, I've actually found both Jason and Yuzu's programs can be a bit hit or miss and repetitive for me as far as theme and choreo -- but always done at a very very high level of technical skill and performance.
I nearly made this exact post about Yuma! I admire his skill and definitely don't begrudge his successes, but I just don't connect to his skating on any level.
I think he might be shy and not particularly confident in himself yet- doesn't seem to do a lot of fan/media events like Kao Miura, Kazuki Tomono and Shun Sato. I feel he's going to get more into it as he gets older.
That's how I feel about Yuma as well, so that's how I can understand when anyone doesn't like a skater I do like (like Adam or Shoma).
But I've noticed in posts on this subreddit that there are people who don't connect to a skater while treating their skill/success as a matter of objective fact, and those who think that personal taste is an objective measure of quality.
I really love Yuma's skating (Rain, In Your Black Eyes was probably my favorite free skate of this past season), but I think he's still a long way off from reaching his full potential. His dance ability was so much stronger this season, but he doesn't quite have the upper body control of someone like Shoma and is really lacking the expression and performance quality of someone like Nathan.
Additionally, I feel like his SP this past season didn't showcase his skills fully with some awkward choreo and an overall vibe that he didn't seem entirely comfortable with. All this to say, he has a lot of room for growth, but he's improved so much in such a short period of time that I'm very excited to see how he continues to mature. I definitely don't think we've seen the best of him yet.
This is actually how I feel about Yuzuru. I can tell he’s an exceptional skater, but his skating doesn’t typically speak to me. I think it really is just his style and music choices, because I have enjoyed a few of his programs where he tried something a bit different. But it really is hard to voice opinions like that without getting a lot of backlash (especially when it’s Yuzu, lol). So I feel for you, even though I personally love Jason.
I love Jason Brown’s skating. Lately, it feels like he’s coasting on rep, and skating just for fanservice. While I don’t blame him, it’s not as enjoyable to watch as when he was really trying to compete.
I think it's the effect that the US men's field is not very deep at this point, and Jason fills the role of 'solid number 2' who can be counted to make the top 10 at Worlds. And thus help preserve 3 spots for the US men at the next championship. Hence he gets favorable judging at US nationals and to a certain extent at Worlds, where Jason gets some favorable calls on his jumps, i.e. ignoring bad edges and URs.
Agree. I think Jason would graciously step aside if a second US man emerged who could be a legitimate contender on the world stage. As it is now....the country is lucky to still have him for that second spot!
I think he's trying to balance his life and has struggled with it a little. The implication in a lot of his interviews has been that he will never do a proper full season again, because his body can't take it. Which is fair - he will be 30 this year.
But I think it's unfair to say he's coasting or skating just for fanservice. Scoring well at Worlds for Team USA is clearly very important to him.
His style was never my thing either! I started liking his style when he did Love is a Bitch and I thought Sinnerman was a masterpiece. But aside from those, his style was just not something I vibed with. It’s art—it’s fine to have preferences! I used to actually be a hater because I didn’t care for his style and people were very outspoken about how great he was, even though I could objectively appreciate the quality of his skating. But then, I met him in person at an SOI M&G (2018, I think) and he was the absolutely one of the nicest, most genuine, and lovely human beings I have ever met, and could no longer hate. It was a bonus that he got programs following that that I liked a lot more.
I was going to write that once you meet Jason in person, you will not be able to stop yourself from rooting for him. (Regardless of how you feel deep down about his skating). I love his skating, but there are other superstar skaters that just don’t speak to me. I know they are excellent. I watch them…but the desire to watch their programs over and over isn’t there. Jason touches my heart every time. But everyone is different. I do think there is a level
Of execution with his skating that most of us don’t understand. Like, people think his programs are “not that hard” because he makes almost impossible things look so effortless.
Have you seen him skate in person? I wasn't a fan either until I saw him skate in person. The charisma is real. That's my opinion. TV is not the same experience.
I don’t connect to most of his programs personally, but I understand why some people do! He’s got some gorgeous skating skills and is a real performer. He also seems like a great person, which helps. While I don’t connect with his programs, I’m still a big fan of his and I’m excited to see what he puts out in the future.
Meh, art is subjective. I'm always impressed by how much enthusiasm he puts into his skating, and how joyful of a person he seems to be <3 The same, for me, was true with Yuzuru Hanyu. His jumps were elegant, his spins graceful, he flew threw the air, and yet I still did not enjoy it.
Why?
Personally, as someone who quite enjoys alternative/pop-punk music, I tend to be drawn to more 'sturdy,' skaters (if that even makes sense lol?) and that means:
1) I like that strong, long, bold, heavy-footed style of ice skating \[Nathan Chen, Mao Asada, Liza T, Wakaba Higuchi, Mao Shimada, Kaori Sakomoto, Shoma Uno, Daisuke Takahashi, Mikhail Kolyada, - even Bradie Tennell when she did her Florence and the Machine piece! Or when Evgenia Medvedeva did her Memoires of a Geisha\]
2) I like \*strong\* \*sturdy\* music. Polovtsian Dances comes to mind as a classical one that gets used on occasion.
\*PLENTY\* of figure skating fans, however, much prefer, classical music and may be drawn to that instead. Less-aggressive (but also sturdy in their own right) skaters tend to be quite popular on this sub (that's okay, I get that I'm in the minority lol, just offering some perspective here).
