Thoughts on Gifted Hater?

[Shrinedescender]

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If y'all are cool with a precedent being set where skaters come up through Instagram, barely skate, and get all this attention as an "influencer" propped up by the industry than that's on you. You can continue to parasocially support by commenting "stoked for them" and "get that bag" under every corny lifestyle article and brand endorsement post while getting nothing of value in return.

It doesn't just go for Beatrice, though she's one of the most high profile examples, but for any person of any race or gender being propped up as a representative for skateboarding while doing none of those things to earn that place. Skating as an industry is subject to certain kinds of capital constraints, and as a subculture it's subject to certain kinds of cultural constraints; in other words, it's a zero sum game. The more this influencer type BS is given money and encouragement, the more it takes away from people who actually care about skating and are trying to contribute to it and progress it in a productive way.

The question is not, 'Is skateboarding big enough for everyone?' But how do we highlight who/what is worth highlighting with the available resources of the industry. Because while skateboarding can grow and small board brands that no one pays attention to can emerge with their own opportunities, what's considered cool and who the respected figures of the industry are will always be a limited circle. I think if we encourage people to take this kind of approach then we allow Vogue and the NYT to dictate what's cool in skating, regardless of their actual merit as skateboarders, and those people are ultimately rewarded with pro status over others. Call it fear based, but I think if you care about the integrity of skateboarding then its reasonable to call this kind of stuff out for the problems it raises.

[close]

Dude go touch some grass

It's ninety degrees out I'm chillin inside

[Kook Me Amadeus]

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If y'all are cool with a precedent being set where skaters come up through Instagram, barely skate, and get all this attention as an "influencer" propped up by the industry than that's on you. You can continue to parasocially support by commenting "stoked for them" and "get that bag" under every corny lifestyle article and brand endorsement post while getting nothing of value in return.

It doesn't just go for Beatrice, though she's one of the most high profile examples, but for any person of any race or gender being propped up as a representative for skateboarding while doing none of those things to earn that place. Skating as an industry is subject to certain kinds of capital constraints, and as a subculture it's subject to certain kinds of cultural constraints; in other words, it's a zero sum game. The more this influencer type BS is given money and encouragement, the more it takes away from people who actually care about skating and are trying to contribute to it and progress it in a productive way.

The question is not, 'Is skateboarding big enough for everyone?' But how do we highlight who/what is worth highlighting with the available resources of the industry. Because while skateboarding can grow and small board brands that no one pays attention to can emerge with their own opportunities, what's considered cool and who the respected figures of the industry are will always be a limited circle. I think if we encourage people to take this kind of approach then we allow Vogue and the NYT to dictate what's cool in skating, regardless of their actual merit as skateboarders, and those people are ultimately rewarded with pro status over others. Call it fear based, but I think if you care about the integrity of skateboarding then its reasonable to call this kind of stuff out for the problems it raises.

[close]

When have institutions like this ever determined what’s “cool” in skating?  Also it seems like your issues lie primarily with Dill, not with Beatrice - who is simply living her life.  No need to villify her.

[close]

Like GH, my problem's will Dill and the industry. Couldn't care less about Beatrice herself, there's a hundred Beatrices of varying degrees.

Fair enough, and I agree it’s fair to criticize a company owner for making someone pro you don’t feel has earned it yet.

But I still feel like you’re making some unfair assumptions by saying:

any person of any race or gender being propped up as a representative for skateboarding while doing none of those things to earn that place

Who are the other people being propped up you know of.  And let’s pretend for a second dropping a video part actually was the only way to officially obtain pro status.  Wouldn’t she actually be extremely fucking close to doing all the right things?

it's a zero sum game. The more this influencer type BS is given money and encouragement, the more it takes away from people who actually care about skating

I truly don’t believe this is true.  I know this isn’t that serious of a topic in the grander scheme of the world, but thinking there’s not enough to go around isn’t always the healthiest perspective.

