Lochte DWTS Backlash
It seems like every season we get some angry fans of DWTS sending us messages on our contact us page about the inclusion of some star for whom they think shouldn’t be on the show. They think that this fan site is somehow the official DWTS website even though we clearly state on the contact us page that this is a fan site and that we have no relationship with the show, but I digress.
While I always find these people’s anger interesting, it’s usually not surprising. In the past, it was most heated when some political figure would be on the show. They’re desire for DWTS to “not be political” was never very surprising. The amazing part is that people’s response always followed a similar pattern:
1. I hate this star.
2. You shouldn’t have them on DWTS.
3. If you do have them, I’m not going to watch.
To date, DWTS has never changed their mind on a star and from most accounts it hasn’t really hurt ratings. In fact, in some cases it might have even helped ratings to have the controversial person on the show. I think that very few people actually stopped watching the show despite the threat. Let’s admit it. We all kind of want to watch a dumpster fire.
While we don’t usually highlight these people’s comments on the blog, this season we’ve been overwhelmed by how many people have sent us messages about Ryan Lochte being on DWTS. They all seem to follow the general pattern I showed above. Did Ryan Lochte do enough to really move the ratings needle down for DWTS? I don’t think so, but his actions have definitely drawn the ire of many.
Many argue that the producers are just putting Lochte on the show as a bit of a publicity stunt to promote the show. Although, on today’s DWTS Cast Announcement, Lochte says that he’d contracted with the show before his incident in Rio. I’m not sure how many people will believe anything that Lochte says though.
While DWTS has never avoided controversy, I’m interested to see how Lochte on DWTS plays out. Will we see another side of Lochte or will he see more shenanigans?
Here’s a small sample of what Pure DWTS readers have sent me on Lochte being on DWTS:
I am an original fan of DWTS. I am very disappointed that ABC and DWTS choose to include Ryan Lochte in the cast. Everyone makes mistakes and it will certainly cost him financially, but adding Lochte casts a shadow on DWTS. He embarrassed the US on a world stage. He needs to fade into the background and now he is in the promos for DWTS and one of only 2 cast members featured on GMA. I changed the channel when he was introduced. I realize I can choose not to watch his dances or the commercials before and after his performances- which I will do. I can only hope his time on DWTS is short lived!!
I’m sure your producers will not care one way or the other but I will boycot this show because that disgraceful Ryan Lochte will be on the cast. He brought shame to this country..he shows no remorse for his actions and continues to downplay his role. We should not be celebrating people like him. Once charges were filed against him by Brazil, he should have been dropped.
I was very sorry to hear that you have recruited Ryan Lochte for the next season. He does not deserve any sympathy or a second chance so soon for what he did in Rio. I suppose Dancing expects a ratings boost by signing Ryan Lochte on;and it just might backfire on you. I hope he is the first contestant to be voted off; he should be. He should never have been given this opportunity. This is a disappointment.
Ryan Lochte shouldn’t be dancing with anyone. He should be in Rio facing charges of filing a false police report.
He lied to his mother, to the police, to the world. He disgraced his team and country.
Lochte isn’t a good role model and shouldn’t be celebrated.
Allow him the consequences of his behavior by dropping him from the show.I have enjoyed watching many seasons of DWTS. However, I will not be watching season 23. I am very sorry you chose Ryan Lochte as a contestant. All of your previous contestants, while a diverse group, have been worth becoming acquainted with. After his behavior in Brazil, I don’t wish to waste any more of my time on Ryan Lochte. Someone who tells an outright lie, and then characterizes it as an over-exaggeration, all while acting as an ambassador for our country, is despicable. This is not a person I wish to watch as a source of my entertainment.