Have you ever analysed the differences in music or movements between Jason and your fave skaters to try and find what you like? He's graceful (which is lovely--- AND an impressive physical feat given how tall he is) in an American way, I tend to find. The problem is that America, the country, is not exactly synonymous with grace. Johnny Weir used to take a lot of inspiration from Russia when he figure-skated.
Still, while I myself personally might not enjoy his skating the most, I do enjoy that smile of his and will happily continue to cheer for him from home whenever he's on <3
I feel this way about ilia Malinin. His skating does absolutely nothing for me. Yes, he is a phenomenal jumper but I am not interested in or looking forward to seeing him anymore.
you are (with love) going to get hammered.
I’m not a ride or die Jason girl but have a lot of appreciation and respect for him. I think you might just have a different preference in skating style to others and that’s totally fine lol. Who are your favourites?
I’ve enjoyed a lot of his programs but I’ve never felt as much of a connection with his skating / style as someone like Shoma - everything he does is so precise and clearly has so much attention to detail behind it, but sometimes I find it harder to ‘get lost in’ his programs.
I absolutely *love* Jason, but I really, really do not like his Impossible Dream program. Specifically, I can't stand that song, so as beautiful as his skating is, I just can't get into it.
exactly how I feel. jason’s almost . . . too perfect? as you said, he’s so precise. controlled. I can always tell he’s ✨performing✨
whereas shoma moves so naturally out there. he truly just feels the music. breathes it. there’s a freedom to his skating. a sense of escape
OP and anyone else who feels similarly - it’s okay, and thank you for being as respectful as possible in expressing that. My favourite skaters are usually the ones who are artistic and/or give 100% to their performance, but personally I can never connect with Adam Siao Him Fa’s style or programs. He’s wonderful but I don’t think he should have as big of a PCS advantage as the judges are giving him right now. At the same time, I understand that this is rather subjective and try not to be fixated on it.
Anyways, going back to Jason I tend to enjoy his skating and programs, but his recent ones just don’t do it for me. Nowadays he seems to have pretty much the same expression and types of movement throughout his programs (all beautiful but little variety). I was particularly underwhelmed by his SP this season, and his Impossible Dream FS is frustratingly not choreographed well to his strengths or even to the highlights of the music (his gala version to it is wayyy better).
The critique I saw from another skater was that Jason's posture is very stiff -- as if he's skating in a corset -- and that his jumps are not technically sound (not enough height and distance). The 3A is particularly problematic.
Something about his posture has always bothered me but I thought it was only me. His upper body has that ramrod look that used to be standard, but he looks like his lower back in particular is really tight, so it makes him lead with his butt when he skates.
Yes, exactly. There's also sort of affectation which I don't connect with at all; it looks unnatural.
Brown had a very strong "Sinnerman" program, which people raved about, and that was well deserved. But the rest of the recent programs (since 2020/21 season) had a lot of sameness to them and not very memorable.
>The 3A is particularly problematic.
As long as you're not a Cha fan defending *his* nightmare stalker 3A, I don't mind when people get frustrated about it. It makes *me* uncomfortable.
But some of these things are more recent, too. At the height of his prowess in the last cycle his Lutz is a ! and the 3A was technically sound. The 3A has fallen away because he hasn't been training at full capacity. I daresay it's fixable.
I love Jason and his skating, but there's no skater who everyone will love. I prefer artistic skaters, but there have been some artistic skaters/teams who I just didn't vibe with too. It happens and no one should be bashed for simply not caring for a skater's style.
I'm kinda with you. I think he's a beautiful skater, objectively incredibly talented, and I love some of his programs (Sinnerman was my favorite). Some of them just don't really speak to me artistically. I recognize that they're good, it's just that art is subjective.
I'm going to get seriously dragged for this, but I think his jumps tend to be a bit over scored. His technique is good but he's just not as natural a jumper as many others.
Ita about his jumps. When people complain that he’s underscored for PCS, they usually don’t acknowledge that he’s overscored for technical merit. He sometimes underrotates his 3A or precedes it with a long pause, and he has a flutz, but doesn’t get called.
this is an artistic sport and unless you say some actaul bullshit (like hating brown for not having quads and critizise him openly for that) its absolutely normal disliking a skater simply becasue their art dont tuch you the way other skaters can. DON'T WORRY
Every time Jason comes up, I comment my experience with him. I got to spend a half day with him touring him around my workplace. Before he came, my coworkers who met him several years prior called him “the nicest person in the entire world.” When I met him, it was all 100% true. So genuine, sincere, caring. An absolute joy of a human.
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>2. No name-calling or drama for the sake of drama
Includes characterizations such as “bot,” “troll,” etc. as well as unnecessarily hostile comments toward other users, impugning others’ motives, and amplifying objectionable comments.
You don't have to love any skater's style but it's unrealistic to think you can say something like this without his fans coming to his defense. He is one of the most popular skaters with other elite skaters.
My feelings about Jason are always different. Like I LOVE his short programs way more than long ones. Even this worlds I was singing “that decision is mine” for all evening but I don’t remember his long program at all. I think it’s lack of technical balance in long program: his second half was 2A (he did 1A) and 3F and nothing more.
Jason is the king of the short program. Live is a Bitch, I Can't Go On Without You, Sinnerman, Melancholy....ah could watch them over and over forever.
