Social Media Paris Athletes

[GoldyGopher]

I disagree. Skinner needed to be held accountable for her words, and Simone ever the advocate, defended and supported her teammates. I am glad that she made the comment and Skinner blocked her in response. Skinner is the coward here, she could have used the opportunity to apologize to the gymnasts she hurt and promised to do better. Instead she has not and blocked Simone. Cop out.
I am Team Simone here.

Agreed. As a Gen Xer (yes I'm old) I don't get or care about the social media battles. But as pointed out, in that realm, accountability is something that rarely happens. Simone didn't tag Skinner in her post (or at least I don't think she did). There should some accountability to what Skinner said; the team it was directed out to gets to call that out.

It's also a bit gendered....Male football, hockey, baseball, and even Phelps being pissed about Australia's complaining about the cowbell, we let it go. Mahomes says the Kermit thing will get handled on the field; Biles pointed out that is what this team did--they handled it by winning. It happens all the time in professional sports with men.
Now, if they keep calling her out, I might switch sides. But it's not like she has constantly been posting about the comments.

 

[RedBirdie]

I am sorry to be late to this discussion, but I am a bit shocked. Judging by the number of likes this comment received, lots of you think Simone has NEVER shown the slightest bit of professionalism?!

Since I am the one who made the comment, no, I don't think she conducts herself on social media responsibly. Witness her reaction when FlipFlyTumble tweeted that she's thought Simone's new floor music was ..... not great.

Simone knows that when she reacts negatively to something on social media, tons of her fans will not only rush to her defense, but engage in bullying the "offending" account. Which is exactly what happens time and time again. Yes, it's unprofessional, particularly at this point in her career.

 

[Passion]

She did apologize. They can hate her all they want, but move on already.

Simone never said anything when McKayla sent out petty tweets about Gabby in 2016. She complained about people trolling on social media and I thought she would have learned the harm words can cause. Turn the other cheek.

Simone was too busy trolling Gabby on Twitter herself back then.

 

[glamafonic]

No no no, that's not trolling. That's putting their business on the street. Significant difference.

 

[Hatsumomo]

Since I am the one who made the comment, no, I don't think she conducts herself on social media responsibly. Witness her reaction when FlipFlyTumble tweeted that she's thought Simone's new floor music was ..... not great.

Simone knows that when she reacts negatively to something on social media, tons of her fans will not only rush to her defense, but engage in bullying the "offending" account. Which is exactly what happens time and time again. Yes, it's unprofessional, particularly at this point in her career.

This is an issue I have with a lot of big accounts on social media. They have a legion of sycophants they can sic on anybody for the most inconsequential slight. It wouldn't even be anything that was actually insulting, but they get bullied into locking down or deleting their accounts.

And some of these people get "Yasss girl!"ed over a cliff. I've seen a few completely ruin their reputations and future opportunities because they listened to their groupies over common sense.

 

[RedBirdie]

It's also a bit gendered....Male football, hockey, baseball, and even Phelps being pissed about Australia's complaining about the cowbell, we let it go. Mahomes says the Kermit thing will get handled on the field; Biles pointed out that is what this team did--they handled it by winning. It happens all the time in professional sports with men.

I follow a bunch of NHL and MLB players on Twitter. None of them behave the way Simone does

 

[Memphisgym]

1) It's both gendered and racialized. Black athletes (Black folks), female athletes (women) live with hyper-surveillance.

2) There's a generational divide between those who have lived their entire lives with social media and those who remember the Before Social era. How we decide what's appropriate or inappropriate to post is influenced by that divide.

3) If I were Simone's publicist, I would get her some strong surrogates to post the cattier stuff. Clapbacks trend, but I always want the talent to keep their hands clean. Every talent needs a clapback clan. Have you ever noticed that Beyonce rarely responds, but Tina Knowles (and Yvette Noel-Schure) will light you up? That's a strategy.

 

[Kittentoes]

I mean, this is why I (also a doddering old Gen X) don't have Twitter, don't have Tik Tok, and check in on Insta about once every three months.
But I had a real dog shit of a day, and I laughed so hard when I saw Wendy's, Wendy's, of all things, was joining in. And while I generally think someone needs to put Simone's phone in the freezer, I was furious at what Mykayla said about these fantastic athletes. Absolutely livid. Soooo, I didn't mind the golden jabs too much, and then I will just go back to my very limited social media diet.

 

[Laura722]

Bad behavior doesn't justify other bad behavior. I'll leave my thoughts at that.

 

[Denn]

3) If I were Simone's publicist, I would get her some strong surrogates to post the cattier stuff. Clapbacks trend, but I always want the talent to keep their hands clean. Every talent needs a clapback clan. Have you ever noticed that Beyonce rarely responds, but Tina Knowles (and Yvette Noel-Schure) will light you up? That's a strategy.

To me, this seems like so much work with so little benefit... and part of a vicious feedback loop.

 

[Bob]

If it unclassy for the 'star' to do it then it is even more unclassy for them to get a surrogate to do it.
As for 'putting their business on the street' really?

I feel Simone always has to have the last word. And I feel she uses her 'army' of fans to reinforce.

 

[MaryClare]

Simone’s initial comment of “lazy, lack of talent Olympic champions” was funny and put her point across. It should have ended there.