I just saw on GMA that Ryan Lochte has been selected as a contestant on your show. I have watched your show forever and will not watch now, as you have made a very poor choice in your selection of someone who has committed a crime in another country and has initially denied it.!!This doesnt say much for your show or your selection committee! I just cannot believe this ! You must not want people to watch your show!!!
very disappointed to see this guy in your line up. I’m Canadian, but completely respect the US as our family and neighbour. I’m disgusted in his lies in Rio, and that he embarrassed his country… shame on him… certain he is a spoiled disrespectful snob. I’ve been watching DWTS since day one… Will not watch him dance! will have to leave the room or fast forward through him.. hope he gets voted off 1st week.
For the first time since it stated, I will not watch dancing this year because of Ryan.
If Ryan Lochte is indeed on “Dancing with the Stars” this season, I and many others may have to skip this season. The young man is a disgrace. His recent antics in Rio reveal him as the narcissist that he is and a real deserter of his so called friends. Apologee not accepted, Ryan.
And DWTS should not reward this nonsense.Can’t believe you’re letting Ryan Lochte in on DWTS !!! It’s like approving and rewarding him for lying and approving of his arrogance !! Take him off your list, and forget about him forever !!
He’s done enough damage, doesn’t deserve this limelight!! Do you really want to lose viewers because of him ?? Think again !!If you put that criminal and shaker of US on your show I’ll never watch again. People will protest. Shame on you
I am a long time fan of DWTS, but I will NOT be viewing the show this coming season. Your decision to have Ryan Lochte on your show is in poor taste and I will not support a program that honors him.
He dishonored himself, his team, and his country. His antics took away the spotlight from athletes deserving of that spotlight. Now ABC and your producers are going to again give him a spotlight?
I understand his invitation was negotiated prior to the Olympics, but he should just be paid to walk away. Ryan Lochte should spend this TV season in Rio doing community service.
I’m sure many viewers feel the same as I. This is a poor decision and I say shame on you.Your selection of Ryan Lochte is stupid.
My wife and I have watched 22 seasons but 23 with Ryan Lochte will be done without us. He lied and now is getting rewarded for his actions. I know that he is the center of the attention for the moment but it will be without us.
Good Luck, Hope he does not piss on the wall during practice. A star studpid he is.
Next thing you know, DWTS is going to cast Colin Kaepernick.
Are there really this many people that think the Mods for Pure are actually in charge of who gets cast?? Yikes! As for Lochte-gate, I feel like it’s all getting blown out of proportion. The more details I hear about what really happened, the more it seems like he was just a drunk idiot who made a mistake. Phelps has 2 dui’s yet nobody ever brings that up. I hope he is able to move past this incident and I think it’s a pretty great cast overall.
Jess,
I only shared a small portion of the messages we got because they were so redundant. So, yes, a lot of people think that Pure DWTS is the official website. A bit ironic that they can’t read the clear disclaimer on the form that says we’re not.
I actually haven’t followed the Lochte incident in detail, so it’s a bit hard for me to comment on it. However, the pieces I’ve seen just make me think it was all really odd.
Ryan is guilty of being a drunken idiot who lied about what happened. Unfortunately, this played out on national TV and has since over shadowed all his accomplishments. We’ve all made mistakes and the guy deserves a second chance
This just amazes me. What he did was wrong BUT it wasn’t the end of the world. He made a mistake and it’s not like he was the first celeb to make a mistake. This makes me worry that he will be the first one out even if he can dance.
You mods do a really great job keeping people up to date with DWTS and that’s why you get confused with the official page! You should take it as a compliment! 😀
I have to say though, after the Rio incident IMO Lochte proved he is an immature, self-centered person. That might be my opinion of him, but it won’t stop me from enjoying my favorite TV show or from following his DWTS story. The truth is that we are all immature at some point and we all make mistakes. I’m not trying to defend him, on the contrary, but I will not let his mistakes affect my experience with a show I’ve loved for over a decade. And part of what I love is getting to know the stars and going though the “process” with them (however that might turn out).
I also really hope this does not affect Cheryl. I’m glad she is back and from GMA and her Instagram I get the feel she is ready and better than ever to take on the season!