[Shrinedescender]

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If y'all are cool with a precedent being set where skaters come up through Instagram, barely skate, and get all this attention as an "influencer" propped up by the industry than that's on you. You can continue to parasocially support by commenting "stoked for them" and "get that bag" under every corny lifestyle article and brand endorsement post while getting nothing of value in return.

It doesn't just go for Beatrice, though she's one of the most high profile examples, but for any person of any race or gender being propped up as a representative for skateboarding while doing none of those things to earn that place. Skating as an industry is subject to certain kinds of capital constraints, and as a subculture it's subject to certain kinds of cultural constraints; in other words, it's a zero sum game. The more this influencer type BS is given money and encouragement, the more it takes away from people who actually care about skating and are trying to contribute to it and progress it in a productive way.

The question is not, 'Is skateboarding big enough for everyone?' But how do we highlight who/what is worth highlighting with the available resources of the industry. Because while skateboarding can grow and small board brands that no one pays attention to can emerge with their own opportunities, what's considered cool and who the respected figures of the industry are will always be a limited circle. I think if we encourage people to take this kind of approach then we allow Vogue and the NYT to dictate what's cool in skating, regardless of their actual merit as skateboarders, and those people are ultimately rewarded with pro status over others. Call it fear based, but I think if you care about the integrity of skateboarding then its reasonable to call this kind of stuff out for the problems it raises.

[close]

When have institutions like this ever determined what’s “cool” in skating?  Also it seems like your issues lie primarily with Dill, not with Beatrice - who is simply living her life.  No need to villify her.

[close]

Like GH, my problem's will Dill and the industry. Couldn't care less about Beatrice herself, there's a hundred Beatrices of varying degrees.

[close]

Fair enough, and I agree it’s fair to criticize a company owner for making someone pro you don’t feel has earned it yet.

But I still feel like you’re making some unfair assumptions by saying:

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any person of any race or gender being propped up as a representative for skateboarding while doing none of those things to earn that place

[close]

Who are the other people being propped up you know of.  And let’s pretend for a second dropping a video part actually was the only way to officially obtain pro status.  Wouldn’t she actually be extremely fucking close to doing all the right things?

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it's a zero sum game. The more this influencer type BS is given money and encouragement, the more it takes away from people who actually care about skating

[close]

I truly don’t believe this is true.  I know this isn’t that serious of a topic in the grander scheme of the world, but thinking there’s not enough to go around isn’t always the healthiest perspective.

This has become the Kook Me Amadeus rebuttal thread and everyone but me hates it.

If you're asking about an example of someone being propped up as a representative of skateboarding who earned that spot I'd cite Alexis Sablone, who was getting a lot of media attention from outside skateboarding as a figurehead around the time the Olympics were happening. She came on the scene with a part in "PJ Ladd's WHL" in 2002 when the market for female skating was a fragment of what it currently is. She's consistently put out great parts like the one in a Converse video recently which had her in contest for Skater of the Year, doing absolutely buck shit, pushing women's street skating forward (and she ain't young). She's one of the central advocates for women's skating, helps design skateparks, and doesn't gloat over herself in every interview.

My latter point was that there hypothetically is room for everyone in skating, assuming brands keep emerging, but the mainstream and money in skating will always be relegated to a select few. I think people should be rewarded at that echelon for criteria other than solely 'are they popular on Instagram', 'do they fit a particular demographic', 'can he/she/they be made to look cool in puff pieces'.

[Kook Me Amadeus]

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If y'all are cool with a precedent being set where skaters come up through Instagram, barely skate, and get all this attention as an "influencer" propped up by the industry than that's on you. You can continue to parasocially support by commenting "stoked for them" and "get that bag" under every corny lifestyle article and brand endorsement post while getting nothing of value in return.