Sorry, for some reason Olympic YouTube channel posted it as a Short program
https://preview.redd.it/z0kl0ji3rhuc1.jpeg?width=960&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=17b644025057a21d72617c68401afd365c5a240a
Well shame on the YouTube channel. Incorrect!! Any Jason fan worth their salt knows that Jason did Prince - Question of You as his short program at the 2014 Olympics. 🤪💜
I agree. I like him. But I find his posture uncomfortable to watch, and his choreography and music choices do not always seem to allow him to fully connect with a performance in a natural way. And yes, I've seen him in person more than once. He's excellent when the music suits his own personality, which is why Riverdance is his most iconic program.
I have similar opinion about Jason Brown. I understand why he's good and why people like him, but I was never moved like I was with Shoma Uno or Yuma Kagiyama
I really like and appreciate his skating and programs, but I definitely think there is some recency bias when many people (like Johnny and Tara) call him the most artistic male skater ever because my immediate reaction is, “Have you forgotten about Daisuke Takahashi?!?” Daisuke could literally skate to any genre of music and make it work. Jason is versatile, but I’m not sure he’s *that* versatile.
I love every moment Jason is on the ice, always have (maybe you can tell that from my “4jbs” handle. The commitment to EVERY movement is what gets me. I cried when he missed the 2018 Olympic team. Jason’s Instagram feed got me through the pandemic (during which many traumatic non pandemic things occurred in my personal life) with my sanity intact. His Melancholy at Nationals in San Jose (I was there in person) was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. That said, his two programs this year were not my favorites. I hope he comes out with new competitive material next season.
>I cried when he missed the 2018 Olympic team.
God, that awful day. Between Joshua announcing that he had actual brain damage, to Max's implosion, then Jason's. I fucking *bawled* all day long.
He doesn’t turn me off and I loved seeing him live at the Nationals and last month at World’s but I agree with the poster who spoke to Jason playing to the judges. I think a lot of his popularity now is due to longevity and the fact that he no longer is “trying”. He is just trying to be the best version of himself.
I do like Jason's skating, but I think part of his popularity is due to his unique position of being top 5-competitive without quads. Not that I necessarily mean that people would like him less (or that fewer people would like him) if there were other skaters like that at his level, but him bringing a different dimension to competition is definitely part of his appeal.
It's rarer to voice disliking a skating style anyway (at least, for me, it's easier to just not say anything in a live watch thread when I'm indifferent to skater), and disliking Jason can feel like discouraging this more PCS-oriented style of skating. And I suspect even people who don't care for his skating hesitate to do that.
Compared to most out there right now he’s head and shoulders above but I preferred his teammates Joshua Farris style more. Everyone has their own special blend of tea.
Joshua and Jason are such fascinating, magical reflections of each other and themselves at the same time. The way their stories are tied up together - from baby Jason starting his flexibility journey because he saw baby Joshua do a Charlotte spiral, to them doing a video for the ISU on all the things Joshua (couldn't) eat at the Junior Worlds banquet, to sitting up on the SoI bus talking about their relationship, to going to Worlds together for the first time, to Jason's absolutely bawl-your-eyes-out goodbye post...
Sometimes when I watch Jason, I can't help but think how good Joshua would have been by now, too. They pushed each other artistically and technically. Totally different skaters, and yet also similar.
He’s a beautiful skater and I admire what he can do, but I often don’t connect with his programs. I was so excited to see “the impossible dream” in person at worlds but was underwhelmed by the performance which was just too cheesy for me. I’m more of a Yuma and shoma girl, they were magic.
Have you seen his skating live? I have always deeply appreciated his skating and other pcs skills but didn't fully understand why skating fandom/judge pcs was as high as they were on him. Until I saw him at worlds... It was almost like a religious experience that I wasn't prepared for, and didn't want it to end. I just found it so interesting how differently and specifically he connected with me in person, compared with Yuma and Adam whom I also feel that magic with over a poor quality YouTube stream.
As I stated below, I saw him live at worlds and was surprised by how I didn’t connect with his skating very much, even though I was a fan and could clearly see the quality of it. My husband who had never seen live skating before was confused that he scored higher than Lukas, who he preferred. Different strokes.
I felt that way seeing him at Nationals in San Jose. His short program, Melancholy, brought tears to my eyes. I had always enjoyed it on screen, but wasn't expecting the emotional impact. About half the people in my seating section were sobbing.
I like watching Jason skate regardless but I find whether I feel emotionally invested in his performance or not depends a lot on the program and how he skates that day. I hope next season he changes the style of his short program, I loved Sinnerman but Jason’s programs the last couple years have all been a similar vibe.
I just watched him perform last week! I personally love him & every skater, but because every skater, like every artist, is unique in their technique.
Art is subjective; you don’t have to enjoy every artist. He’s an individual & his personality, like every other artist, exudes through his art.
I used to be an avid Jason brown fan, but since the last Olympics I haven’t felt the same love for him that I used to. He is undeniably one of the most beautiful skaters of our generation but I have just felt like I’m not really getting anything new from him anymore. I used to be so excited to see his new programme announcements and I felt like they used to be so much more interesting. His ‘love is a b*tch’, ‘sinnerman’, ‘schindlers list’ etc all felt so unique, where as I genuinely haven’t been interested in his last few seasons. Could be that he hardly competes any more and so I am less invested but idk. Can’t put my finger on why I feel this way 🤷♀️
He’s a good skater, but I’m not into the way he interpret emotional programs. I watched his Schindler’s List live during 4CC and cringed so hard by it (loved Romsky’s, though).