So, at the moment he is not my favorite, but I will just refrain form judging him for anything other than his dances and his actions/behavior in DWTS and see how that goes.
I think if people are really this upset, then just don’t vote for him. Problem solved. I suspect he will be one of the first few gone a la Shannen Doherty but you never know with this show.
Sorry to hear that the Mods here have had to deal with all these notes. Know that what you do to keep us all informed about the show is much appreciated!!
Ryan “exaggerated” the situation but conversely, the Rio police and government did their own “exaggeration themselves. The only vandalizing done was when Ryan took down a $2.00 poster nothing was done to the bathroom like they claim. Yes, he lied w/c was a stupid thing to do but the media did their own too to exploit the situation.
I don’t condone his lying but look at a lot of politicians who have been found lying and still people vote for them.
I think of the steroids issues in baseball. Whenever someone comes forward and says they did it, America is quick to forgive them and move on. When they lie and try to hide it, America never forgets. Seems like that same principle applies to Lochte.
John that is unbelievable to confuse Pure with the actual program but it is not a surprise.
As far as Lochte he was stupid. Drunk as a skunk ugly American. Those 4 swimmers were a bad example and did something foolish and should get sanctioned for it. On the other hand Brazil isn’t so innocent in this matter either.
As someone else has stated Phelps brush with the law has not even been mentioned.
My feelings are mixed. Give the person another chance until he starts to look like a spoiled athlete then do something about him. Here is my real problem CHERYL. I am a big Cheryl fan and have been hoping she would come back and she did but why to this mess? I just hope all of this bad press doesn’t cause her a problem.
I am not bothered by Ryan. Yeah he made an ass of himself in front of the whole world but he also did amazing things at he Olympics. The only people that I might skip watching DWTS would probably be Donald Trump or maybe Mike Vick. And even then I’d probably still watch just to see them look like idiots. It’s entertainment tv people…it’s not life of death. If you don’t like a contestant change the station when they dance. I’ve actually had people compete where I was like gross and I ended up loving them on the show.
While I can’t condone Lochte’s behavior and then lying about it, I don’t view it as the huge scandal and embarrassment to the country and team. He has actually shown remorse and apologized. I have also heard (not sure if reliable) that the officials in Brazil have fabricated some details.
I also think the producers know exactly what they’re doing in having him on the show and pairing him with Cheryl. Like you said, people like to watch a dumpster fire. Or just maybe they will be surprised by his demeanor and/or dancing. It wouldn’t be the first time this show was about second chances and that’s part of why I enjoy it.
Shame on you mods for these casting choices. I will not be reading your site anymore? (Sarcasm). Lol. The way the media and everyone else is portraying Ryan, you would’ve thought he killed someone. I hope he’s not the first or second one out just because everyone dislikes him for what happened.
Samantha,
I’m still waiting for my check from ABC.
@John I keep saying that Heidi and Vogue ought to be on Derek Hough’s payroll for PDH. Since his own website has been defunct for awhile now.
You all do such a wonderful job with this website. The only people who don’t like it are fans of the C-bros. lol That’s because nothing here is sugar-coated by the mods about their antics or their performances. Contrary to popular belief, everything Maks,Val,Peta,Sharna,Artem,Keo do, isn’t all rainbows and cupcakes. LOL
Here’s to another great season of Dancing!!!!!
Awww thanks Kelly!! I love when you say that. 😉
John, if we’re getting this kind of mail, I can’t imagine what ABC must be getting. And I’d put money that all of these people will be watching and ratings will be higher than ever this season even with football and the election.
As for me, all I care about is his dancing. If he cops an attitude, I look forward to Cheryl shaping him up.
He clearly said that he signed on to do DWTS before the incident occurred…plus people love controversial contestants. I wouldn’t be surprised if this helps with ratings.
P.S.-Vogue, Courtney, Heidi and whoever else helps run this site, thank you so much. I know you all have busy lives like us that includes both professional and personal lives. You all work so hard to fill us in so we don’t have to do the deep research.