It doesn't just go for Beatrice, though she's one of the most high profile examples, but for any person of any race or gender being propped up as a representative for skateboarding while doing none of those things to earn that place. Skating as an industry is subject to certain kinds of capital constraints, and as a subculture it's subject to certain kinds of cultural constraints; in other words, it's a zero sum game. The more this influencer type BS is given money and encouragement, the more it takes away from people who actually care about skating and are trying to contribute to it and progress it in a productive way.

The question is not, 'Is skateboarding big enough for everyone?' But how do we highlight who/what is worth highlighting with the available resources of the industry. Because while skateboarding can grow and small board brands that no one pays attention to can emerge with their own opportunities, what's considered cool and who the respected figures of the industry are will always be a limited circle. I think if we encourage people to take this kind of approach then we allow Vogue and the NYT to dictate what's cool in skating, regardless of their actual merit as skateboarders, and those people are ultimately rewarded with pro status over others. Call it fear based, but I think if you care about the integrity of skateboarding then its reasonable to call this kind of stuff out for the problems it raises.

[close]

When have institutions like this ever determined what’s “cool” in skating?  Also it seems like your issues lie primarily with Dill, not with Beatrice - who is simply living her life.  No need to villify her.

[close]

Like GH, my problem's will Dill and the industry. Couldn't care less about Beatrice herself, there's a hundred Beatrices of varying degrees.

[close]

Fair enough, and I agree it’s fair to criticize a company owner for making someone pro you don’t feel has earned it yet.

But I still feel like you’re making some unfair assumptions by saying:

Expand Quote

any person of any race or gender being propped up as a representative for skateboarding while doing none of those things to earn that place

[close]

Who are the other people being propped up you know of.  And let’s pretend for a second dropping a video part actually was the only way to officially obtain pro status.  Wouldn’t she actually be extremely fucking close to doing all the right things?

Expand Quote

it's a zero sum game. The more this influencer type BS is given money and encouragement, the more it takes away from people who actually care about skating

[close]

I truly don’t believe this is true.  I know this isn’t that serious of a topic in the grander scheme of the world, but thinking there’s not enough to go around isn’t always the healthiest perspective.

[close]

This has become the Kook Me Amadeus rebuttal thread and everyone but me hates it.

If you're asking about an example of someone being propped up as a representative of skateboarding who earned that spot I'd cite Alexis Sablone, who was getting a lot of media attention from outside skateboarding as a figurehead around the time the Olympics were happening. She came on the scene with a part in "PJ Ladd's WHL" in 2002 when the market for female skating was a fragment of what it currently is. She's consistently put out great parts like the one in a Converse video recently which had her in contest for Skater of the Year, doing absolutely buck shit, pushing women's street skating forward (and she ain't young). She's one of the central advocates for women's skating, helps design skateparks, and doesn't gloat over herself in every interview.

My latter point was that there hypothetically is room for everyone in skating, assuming brands keep emerging, but the mainstream and money in skating will always be relegated to a select few. I think people should be rewarded at that echelon for criteria other than solely 'are they popular on Instagram', 'do they fit a particular demographic', 'can he/she/they be made to look cool in puff pieces'.

I wasn’t 

[TwisT]

Arguing in circles the same points about Beatrice’s career that was all pretty much covered in the Beatrice pro thread. No new ground covered. No innovative point of view.

[jgonzalez]

Does joa even cook with cast iron

[DERBY]

Does joa even cook with cast iron

[The Mexican Nancy Chin]

He seems like a postmates every night kind of guy. I can see him pouring milk into some cereal though. Perhaps an instant ramen every now and then, maybe even an instant oatmeal

[No Wave Comply]

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Especially one with such a limited world view. He is constantly saying that video parts and street skating are the core of skateboarding, and that it has always been this way. It’s true that it has been this way for as long as he has been alive, but it certainly has not always been that way and I think anyone who understands even a little bit of skate history knows this. Skateboarding existed for decades without videos, without street skating, and with a pro only getting a deck because of their popularity (usually due to contest wins).