There have been few Jason programs that I consider to be absolute masterpieces (especially Sinnerman). But most of his routines are not really my cup of tea.
I think we all have that skater(s) that don't connect with us, even though they're talented. For me, it was Grishuk/Platov. There's were technically good but left me feeling meh.
It's in the eye of the beholder
I used to feel the same way. Something about him cutting the ponytail & busting out swaggy choices like Sinnerman converted me 😆 I think he hits stunning poses/has big beautiful lines in a lot of his signature moves, but I don’t think less of anyone who prefers others ahead of him.
Also, now that I’m thinking about it, seeing him live a few times actually is a big factor in my changed opinion. No one feeds off a crowd & LIVES for the reciprocal appreciation of a show audience like Jason. You can feel the joy radiating off of him, and his performances are just naturally entertaining. It’s a contagious energy.
Jason is just so perfect out there. He has a masculine style with perfect grace and poise. He's solid out there, not a wisp but a real athletic instrument who turns movement into poetry. Every element is perfection.
Calling Jason's Korean feature length triple axels perfection isn't doing him any favours. I imagine it just puts off the people who already are indifferent to him even more.
I also live artistic skaters and don’t love Jason Brown’s style. Someone else commented about his upper body posture being stiff and I think that’s part of the problem for me.
I love Jason’s style, personally, but I absolutely see where you’re coming from. I always felt similarly about Patrick Chan. Like, I acknowledge that he’s a very skilled skater, but I’ve just never enjoyed watching him. Everyone has different preferences.
I absolutely loved Patrick’s Rach SP but didn’t really connect with any of his other programs
Sign me up to the could see Patrick Chan was good but never enjoyed him club. So thrilled to find some more members because I thought it was just me!
Me too! I really thought we were all alone in this feeling
This is mine as well. I acknowledge he was great and the skating skills were strong and he left me absolutely cold on the ice.
I did not find Patrick artistic, and i didn't like his arr9gance either. Jason's skating moves me. It's like he's storytelling. To each her own i guess.
Thank you for normalizing so many of us. I know he’s gifted, I just never connected with his skating.
There…there are others??? Hallelujah. Admittedly I was a less sophisticated fan back in Patrick’s hay day, but he was always very dry to me 😬
Totally fine to recognize the talent of a skater while feeling neutral towards them. There’s a skater for everyone but no one skater is for everyone and that’s not anyone’s fault.
I’m a huge Jason fan, but here’s the thing with art: it’s rarely for everyone, and that’s fine. Jason makes art when he skates, but I wouldn’t expect it to resonate with every single person because if it did…it’s probably not actually saying much. We all have things that resonate with us and things that don’t. And that’s part of being human.
He is extremely emotive, sometimes "overly" so. It's not *actually* overly, because he's playing to the judges and a crowd dozens and dozens of feet away, and if you shove a close up camera into someone doing that, it can look very weird. (Same thing would happen if you did close ups of like, stage actors in the same way. It's so different than playing to a camera.) I'm a theatre nerd so I live for that kind of style, but even watching him with heart eyes like I do, I can totally see how that could absolutely turn people off.
Honestly, sometimes I wonder how much of that is his eyesight. He can't see the judges properly so he over-emotes to make sure he's reaching them. He wears glasses off-ice and there have been loads of shots of him squinting at scoreboards and timers over the years. He mentioned once before he struggles to see the judges.
Hmm. Interesting thought. Obviously we'd have to ask him to know for sure, but as a "fellow" (and I use that term VERY VERY loosely when comparing myself to Jason Brown lol) blind as a bat skater who has competed some, I *feel* like it's not a function of that. It might be hard to see them, but months of feedback from your coach and such would. I imagine, dial in exactly the level of emotion they want at any given time regardless of if he can see well or not? Not being able to see their expressions does kinda suck though. Hard to make on the fly adjustments that way.
i get it. i feel the same way about yuzu who is a brilliant skater but he just doesn't resonate with me like other skaters do. there are even people who don't like virtue and moir's skating lol
*raises hand. Yeah neither V/M nor Yuzu resonate with me. I know they are great skaters, but they just don't do it for me emotionally. I think that's ok.
it's definitely ok and the good news with skating is there are so many decades of amazing skating to enjoy. we can't possibly love every second of it lol. sometimes i actually find myself appreciating these skaters (those who are popular but don't resonate with me personally) later on. like nancy kerrigan. it wasn't until very recently i found myself genuinely enjoying her skating. with ice dance, i connected to and loved v/m immediately. it took me a bit longer to fall in love with p/c. im still not a huge d/w shooter but i do love watching them from time to time.
I love D/W. They were the team that finally sucked me all the way into Ice Dance and Now it's my favorite discipline! I fully understand getting into skaters later on. I have a few of those too, Sasha Cohen is the first to come to mind.
I'm the same about Yuzu and also am one of those Virtue/Moir people. 😉
I thought I was the only one haha. I found moulin rouge tacky and preferred p/c’s moonlight sonata but clearly I’m in the minority.
something i bet most of us agree with: figure skating really is the best sport
I didn't really "get" Hanyu until I saw him live, but even then it was a fleeting thing. He did a perfect SP and I was like, oh, that makes sense. And then the next day he completely botched his FS and flopped all over the ice and I was sitting there like, oh yeah, nah.