First, thanks to the ladies running this site for all their dedication hard work and wonderful manner of dealing with what gets said by all of us. You are all amazing! As for Ryan, this is between him, the Olympic Committee and his lawyer. He has apologized and it appears Brazil is not faultless in this either. We have all made mistakes in our youth. It is a dancing show. Just let him dance and allow Cheryl to deal with him. She will find a way to help him and present him in the best possible light. Glad the show is back! Here’s to a fun season and the awesome analysis of the mods. 🙂
Regardless of the controversy, I’m excited to see him on the show. He’s definitely a good “get” for the show considering it is now in its 23rd season. I think he has a good personality and however his partnership with Cheryl turns out will be a highlight (Will she take him down and take charge or will they get along extremely well from the start). I also don’t want to judge anyone before actually SEEING THEM DANCE. Thank you to all of those running this site for all of your hard work. Can’t wait for the season to start!
I agree with the many above who believe that the whole Rio incident was just some guys getting drunk and had to pee in a foreign country and didn’t clearly remember what happened. Unfortunately, Ryan told the embellished story on camera to someone he was friendly with while he was still drunk. The access hollywood people said he still reeked of alcohol while being interviewed.
Why aren’t people in an uproar about the Rio police wrongly accusing the guys of the serious crimes that they didn’t commit?
I am willing to just judge Ryan on his dancing and I hope to gawd that he can dance and charm everyone. Like someone said above, Phelps had two DUIs and did illegal drugs and people forgave and forgot his mistakes. I hope the same for Ryan.
I’m sorry that you all have to read such angry bile and am grateful that you keep most of it from affecting us, too, so thank you…
I wonder what the guy has to do to prove that he’s remorseful. I’ve heard him apologize a dozen times already and he is sure getting punished financially left and right. Reading these comments, though, it feels like people won’t feel like justice has been served until they personally get their pound of flesh, and that’s kind of scary considering that the only person he hurt was himself.
Did you get the same kinds of letters when Bristol Palin was chosen for the cast?
The media to a large degree shapes public opinion, and given the way they’ve ripped Lochte to shreds and really have not reported the whole story, I’m not surprised by the backlash. Will be interesting to see if the average DWTS viewer is repulsed by him and whether he and Cheryl can help turn public opinion. What he did pales in comparison to what our politicians do every day of the week IMO, including the two that want to lead our country.
Yeah, what Ryan did was stupid, but at least he didn’t kill someone. I’m seeing the “I hate Ryan Lochte” tweets on Twitter. Him being on the show won’t stop me from watching him. I don’t and won’t be voting for him.
I feel like the people that will take the time to make a comment about NOT watching a show, will often watch the show anyways. I see this with many shows – the same people saying they are going to quit watching continue to complain weeks later about the show. I think Ryan Lochte did something awful, but I’m not one for digging a hole & burying someone in it for their mistakes. I hope he has a positive showing on DWTS..
Psychee22,
Yep, Bristol was the only one that’s come even close to Lochte as far as messages we’ve gotten. Although, she wasn’t even close to what I’ve gotten for Lochte. That’s why I did this post. In fact, since this post I’ve probably gotten 6 more. I’ve just replied “You’re not alone: ” along with a link to this post 🙂
John, I like the short reply you have come up with to deal with these angry correspondents. Maybe reading this entry and our comments will help mitigate their rage. Good job!
Hey im from Brazil and I think that we aren’t That upset about, the guy made a mistake and have apologize to my country. I will be watching this season and Im super curious to watch him. Its going to be an amazing season.
This honestly reminds me of what you see from Bachelor/ette fans every season.. “Oh no I won’t watch if so and so is the lead.. blah blah blah.” As Reality Steve points out, yes you will watch, and the year to year ratings prove that. So moan and groan all you want, you’re giving TPTB exactly what they want– to be talked about.
