Shawn Johnson

[Diekan]

K... is it me or this is country's fetish for her getting a little ridiculous.

Now understand that I don't fault her one bit as she can't control what other people do - but my God... people are flocking to her like Trekkies to a Shatter sighting. She won ONE gold... there are many other athletes who were quite a bit more successful over all - so why her? Why has this country chosen her as "America's Olympian?" Phelps is doing a lot too - SLN, Letterman, etc... HOWEVER... he also has 8 golds a few world records under his belt.

So what is it? Is if the cute factor? Is it her age? Why are people acting like she's the greatest thing since sliced bread?

Honestly - I'm glad she won her gold - but I really wasn't all that impressed... not enough to turn into a drooling star struck moron like the jackasses flocking to every public venue participates in.

[brinstar]

you watch too much TV

[Harrison]

I think it's just his woman RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGE

[araby]

I don't have any idea who that is.

[leah]

I don't have any idea who that is.

haha oh thank goodness. i was like "what the crap, who is he even talking about" but i didn't want to say so because i thought i'd be the only one

[Martrae]

I haven't a clue either.

I'm thinking Brin is right....

[Gypsiyee]

She's a US gymnast who competed this year as a favorite and did pretty well - not Phelps well, but she did okay.

I haven't seen *that* much coverage on her, but I've been more wrapped up in politics.. so not sure how to answer you, Diek.

[Arlos]

She's the not-quite-16-year old US gymnast, that got Silver in the all-around and Gold in the Balance Beam at this past Olympics.

And to answer the original question, she's cute and perky and the media has ALWAYS done that with female gymnasts who do well in the Olympics, going back to Mary Lou Retton in 1984. She was all over the place after that, back then, up to and including a Wheaties box.

This is nothing new. Get over it.

[Martrae]

Ah Nadia Comaneci....how you have been forgotten...

[Arlos]

No, she hasn't been forgotten, but she didn't get the same star treatment in the US that Retton did. Well, at least not that I remember, but then, I was 6 years old for the Montreal Olympics, so it's possible that I just don't remember Nadia getting more crazed fandom here in the US than Retton had.

-Arlos

[Martrae]

OMG...she was the cream of the crop. Every girl I knew wanted to be her and we all pretended we were making the same moves she did when we played on the monkey bars, tree branches, porch rails, etc. She got the very first Olympic perfect 10 in gymnastics and it fired all our imaginations.

[Arlos]

Sure, but firing the imaginations of young girls is not what we were discussing here, really. What was originally being discussed is the massive media exposure or over-exposure of someone. I remember Retton being everywhere on TV back then, in commercials, talk shows, etc. I don't remember the same for Nadia in 76, but again, as I said, I was pretty young and might just not remember it well enough. Also, part of the original point is that Nadia (or even Retton) did more to earn their exposure than Johnson, who didn't win the all-around, and neither changed the sport like Nadia did, nor broke new ground by being the first to win, like Retton.

-Arlos

[Martrae]

Nadia was on the cover of Time, Newsweek and I think Sport Illustrated within a week and then went home to Romania. I think if she'd been American the glut of Nadia-ism would have rivaled anything the modern press could manage. Which kind of was my point. The cute little girl gymnasts and figure skaters always get a disproportionate amount of attention.

Of course, that's just my opinion.

[Arlos]

Oh no, I'm in complete agreement. I was just trying to explain the fact to Diekan. heh.

-Arlos

[Tossica]

She's not that cute. Nadia was.

[brinstar]

maybe we SHOULD be discussing firing the imaginations of young girls

[KaiineTN]

Shawn Johnson is pretty cute. She's what, 4'9"? Doesn't that legally qualify her as a midget and get her handicap parking?

Olympic gold medalist and handicap parker! Neat title.

[Dimuza]

I don't know if it's the height so much as the weight. What is she - like 49 lbs? I feel like that is what will take her to the next level of superstardom. I can see the pitch for her now, in advertising conference rooms around the country.

"OK - so she's not Mary Lou. She didn't get multiple golds like the media said she was going to, and she's not the Tiger Woods of her generation of gymnasts. ....she does weigh 49 pounds. Come on, people! This broad is one skinny bitch! & she can do a cartwheel, yo!"

[Hylissa]

lol, first off she's actually almost 17

I think people that follow gymnastics make a big deal about her not only from the olympics, but she was the 2007 all-around world champion, and 2007 & 2008 US all-around champion. I wouldn't call her "America's Olympian", but she is a damn good gymnast.