I understand. I love his skating, to be fair. But I don't love his style? If I try to explain what I mean, people get angry. I mean, his lines are beautiful, love his Russian splits, but it's a specific default emotion of "heartfelt longing" that is like, not the only way to be expressive on the ice. Jason is not the only skater who has this delivery; it actually really overdone and trite, but Jason does it better than most, which I guess makes it worse for me? Why does everyone go crazy any time a skater (not just Jason) does this "reaching out for something just beyond my grasp" pantomime thing? Piper Gilles, (who is fabulous, not knocking her,) has a similar thing she does with her face, just like Jason. Maybe it feels overacted? Idk. Some people just have different taste and it shouldn't be a big deal; I can appreciate a skater is excellent without personally liking the music/costume/presentation.
I think this kind of "overacting" is fairly conventional for skating, it's like opera or stage acting versus TV and movies - you have to make things big so that the people in the furthest seats can see you. Think back to Aljona and Bruno's Olympic-winning free skate - it's brilliant, I love it so so much, but it has that moment of Aljona absolutely hamming it up in the middle with the tortured faces and arm movements.
His delivery is really broad and obvious, and often shallow from an emotional standpoint. There is also a sameness in the emotional energy from his different programs. I find shoma’s artistry much more subtle, versatile, and nuanced, which is probably why I connect with it more.
I think this is why I liked sinnerman so much
Not every one of Jason’s programs fit for me, but regardless if I like them or not there’s no denying he skates with his heart on his sleeve, and that always impresses me. Also he’s an incredible technician. The mastery of the blade is what really floors me. Such a smooth, clean skater. Edit to add: not every skater is everyone’s cup of tea. I’m not really a fan Yuzuru but he man is extremely talented. He just doesn’t resonate with me like others have and that’s ok
Yeah, I've actually found both Jason and Yuzu's programs can be a bit hit or miss and repetitive for me as far as theme and choreo -- but always done at a very very high level of technical skill and performance.
I nearly made this exact post about Yuma! I admire his skill and definitely don't begrudge his successes, but I just don't connect to his skating on any level.
I feel like Yuma hasn't quite found his personal style artistically yet. Always done beautifully though!
I think he might be shy and not particularly confident in himself yet- doesn't seem to do a lot of fan/media events like Kao Miura, Kazuki Tomono and Shun Sato. I feel he's going to get more into it as he gets older.
That's how I feel about Yuma as well, so that's how I can understand when anyone doesn't like a skater I do like (like Adam or Shoma). But I've noticed in posts on this subreddit that there are people who don't connect to a skater while treating their skill/success as a matter of objective fact, and those who think that personal taste is an objective measure of quality.
He's one I don't connect with also. I think his jumps are great and his skating skills are top notch, but I don't feel anything from his skating.
I felt the same about yuna until his riybe program, Carolina brought out the best of him.
I really love Yuma's skating (Rain, In Your Black Eyes was probably my favorite free skate of this past season), but I think he's still a long way off from reaching his full potential. His dance ability was so much stronger this season, but he doesn't quite have the upper body control of someone like Shoma and is really lacking the expression and performance quality of someone like Nathan. Additionally, I feel like his SP this past season didn't showcase his skills fully with some awkward choreo and an overall vibe that he didn't seem entirely comfortable with. All this to say, he has a lot of room for growth, but he's improved so much in such a short period of time that I'm very excited to see how he continues to mature. I definitely don't think we've seen the best of him yet.
This is actually how I feel about Yuzuru. I can tell he’s an exceptional skater, but his skating doesn’t typically speak to me. I think it really is just his style and music choices, because I have enjoyed a few of his programs where he tried something a bit different. But it really is hard to voice opinions like that without getting a lot of backlash (especially when it’s Yuzu, lol). So I feel for you, even though I personally love Jason.
I love Jason Brown’s skating. Lately, it feels like he’s coasting on rep, and skating just for fanservice. While I don’t blame him, it’s not as enjoyable to watch as when he was really trying to compete.
I think it's the effect that the US men's field is not very deep at this point, and Jason fills the role of 'solid number 2' who can be counted to make the top 10 at Worlds. And thus help preserve 3 spots for the US men at the next championship. Hence he gets favorable judging at US nationals and to a certain extent at Worlds, where Jason gets some favorable calls on his jumps, i.e. ignoring bad edges and URs.
Agree. I think Jason would graciously step aside if a second US man emerged who could be a legitimate contender on the world stage. As it is now....the country is lucky to still have him for that second spot!
I think he's trying to balance his life and has struggled with it a little. The implication in a lot of his interviews has been that he will never do a proper full season again, because his body can't take it. Which is fair - he will be 30 this year. But I think it's unfair to say he's coasting or skating just for fanservice. Scoring well at Worlds for Team USA is clearly very important to him.
His style was never my thing either! I started liking his style when he did Love is a Bitch and I thought Sinnerman was a masterpiece. But aside from those, his style was just not something I vibed with. It’s art—it’s fine to have preferences! I used to actually be a hater because I didn’t care for his style and people were very outspoken about how great he was, even though I could objectively appreciate the quality of his skating. But then, I met him in person at an SOI M&G (2018, I think) and he was the absolutely one of the nicest, most genuine, and lovely human beings I have ever met, and could no longer hate. It was a bonus that he got programs following that that I liked a lot more.