I’m excited for Ryan if I’m being perfectly honest. I can’t even tell you what the names are of the other 3 guys involved in this mess, and let’s be honest the only reason we know Lochte was involved is because the media won’t let us forget (and at least the 1 other guy who did lie deserves to have his name thrown around some more). He’s the second most decorated male swimmer after Michael “2 DUI, bong smoking” Phelps. That is worse to me, because Michael Phelps could have killed someone. I’ve never been drunk in Rio, but I can imagine that situation may seem like a robbery to me if I was drunk in Rio. I think it takes a lot of balls for him to put himself on a national stage to be judged by the public to his face so soon after this all went down. Phelps went to rehab, Lochte is going to DWTS for image rehab. Give him a chance. Heck, we can do it with Big Ben of the Steelers & Kobe Bryant, who both had rape accusations and/or charges made against them. If he doesn’t continue to show himself in a better light, then take him to task.
This isn’t the first time DWTS has cast a controversial person- they do it all the time. Paula and her racist comments, Andy criminal issues, Floyd Mayweather’s arrests for domestic violence, Lil Kym’s perjury conviction, etc. etc.
Ryan’s problems are definitely more recent than the other contestants were when they did the show, but I don’t understand why some people are acting like its the first time DWTS has cast someone with criminal issues.
John I like your reply and always appreciate all the work you and the ladies do.
lol I can’t believe you guys actually get these kind of messages aka rants.
First off, I think Lochte coming on DWTS is a good move for him PR wise because he can /tell/ his story and hopefully come out of it with less backlash from Rio (and try and redeem his reputation a bit)
Secondly, of course DWTS is going to try and have someone controversial on the show, I doubt sending letters will persuade producers to kick him off
and finally, a lot of my favorite people on the show have been celebs that I didn’t think I would like based on their reputation and ended up loving (Paula Deen) so maybe we’ll see a different side to Lochte and not that douchey “fuck boy” frat boy vibe that I get from him
In all honesty, I would have preferred he be cast in the spring season. Knowing that he was signed before the Rio incident, I guess casting was trying to strike while the iron was hot, which makes sense.
I’m resigned to him being on the show. It helps that Cheryl is his partner. She’ll do a good job of ensuring that we see the dedicated world class athlete rather than the dudebro, overage frat boy. Successful athletes for the most part do very well on the show due to a stellar work ethic and the ability to compartmentalize nerves and anxiety in order to get the job done.
I’m also resigned to the fact that I might even end up liking him or even rooting for him. Actually, that’s what I hope happens. It’s better to shoot for the stars than sit in the gutter.
Isabella, good to see another brazilian DWTS fan around!!
As for Lochte I don’t really like him since way before this all happened and I doubt I will change my mind about him. I’m not mad but I am concerned the producers will go the same way they went with Antonio last season and that would be even more annoying.
My problems with Lochte are:
(a) Whether or not he likes it, he was representing the USA as a member of the US Olympic Team; and he “F’d” up — big-time. I’m an American who grew up overseas. So I know first-hand the “Ugly American” reputation we have abroad. Arrogant, ignorant behavior like his does a lot more harm than you can ever imagine.
(b) Despite all these “I’m boycotting” emails, there are as many or more Americans (some on this site) who say “aww, he made a mistake, he was drunk, cut him some slack”. I reckon most of those “give him a break Americans” would be *furious* if an athlete from another country did the same thing in the US and would be demanding they be punished to the full extent of the law.
Bottom line: When you screw up, there needs to be consequences. I don’t see any consequences here unless he gets his a$$ voted off in the first elimination. The chances of that happening are slim.
Bless your hearts for putting up with all the crazy! I’m sure grateful you do though..I love following this site.
Absolutely Cidra.
When you screw up, you have to take the repercussions with humbleness and maturity. I don’t feel Lochte has really reached this point yet. I hold out hope that he may. Because the alternative, that he blithely and blindly thinks that he can get away with a “sorta apology, but not really an apology” makes me sad for his future.