Whilst I do find that Simone is often unprofessional on social media, I think the Mykayla comments she has taken personally with good reason. They were good friends. At nationals/trials in 2021, Simone and Jonathan went out for dinner with Mykayla and her husband every night. Simone then roomed with her in Tokyo. In the middle of the chaos of what went on at TF, it was Simone, knowing that Mykayla was scheduled to leave in the morning, who told Cecile to text Lisa and get her to stay. Mykayla was invited to her wedding and when Charlotte was born, Simone sent a gift.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

Fwiw I think it was reasonable of Simone to address the criticisms about laziness. Personally I'd hope to have better things to do if I'd just won an Olympic gold medal than give Mykayla Skinner any attention, but I agree with @MaryClare she was within her rights and it was aptly done. I'd also have felt personally hurt in Simone's position too, since they were friends. It can't have felt good to hear that from someone you were fond of, and who you had thought was fond of you too.

However, there's no denying that Simone has had a long term issue with her social media use, in a way that sometimes harms her, as well as other people. We all know what happened in Tokyo. More recently, she handled the nonsense over her husband's interview badly, in a way that prolonged the interest. People were being dicks, certainly, but it was clearly bothering her and her continued engagement prolonged that. Not saying that's fair, but we all know how it works.

And this has been going since the early days. I remember just after 2015 worlds she had one of those ask me a question things, and saw her giving some problematic questions attention then. One person asked her if she'd had sex, another was really rude to her about Paseka beating her. As she was just 18 and probably not famous enough then to have needed much PR help, one wouldn't expect professionalism. But I remember thinking at the time, it is not a good idea to engage with this kind of shit and it's going to get worse when she wins the Olympics. It has, and so did she.

It happens that the social media engagement is working in her favour right now. That could all change very quickly.

 

[glamafonic]

As for 'putting their business on the street' really?

Yes, really. That's what it's called when you confront someone publicly about something that you should've discussed with them in a private conversation.

Trolling, conversely, is generally just being mean to a stranger over the internet in order to rile them up.

What's the objection?

 

[Seyonne]

Didn’t she take issue with something Morgan Hurd said and tweeted “Get her” or words to that effect? I remember my feelings for her shifting a bit. I thought, “Wow, she knows her power and how to use it. And, not in a good way.”

 

[brg09]

@Bob it says "And still I rise".
It also is the name of the Netflix documentary "Simone Rising".
She got the tattoo in recognition of the Twisties, Tokyo, social media hate, and rising above all of that. She mentioned it inthe documentary I believe.

Well then, I stand corrected. Not lame.

She has gotten away with her social media habits because she's Simone Biles. She's 27 and married. She should know by now not to get involved in social media drama.

Skinner has already been rightfully dragged once. After winning gold, Simone, Jordan, and Suni decided she needed it again for some reason. They are behaving like they are 11.

Agreed. Just let it die. You just won an effing OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL. Why bring up Mykayla's stupidity again?

She did apologize. They can hate her all they want, but move on already.

Simone never said anything when McKayla sent out petty tweets about Gabby in 2016. She complained about people trolling on social media and I thought she would have learned the harm words can cause. Turn the other cheek.

Very true. She acknowledges the social media can be harmful if used the wrong way but continues to perpetuate the cycle for attention. It's kind of gross.

 

[flappergirl]

Don’t assume it’s for attention, it seems defensive. For her team or herself.

 

[Hatsumomo]

@Bob it says "And still I rise".
It also is the name of the Netflix documentary "Simone Rising".
She got the tattoo in recognition of the Twisties, Tokyo, social media hate, and rising above all of that. She mentioned it inthe documentary I believe.

It's also from a very well-known Maya Angelou poem

Simone’s initial comment of “lazy, lack of talent Olympic champions” was funny and put her point across. It should have ended there.

Exactly. It was * chef's kiss * perfect. The right amount of petty. She doesn't need to say anything else; she already set off Twitter. Let Twitter have their fun and let it die off organically. The point's been made, it's clear Skinner burned all her bridges to gymnastics, Biles doesn't need to give her any more attention lest the Internet that was enjoying her pettiness starts regarding it as bullying.

 

[Passion]

I think the Mykayla comments she has taken personally with good reason. They were good friends. At nationals/trials in 2021, Simone and Jonathan went out for dinner with Mykayla and her husband every night. Simone then roomed with her in Tokyo. In the middle of the chaos of what went on at TF, it was Simone, knowing that Mykayla was scheduled to leave in the morning, who told Cecile to text Lisa and get her to stay. Mykayla was invited to her wedding and when Charlotte was born, Simone sent a gift.

I'd also have felt personally hurt in Simone's position too, since they were friends. It can't have felt good to hear that from someone you were fond of, and who you had thought was fond of you too.

“Besides Simone, I feel like the talent and the depth just isn't like what it used to be. I just notice like, I mean, obviously a lot of girls don't work as hard. The girls just don't have the work ethic.”

Simone is the only gymnast in America Skinner didn’t insult, likely because of their (formerly) close friendship.

 

[Passion]

Didn’t she take issue with something Morgan Hurd said and tweeted “Get her” or words to that effect? I remember my feelings for her shifting a bit. I thought, “Wow, she knows her power and how to use it. And, not in a good way.”