Whether he realizes it or not, he is upset that there is a new form of pro skateboarding taking shape. There is definitely an irony in dying on this hill, when you yourself have achieved amateur skateboard status based on your YouTube channel.

[close]

Preach man.  Used to be contests were the path, then Rocco started turning kids like Billy Waldman pro at age 12 or whatever.  I dont really like Dill but he has as much right as anyone to turn someone pro.  Separating YouTube videos and Instagram videos like they’re this wholly different animal is disengenous on some level, as much as I can appreciate how proper video parts distinguish certain skaters as being great.

Chris Branaugh was the tween kid that Rocco turned pro for World as a show of power towards the industry in general—and Mike V. in particular. I was gonna comment on this Beatrice topic by saying it reminded me of Chris Branaugh/World/Rocco, so good looking out. It’s basically Dill trying to flex like Rocco, daring people to shout, “the Empress has no clothes.”

[Kook Me Amadeus]

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Especially one with such a limited world view. He is constantly saying that video parts and street skating are the core of skateboarding, and that it has always been this way. It’s true that it has been this way for as long as he has been alive, but it certainly has not always been that way and I think anyone who understands even a little bit of skate history knows this. Skateboarding existed for decades without videos, without street skating, and with a pro only getting a deck because of their popularity (usually due to contest wins).

Whether he realizes it or not, he is upset that there is a new form of pro skateboarding taking shape. There is definitely an irony in dying on this hill, when you yourself have achieved amateur skateboard status based on your YouTube channel.

[close]

Preach man.  Used to be contests were the path, then Rocco started turning kids like Billy Waldman pro at age 12 or whatever.  I dont really like Dill but he has as much right as anyone to turn someone pro.  Separating YouTube videos and Instagram videos like they’re this wholly different animal is disengenous on some level, as much as I can appreciate how proper video parts distinguish certain skaters as being great.

[close]

Chris Branaugh was the tween kid that Rocco turned pro for World as a show of power towards the industry in general and Mike V. in particular. I was gonna comment on this Beatrice topic by saying it reminded me of Chris Branaugh/World/Rocco, so good looking out. It’s basically Dill trying to flex like Rocco, dating people to shout, “the Empress has no clothes.”

Thanks for the correction, this muckmouth interview with Chris is pretty interesting.

https://www.muckmouth.com/branagh.html

[Steely Daniel]

He seems like a postmates every night kind of guy. I can see him pouring milk into some cereal though. Perhaps an instant ramen every now and then, maybe even an instant oatmeal

He's pretty high on Annie's mac and cheese too lol

[No Wave Comply]

I agree with Amadeus. My opinion is that if you're aware, as a white person, of the reality of race in America, the wise move is to not come after a woman of color. You can say that quite simply, in fact. "Not really my job to talk shit on this person. Being a black woman comes with challenges I'll never understand, as one of the whitest people on the planet."

You certainly don't have to, it just might be the more tolerant move.

Also, the cool thing about skateboarding is that since it's not a point-based system, Johnathon Athlete Switchflipbacktail is not always the one who gets his name on the board. It comes down to intangibles. Because of that, skateboarding is the perfect place for someone who is generally seen to have less value to make a little (and I mean A LITTLE) money from the industry and get some notoriety.

I know you have good intentions and tolerance is an admirable goal, but true equality doesn’t mean you’re exempt from criticism.

I think many are mistaking criticism for serious vitriol and hostility. It’s also a bit hyperbolic to bring up “right wing” and “reactionary.” It’s not that serious. Maybe his goal (possibly inadvertent or unarticulated) is to get Beatrice to react by actually putting out a part, a clap back (as he mentioned about the whole Tyshawn-switch-picnic-table-ollie situation). Shutting GH up would be a great outcome.