The only way you can achieve peace is by accepting your flaws and working to overcome them. I do wonder of he has the maturity to do this. Hitting rock bottom, well….. it’s really a gift and a second chance from the universe, if you look at it in the right way.
I hope he takes advantage of it, for his sake.
He should be thanking his lucky ballroom stars that he got Cheryl for his partner. The only other female pros that could help him mature would be Lindsay or Sharna. This dudebro needs tough love and strict discipline.
I still would rather he have been cast on the Spring season, just to give the events of the last few weeks a chance to calm down a bit.
Cidra, He lost all his sponsors, which is ultimately what these athletes work for, and was suspended from USA swimming. Granted, it may not be enough for everyone, but there have been consequences.
Rose1, that’s just “consequences theater” (same thing as security theater at the airport — all smoke and no substance). USA swimming and the sponsors will be back in a couple months. They’re just being strategic and waiting for the hoopla/backlash to die down. In the meantime, Lochte gets a nice big stage upon which to flash his dimples, play the all-American boy, and pretend to be genuinely sorry. If I believed he truly understood how disgusting and unacceptable his behavior was, that would be one thing, but I don’t think he’s smart enough or mature enough to “get it”.
@Cidra- I agree that Lochte’s kinda an idiot, but I have to disagree with you that this is “consequences theatre.” First, I swam all the through college on a D1 scholarship and I can tell you that USA Swimming is no joke. Phelps lots tons of money after his DUI. This isn’t a Goodell situation- the swimming board is rough and they are usually tough with punishments. You don’t just get banned from competing, you get banned from all events USA Swimming hosts (which is all of them).
That’s a big source of revenue/exposure for swimmers.
Second, and more importantly, I don’t think the major sponsors will come back. First, swimming is cyclical. Lochte doesn’t have regular competitions that put him in the spotlight. No one really cares about the sport until the Olympics. His earning potential is directly tied to the short period of time around the Olympics- and he blew that. Second, Lochte is at the end of his career. He has multiple injuries and under-performed at the Olympics. I don’t think people will be rushing back to the aging, close to retirement swimmer when you’ve got a huge host of other swimmers that shined in Rio and will be even better in 2020. Financially this is going to hurt him really badly.
I think angry folks need to know that for some time now, Ryan has been known as being quite challenged in the critical thinking department and to some extent, it would be fitting for them to make the same kinds of allowances for his behavior as they would for the “slow child in the class”. His responses to questions are always vague and come across as clueless, as if he is high on some hippy happy drugs, only he’s sober. In one famous interview back in 2012, I think, someone was trying to test his level of intelligence, and simply asked him how much was 7 times 4. His answer was “21”.
So if folks will only accept his being remorseful when they hear him give an insightful answer to why he did what he did, they will wait forever. He simply does not have the capacity to give anyone very insightful answers about anything, much less this. His “little grey cells”, as Poirot used to say, do not work well, add to that that he was drunk and fuzzy headed when the incident happened, that people with guns were shouting at him in a language he did not understand, asking him for money, and it HAD to have overwhelmed him.
We need then to ask ourselves how much of his later distorted story came from his sense of panic when he couldn’t put the pieces together in a logical way because he was so cognitively crippled. His memory of what had transpired might have initially been exactly as he reported to his mom, given that he was still inebriated. Then next thing he knows he is thrust in front of cameras and police being asked to give a coherent story when he could not. He answered questions like a confused seven year old with not a clear picture of where reality ends and fantasy starts.
I hope he stays in the competition long enough for people to start to appreciate how child-like his brain is. Then, hopefully, his errors of judgement will be put into a fairer perspective.
I’ll be open to Lochte depending on how he handles himself. He made a huge Dudebro mistake as only Lochte can. But the Brazilians trying to go in for the kill when they sense all this anger toward him by lying themselves and saying the swimmers trashed a bathroom that they did not and trying to deny that having guns pointed at them for money wasn’t robbery, makes me a little more protective of Lochte.