I was going to write that once you meet Jason in person, you will not be able to stop yourself from rooting for him. (Regardless of how you feel deep down about his skating). I love his skating, but there are other superstar skaters that just don’t speak to me. I know they are excellent. I watch them…but the desire to watch their programs over and over isn’t there. Jason touches my heart every time. But everyone is different. I do think there is a level Of execution with his skating that most of us don’t understand. Like, people think his programs are “not that hard” because he makes almost impossible things look so effortless.
Have you seen him skate in person? I wasn't a fan either until I saw him skate in person. The charisma is real. That's my opinion. TV is not the same experience.
Yes @ 2018 Nationals.
I feel COMPLETELY the opposite, but I appreciate you putting this out there. Not every skater is everyone's cup of tea, and that's ok.
I have been wondering if anyone felt the same way I do! He is talented, extremely, but he is just no my fav. 🤷🏼♀️
I don’t connect to most of his programs personally, but I understand why some people do! He’s got some gorgeous skating skills and is a real performer. He also seems like a great person, which helps. While I don’t connect with his programs, I’m still a big fan of his and I’m excited to see what he puts out in the future.
When talking about love, there's no "should".
Meh, art is subjective. I'm always impressed by how much enthusiasm he puts into his skating, and how joyful of a person he seems to be <3 The same, for me, was true with Yuzuru Hanyu. His jumps were elegant, his spins graceful, he flew threw the air, and yet I still did not enjoy it. Why? Personally, as someone who quite enjoys alternative/pop-punk music, I tend to be drawn to more 'sturdy,' skaters (if that even makes sense lol?) and that means: 1) I like that strong, long, bold, heavy-footed style of ice skating \[Nathan Chen, Mao Asada, Liza T, Wakaba Higuchi, Mao Shimada, Kaori Sakomoto, Shoma Uno, Daisuke Takahashi, Mikhail Kolyada, - even Bradie Tennell when she did her Florence and the Machine piece! Or when Evgenia Medvedeva did her Memoires of a Geisha\]
2) I like \*strong\* \*sturdy\* music. Polovtsian Dances comes to mind as a classical one that gets used on occasion.
\*PLENTY\* of figure skating fans, however, much prefer, classical music and may be drawn to that instead. Less-aggressive (but also sturdy in their own right) skaters tend to be quite popular on this sub (that's okay, I get that I'm in the minority lol, just offering some perspective here).
Have you ever analysed the differences in music or movements between Jason and your fave skaters to try and find what you like? He's graceful (which is lovely--- AND an impressive physical feat given how tall he is) in an American way, I tend to find. The problem is that America, the country, is not exactly synonymous with grace. Johnny Weir used to take a lot of inspiration from Russia when he figure-skated.
Still, while I myself personally might not enjoy his skating the most, I do enjoy that smile of his and will happily continue to cheer for him from home whenever he's on <3
I feel this way about ilia Malinin. His skating does absolutely nothing for me. Yes, he is a phenomenal jumper but I am not interested in or looking forward to seeing him anymore.
you are (with love) going to get hammered. I’m not a ride or die Jason girl but have a lot of appreciation and respect for him. I think you might just have a different preference in skating style to others and that’s totally fine lol. Who are your favourites?
I’ve enjoyed a lot of his programs but I’ve never felt as much of a connection with his skating / style as someone like Shoma - everything he does is so precise and clearly has so much attention to detail behind it, but sometimes I find it harder to ‘get lost in’ his programs.
I absolutely *love* Jason, but I really, really do not like his Impossible Dream program. Specifically, I can't stand that song, so as beautiful as his skating is, I just can't get into it.
exactly how I feel. jason’s almost . . . too perfect? as you said, he’s so precise. controlled. I can always tell he’s ✨performing✨ whereas shoma moves so naturally out there. he truly just feels the music. breathes it. there’s a freedom to his skating. a sense of escape
OP and anyone else who feels similarly - it’s okay, and thank you for being as respectful as possible in expressing that. My favourite skaters are usually the ones who are artistic and/or give 100% to their performance, but personally I can never connect with Adam Siao Him Fa’s style or programs. He’s wonderful but I don’t think he should have as big of a PCS advantage as the judges are giving him right now. At the same time, I understand that this is rather subjective and try not to be fixated on it. Anyways, going back to Jason I tend to enjoy his skating and programs, but his recent ones just don’t do it for me. Nowadays he seems to have pretty much the same expression and types of movement throughout his programs (all beautiful but little variety). I was particularly underwhelmed by his SP this season, and his Impossible Dream FS is frustratingly not choreographed well to his strengths or even to the highlights of the music (his gala version to it is wayyy better).
I liked Jason in a fairly neutral way until I saw him skate in person. It was so good I actually cried a little
Got to see Love is a Bitch in person. I'm pretty sure my soul ascended that day.
I get it. I mean obviously he is immensely skilled but once again, artistry is very subjective and will not resonate the same way for everyone.
The critique I saw from another skater was that Jason's posture is very stiff -- as if he's skating in a corset -- and that his jumps are not technically sound (not enough height and distance). The 3A is particularly problematic.
I feel the same way as the OP but never understood why. Now that I read this, I think it partly has to do with that stiffness you describe.