[No Wave Comply]

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He seems like a postmates every night kind of guy. I can see him pouring milk into some cereal though. Perhaps an instant ramen every now and then, maybe even an instant oatmeal

[close]

He's pretty high on Annie's mac and cheese too lol

Haha. Peaced on Peace Pasta.

[The Mexican Nancy Chin]

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He seems like a postmates every night kind of guy. I can see him pouring milk into some cereal though. Perhaps an instant ramen every now and then, maybe even an instant oatmeal

[close]

He's pretty high on Annie's mac and cheese too lol

[close]

Haha. Peaced on Peace Pasta.

Cheesed off cheese
(s)'macked on mac

[backfliptofiftyfifty]

think abt the caliber of skaters that are on/were on FA. then look at beatrice. can you name a single memorable trick, part, contest, clip?

even though most the guys in FA don't skate anymore, at one point they were some of the "coolest" skaters in the scene and established themselves as so.

people are upset because beatrice barely puts out anything other then a 50-50 fs shuv out and a mediocre ig clip once a year and she spends most of her time doing interviews abt how deserved she is of her position in skateboarding. like cmon dude

[fs_filip]

think abt the caliber of skaters that are on/were on FA. then look at beatrice. can you name a single memorable trick, part, contest, clip?

even though most the guys in FA don't skate anymore, at one point they were some of the "coolest" skaters in the scene and established themselves as so.

people are upset because beatrice barely puts out anything other then a 50-50 fs shuv out and a mediocre ig clip once a year and she spends most of her time doing interviews abt how deserved she is of her position in skateboarding. like cmon dude

50-50 shuv out

[WorldsbestWeedsm0ker]

Beatrice dis Beatrice dat - why y’all keep dropping my rep is the real question we should be debating

[LebowskisRug]

Who are the hundreds of riders FA is actually considering that they screwed over for her? As GH pointed out the current roster isn't actually skating much and the brand has hit its 10 year inevitable decline landmark. We don't know what kind of checks she actually gets it could be the bare minimum

[manysnakes]

think abt the caliber of skaters that are on/were on FA. then look at beatrice. can you name a single memorable trick, part, contest, clip?

even though most the guys in FA don't skate anymore, at one point they were some of the "coolest" skaters in the scene and established themselves as so.

people are upset because beatrice barely puts out anything other then a 50-50 fs shuv out and a mediocre ig clip once a year and she spends most of her time doing interviews abt how deserved she is of her position in skateboarding. like cmon dude

[jgonzalez]

think abt the caliber of skaters that are on/were on FA. then look at beatrice. can you name a single memorable trick, part, contest, clip?

even though most the guys in FA don't skate anymore, at one point they were some of the "coolest" skaters in the scene and established themselves as so.

people are upset because beatrice barely puts out anything other then a 50-50 fs shuv out and a mediocre ig clip once a year and she spends most of her time doing interviews abt how deserved she is of her position in skateboarding. like cmon dude

Shut up and say something about macaroni and cheese we’ve moved on

[glimmerati]

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How old is Beatrice? Everyone saying she's been hooked up by FA for like 10 years got me tripping. I can't imagine her being older than like 21 tops. I guess that's not too farfetched, but people make it seem like she's been an industry staple for over a decade, which lol no.

[close]

She's 28
That's her channel.
https://youtube.com/@ElementFlip101

If you compare this with here most recent footage you can't really see difference in skills

[close]

what are the chances that ollie up the 3 stair at :45 is actually switch or mirrored in editing?

 

[JANUS]

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think abt the caliber of skaters that are on/were on FA. then look at beatrice. can you name a single memorable trick, part, contest, clip?

even though most the guys in FA don't skate anymore, at one point they were some of the "coolest" skaters in the scene and established themselves as so.

people are upset because beatrice barely puts out anything other then a 50-50 fs shuv out and a mediocre ig clip once a year and she spends most of her time doing interviews abt how deserved she is of her position in skateboarding. like cmon dude

[close]

Shut up and say something about macaroni and cheese we’ve moved on

You gotta bake that shit, get some bread crumbs or panko on top and finish it with the broiler.