Yes, he should and has been condemned for exaggerating a part of the story but he’s now being accused of stuff he didn’t do. I do believe in redemption. I’ll be keeping an eye on him.
Everyone loves to watch a trainwreck but if he out 1st, i’m not going to protest. Shame about cheryl though, came back and out 1st just like edyta last season.
Psychee22, you make some nice points, however even 10yr. children know the difference between right and wrong. That doesn’t stop them from misbehaving, but the the majority of kids do know that their misbehaving isn’t right. Heck, even my cats know when they’re doing something wrong, they just don’t give a crap because……well……they’re cats.
Was Lochte confused about the exact events that happened because of being hammered? I’m sure he was, however, all he had to do the next day was ask the other three swimmers with him what exactly went down.
Now if he did do that and still decided to fudge the facts a bit and exit Rio before he was scheduled to, leaving his much younger teammates to deal with the mess of his own making, then his decision making process is pretty darn flawed. He had to have known what he was doing was not right. He doesn’t have to be a member of Mensa to know that.
I find most people in this country are willing to give an athlete or entertainer who screws up a second chance if they really seem to deserve it. Whether Lochte is deserving of that second chance at this point in time is up for debate. I’m taking a wait and see approach.
You guys have the patience of Job! Many thanks for all you do! Remember all of the warnings put out there before the Olympics began about how dangerous and corrupt the city is? That seems to be true… From what I’ve seen (like the surveillance video), the four swimmers found a locked bathroom, and had to pee behind the building. On the way back to the cab Lochte ‘helped’ an already damaged poster to the ground. (not on the videos I’ve seen) They went straight to the cab and the driver wouldn’t go, leaving time for 2 uniformed, armed, ‘cops’ with badges to order the guys out and onto the ground (sitting on the curb) while pointing guns at them and demanding money. A local Brazilian stepped forward to translate. He has stated that he was afraid something terrible was about to happen if he didn’t step in. The swimmers handed the ‘cops’ money and were allowed to get a different cab and go back to the Village. That really sounds like armed robbery to me, and I’m sure the inebriated swimmers were very freaked out, and definitely felt they’d been robbed. Ryan exaggerated that the gun was at his head, to his Mom, who was understandably upset, and she repeated the story to the ‘nice’ Australian reporters who had helped her onto a bus later that morning. Those reporters ran with a story of vandalism and coverups, and all of the US media hopped onto the story. The Rio police then claimed there was extensive damage, and proceeded to pull two swimmers off of their plane home, taking their passports until they ‘talked’. They confirmed Ryan’s account of being robbed, only adding Ryan’s pull down of the poster. Then they took the passport of the 4th swimmer, and extorted $11,000 from him before he was allowed to leave. The claims of false police reports are rather ironic, as not one of the swimmers made any police report, yet the police themselves did… The Rio police want Ryan to go back to Rio, but I think he’d be crazy to go… He hasn’t been charged with anything – there is nothing really to charge him with. I find the uproar caused by the media entirely reprehensible. There should be investigations and apologies, and even restitution, I think. All 4 swimmers have been really damaged by the press – especially Lochte. He’ll never be the sharpest crayon, as they say, but I hope he dances really well!
#Susan2, I think everyone can agree that Ryan’s “decision making process is pretty darn flawed”. It sort of goes with the territory of being a “slow learner”. But now that the real evidence of the case has come out, and it is clear that the police story of the trashed bathroom was a lie, about the only thing that it seems he is guilty of doing is peeing behind a building (which he says he should not have done) and reporting that a gun was at his temple, which he acknowledges was an exaggeration and was wrong to say. He fibbed… but the authorities? They lied.
As for leaving Rio, I really doubt that that was his decision. He goes where his parents and his handlers tell him to go, and says what his parents and his handlers tell him to say — when he can remember the words. There isn’t a single story on the internet of Ryan ever being mean to others, or taking advantage of others, or being devious, or not doing what he thinks is the right thing to do for his friends. He does enjoy being naughty from time to time, doing things that he knows he ought not do, but those naughty things have (reportedly) always been pro-social, and not anti-social, in nature. His reputation is as a very nice, very dim-witted, impressionable, generally content and happy guy.