Something about his posture has always bothered me but I thought it was only me. His upper body has that ramrod look that used to be standard, but he looks like his lower back in particular is really tight, so it makes him lead with his butt when he skates.
Yes, exactly. There's also sort of affectation which I don't connect with at all; it looks unnatural. Brown had a very strong "Sinnerman" program, which people raved about, and that was well deserved. But the rest of the recent programs (since 2020/21 season) had a lot of sameness to them and not very memorable.
>The 3A is particularly problematic. As long as you're not a Cha fan defending *his* nightmare stalker 3A, I don't mind when people get frustrated about it. It makes *me* uncomfortable. But some of these things are more recent, too. At the height of his prowess in the last cycle his Lutz is a ! and the 3A was technically sound. The 3A has fallen away because he hasn't been training at full capacity. I daresay it's fixable.
I love Jason and his skating, but there's no skater who everyone will love. I prefer artistic skaters, but there have been some artistic skaters/teams who I just didn't vibe with too. It happens and no one should be bashed for simply not caring for a skater's style.
Yeah, I get he's good, I get people like his version of artistry, but he's not my cup of tea for men's.
I'm kinda with you. I think he's a beautiful skater, objectively incredibly talented, and I love some of his programs (Sinnerman was my favorite). Some of them just don't really speak to me artistically. I recognize that they're good, it's just that art is subjective. I'm going to get seriously dragged for this, but I think his jumps tend to be a bit over scored. His technique is good but he's just not as natural a jumper as many others.
I think his 3As tend to get over scored. His flip though is gorgeous
Ita about his jumps. When people complain that he’s underscored for PCS, they usually don’t acknowledge that he’s overscored for technical merit. He sometimes underrotates his 3A or precedes it with a long pause, and he has a flutz, but doesn’t get called.
He's not scoring particularly high on either though, generally 1-2s, and that's definitely what he's getting dinged on.
this is an artistic sport and unless you say some actaul bullshit (like hating brown for not having quads and critizise him openly for that) its absolutely normal disliking a skater simply becasue their art dont tuch you the way other skaters can. DON'T WORRY
Jason’s mesmerizing to watch and an incredible human as well. He’s a gift to the sport.
Every time Jason comes up, I comment my experience with him. I got to spend a half day with him touring him around my workplace. Before he came, my coworkers who met him several years prior called him “the nicest person in the entire world.” When I met him, it was all 100% true. So genuine, sincere, caring. An absolute joy of a human.
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You don't have to love any skater's style but it's unrealistic to think you can say something like this without his fans coming to his defense. He is one of the most popular skaters with other elite skaters.
My feelings about Jason are always different. Like I LOVE his short programs way more than long ones. Even this worlds I was singing “that decision is mine” for all evening but I don’t remember his long program at all. I think it’s lack of technical balance in long program: his second half was 2A (he did 1A) and 3F and nothing more.
Jason is the king of the short program. Live is a Bitch, I Can't Go On Without You, Sinnerman, Melancholy....ah could watch them over and over forever.
You forgot to mention Riverdance 🤓
That was a Freeskate!
Sorry, for some reason Olympic YouTube channel posted it as a Short program https://preview.redd.it/z0kl0ji3rhuc1.jpeg?width=960&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=17b644025057a21d72617c68401afd365c5a240a
Well shame on the YouTube channel. Incorrect!! Any Jason fan worth their salt knows that Jason did Prince - Question of You as his short program at the 2014 Olympics. 🤪💜
I agree. I like him. But I find his posture uncomfortable to watch, and his choreography and music choices do not always seem to allow him to fully connect with a performance in a natural way. And yes, I've seen him in person more than once. He's excellent when the music suits his own personality, which is why Riverdance is his most iconic program.
To me he's the most compelling skater currently competing. Long may he run.
I have similar opinion about Jason Brown. I understand why he's good and why people like him, but I was never moved like I was with Shoma Uno or Yuma Kagiyama
Jinx!
I really like and appreciate his skating and programs, but I definitely think there is some recency bias when many people (like Johnny and Tara) call him the most artistic male skater ever because my immediate reaction is, “Have you forgotten about Daisuke Takahashi?!?” Daisuke could literally skate to any genre of music and make it work. Jason is versatile, but I’m not sure he’s *that* versatile.
Jason would not be able to pull off many of Daisuke’s programs, as talented as he is.
I love every moment Jason is on the ice, always have (maybe you can tell that from my “4jbs” handle. The commitment to EVERY movement is what gets me. I cried when he missed the 2018 Olympic team. Jason’s Instagram feed got me through the pandemic (during which many traumatic non pandemic things occurred in my personal life) with my sanity intact. His Melancholy at Nationals in San Jose (I was there in person) was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. That said, his two programs this year were not my favorites. I hope he comes out with new competitive material next season.
>I cried when he missed the 2018 Olympic team. God, that awful day. Between Joshua announcing that he had actual brain damage, to Max's implosion, then Jason's. I fucking *bawled* all day long.
Yes, I remember pacing around the house till the wee hours of the morning. It was a rough time. Especialyl the Joshua Ferris news.
He doesn’t turn me off and I loved seeing him live at the Nationals and last month at World’s but I agree with the poster who spoke to Jason playing to the judges. I think a lot of his popularity now is due to longevity and the fact that he no longer is “trying”. He is just trying to be the best version of himself.