[The Mexican Nancy Chin]

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think abt the caliber of skaters that are on/were on FA. then look at beatrice. can you name a single memorable trick, part, contest, clip?

even though most the guys in FA don't skate anymore, at one point they were some of the "coolest" skaters in the scene and established themselves as so.

people are upset because beatrice barely puts out anything other then a 50-50 fs shuv out and a mediocre ig clip once a year and she spends most of her time doing interviews abt how deserved she is of her position in skateboarding. like cmon dude

[close]

Shut up and say something about macaroni and cheese we’ve moved on

[close]

You gotta bake that shit, get some bread crumbs or panko on top and finish it with the broiler.

Breaded Mac n cheese can be so nice. If anyone has leftover Mac n cheese in the fridge I highly recommended dividing it in little squares or spheres (most Mac n cheese sticks together when it's cold), breading it and then frying it. You will get some lovely little Mac n cheese bites! I recommend a marinara, aioli, sriracha, Valentina or chipotle mayo dipping sauce but there is for sure room to get creative. It's a fun little versatile snack

[burm]

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think abt the caliber of skaters that are on/were on FA. then look at beatrice. can you name a single memorable trick, part, contest, clip?

even though most the guys in FA don't skate anymore, at one point they were some of the "coolest" skaters in the scene and established themselves as so.

people are upset because beatrice barely puts out anything other then a 50-50 fs shuv out and a mediocre ig clip once a year and she spends most of her time doing interviews abt how deserved she is of her position in skateboarding. like cmon dude

[close]

Shut up and say something about macaroni and cheese we’ve moved on

[close]

You gotta bake that shit, get some bread crumbs or panko on top and finish it with the broiler.

[close]

Breaded Mac n cheese can be so nice. If anyone has leftover Mac n cheese in the fridge I highly recommended dividing it in little squares or spheres (most Mac n cheese sticks together when it's cold), breading it and then frying it. You will get some lovely little Mac n cheese bites! I recommend a marinara, aioli, sriracha, Valentina or chipotle mayo dipping sauce but there is for sure room to get creative. It's a fun little versatile snack

Pretty much all the recipes I see for mac'n'cheese (I'm from Europe so it's kind of an exotic dish around here) say to bake it with breadcrumbs, but it seems like such an extra step. Like first you boil the mac, making it perfect edible and cooked already, then you mix it in the sauce, which is already a perfectly good meal, and then at that point you should put it in the oven for some more time? If I wanted to spend an hour cooking I wouldn't be making mac n cheese, you know?

Instead I just make it a quattro formaggi and serve it with a chilled Gamay.

*edit deep fried mac'n'cheese bites (with a bit of jalapeno) are fucking great though, but I'm not making that shit at home

[JANUS]

Ooh damn, fried mac n cheese bites sound dope. And yeah, baking it is a whole extra step, so it’s not ideal for when you’re already super hungry, or if you’re just trying to have a lazy snack. But if you’ve got the time and nothing better to do, baking it with a breadcrumb topping is real nice.

[WavyDavy]

Käsespätzle > Mac n cheese

[Easy Slider]

Käsespätzle > Mac n cheese

100%

and Älplermagronen are the same thing as Mac n Cheese if I am not mistaken? Except maybe for the potatoes?

[Coastal Fever]

9 times out of 10… Kraft Mac N Cheese is better than any “fancy” mac and cheese you get from a restaurant.  Maybe this belongs in the Hot Little Takes thread.

[yghartsyrt]

Käsespätzle > Mac n cheese

100%

Especially with gravy

[Badmeaningood]

I mix in chopped cauliflower and spring onions with the mac and slice some tomatoes on the top before adding more cheese and breadcrumbs. It's important to use a strong mature cheddar within the white sauce mix, with more added to the top, along with parmesan.