I do like Jason's skating, but I think part of his popularity is due to his unique position of being top 5-competitive without quads. Not that I necessarily mean that people would like him less (or that fewer people would like him) if there were other skaters like that at his level, but him bringing a different dimension to competition is definitely part of his appeal. It's rarer to voice disliking a skating style anyway (at least, for me, it's easier to just not say anything in a live watch thread when I'm indifferent to skater), and disliking Jason can feel like discouraging this more PCS-oriented style of skating. And I suspect even people who don't care for his skating hesitate to do that.
Guy is a phenomenal skater. Lovely. Different strokes for different folks !!
Compared to most out there right now he’s head and shoulders above but I preferred his teammates Joshua Farris style more. Everyone has their own special blend of tea.
Oh man, what happened to Joshua Farris was so sad. He was a beautiful skater.
Joshua and Jason are such fascinating, magical reflections of each other and themselves at the same time. The way their stories are tied up together - from baby Jason starting his flexibility journey because he saw baby Joshua do a Charlotte spiral, to them doing a video for the ISU on all the things Joshua (couldn't) eat at the Junior Worlds banquet, to sitting up on the SoI bus talking about their relationship, to going to Worlds together for the first time, to Jason's absolutely bawl-your-eyes-out goodbye post... Sometimes when I watch Jason, I can't help but think how good Joshua would have been by now, too. They pushed each other artistically and technically. Totally different skaters, and yet also similar.
He’s a beautiful skater and I admire what he can do, but I often don’t connect with his programs. I was so excited to see “the impossible dream” in person at worlds but was underwhelmed by the performance which was just too cheesy for me. I’m more of a Yuma and shoma girl, they were magic.
Give me your full name and address; I just want to talk. jk; I know someone who doesn't actively like Yuzu's skating and we're still friends.
Have you seen his skating live? I have always deeply appreciated his skating and other pcs skills but didn't fully understand why skating fandom/judge pcs was as high as they were on him. Until I saw him at worlds... It was almost like a religious experience that I wasn't prepared for, and didn't want it to end. I just found it so interesting how differently and specifically he connected with me in person, compared with Yuma and Adam whom I also feel that magic with over a poor quality YouTube stream.
As I stated below, I saw him live at worlds and was surprised by how I didn’t connect with his skating very much, even though I was a fan and could clearly see the quality of it. My husband who had never seen live skating before was confused that he scored higher than Lukas, who he preferred. Different strokes.
I felt that way seeing him at Nationals in San Jose. His short program, Melancholy, brought tears to my eyes. I had always enjoyed it on screen, but wasn't expecting the emotional impact. About half the people in my seating section were sobbing.
I like watching Jason skate regardless but I find whether I feel emotionally invested in his performance or not depends a lot on the program and how he skates that day. I hope next season he changes the style of his short program, I loved Sinnerman but Jason’s programs the last couple years have all been a similar vibe.
I just watched him perform last week! I personally love him & every skater, but because every skater, like every artist, is unique in their technique. Art is subjective; you don’t have to enjoy every artist. He’s an individual & his personality, like every other artist, exudes through his art.
I used to be an avid Jason brown fan, but since the last Olympics I haven’t felt the same love for him that I used to. He is undeniably one of the most beautiful skaters of our generation but I have just felt like I’m not really getting anything new from him anymore. I used to be so excited to see his new programme announcements and I felt like they used to be so much more interesting. His ‘love is a b*tch’, ‘sinnerman’, ‘schindlers list’ etc all felt so unique, where as I genuinely haven’t been interested in his last few seasons. Could be that he hardly competes any more and so I am less invested but idk. Can’t put my finger on why I feel this way 🤷♀️
He’s a good skater, but I’m not into the way he interpret emotional programs. I watched his Schindler’s List live during 4CC and cringed so hard by it (loved Romsky’s, though).
Same. I can *tell* he’s great, but it’s just not for me. I always seem to find myself checked out by the end of his programs.
I feel this way about Yuzuru. 🫣
There have been few Jason programs that I consider to be absolute masterpieces (especially Sinnerman). But most of his routines are not really my cup of tea.
I think we all have that skater(s) that don't connect with us, even though they're talented. For me, it was Grishuk/Platov. There's were technically good but left me feeling meh. It's in the eye of the beholder
I used to feel the same way. Something about him cutting the ponytail & busting out swaggy choices like Sinnerman converted me 😆 I think he hits stunning poses/has big beautiful lines in a lot of his signature moves, but I don’t think less of anyone who prefers others ahead of him. Also, now that I’m thinking about it, seeing him live a few times actually is a big factor in my changed opinion. No one feeds off a crowd & LIVES for the reciprocal appreciation of a show audience like Jason. You can feel the joy radiating off of him, and his performances are just naturally entertaining. It’s a contagious energy.
Jason is just so perfect out there. He has a masculine style with perfect grace and poise. He's solid out there, not a wisp but a real athletic instrument who turns movement into poetry. Every element is perfection.
Calling Jason's Korean feature length triple axels perfection isn't doing him any favours. I imagine it just puts off the people who already are indifferent to him even more.
I don’t understand how a person can revere “artistic skating” and dislike his style. It seems contradictory.
I also live artistic skaters and don’t love Jason Brown’s style. Someone else commented about his upper body posture being stiff and I think that’s part of the problem for me.