I like your “wait and see approach” idea. I concur that it is the best way forward. It is fair and logical.
Social media has now taken a picture from GMA of Ryan looking down at Cheryl with what I think is an almost puppy dog-like adoration and has turned it into a meme. They see that look as “creepy”. It is yet another example of folks seeing only what they want to see and painting him as some kind of sinister fellow. The good news is that Ryan will not understand the meme well enough to be bothered by it. I expect that it will just go over his head.
We’re up to 15 more complaints to our contact us form since I posted this yesterday. Wow!
I think that Psychee22 is spot on about Lochte. My husband is quite the sport nut, and has subscribed to some sports magazines for years. I remember him reading to me in one magazine about Lochte after the 2012 Olympics and in it the writer hinted that Lochte has some mental challenges. He didn’t call it that, but you got the jest of it that he was not the brightest. It’s well known that parents who have kids that are slow in mental capacity department are advised to get their kids involved in something that the kids like that will encourage them to do well in. I think that was the case with Lochte. He is a swimmer savant. Although I am not a medical expert, I do wonder if he falls in the category of a highly functioning autistic person.
Given the way the media has reported this story, I’m not surprised John. The police weren’t the only ones to do a snow job on Lochte.
Completely agree with Psychee22 and Laurie Reynolds. When the story first started coming out and all of the different tales started being told, I decided to wait and see what really happened before making any judgments. Laurie’s synopsis seems pretty spot on with everything that I’ve gathered, and like we’ve all pointed out, Ryan aint exactly the brightest. I’ve always found him to be humorous but definitely not all there. Even before any of this started but after he was done racing in Rio, I thought about how it was kind of sad that Lochte never really got taken seriously as a swimmer. He’s not just a good swimmer, he’s the second best behind Phelps. However, because of Phelps’ phenomenal career and Lochte’s lack of intelligence, he’s always just looked at as the partier and his accomplishments are sometimes ignored. Not to say that he isn’t a partier, just pointing out that his accomplishments are usually always overshadowed.
I had a feeling this Spring that Lochte might be on this season, and personally I am glad that he is. I hope that people will actually give him a chance and I hope that he will use that chance wisely. He made a bad decision, but in my opinion what he did is far far less than Phelps’ DUI’s. I think the only reason there’s been so much backlash over his casting is because of timing. Everyone else that has been involved in some form of scandal had more time for people to forget about it. Lochte is still current and people will always look for something to complain about.
I think it’s going to be a great season!
Phelps hit rock bottom with his 2nd DUI. He then went to rehab and when he emerged he seemed like a changed man. In interviews he’s acknowleged his flaws and how much he’s working to overcome them. He seems to be well on the way to doing so. I wish him and his young family happiness and peace.
We’ll see if Lochte has the same journey. I’m taking a wait and see attitude. I don’t hate the guy by any means, I’m just kinda sick of hearing about him to be honest, so I think I need to stop talking about him.
I do wish that people would stop saying that others need to “get over it” with regards to the Rio/Lochte situation. People are entitled to their viewpoints, even if they don’t agree with yours. The fact that their views don’t align with yours doesn’t make their thoughts and feelings any less valid.
I’m sure I deleted a few accidentally, but it looks like I’ve gotten at least 63 complaints to our fully disclosed, not the producers or any relationship to the show contact us page. My guess is I’ll get another dozen or two tonight once people actually start watching the show. *sigh*
After tonight’s episode at the show, John, I’m more than convinced that these folks are pumped up with misinformation that arises perhaps from merely hearing sound bites and never bothering to read or listen to the details of stories. Tonight, the two men who were arrested for interrupting the show with their protest told the police that they believed that Lochte had endangered American lives through his lies. Huh? How ?
I will not watch dwts this season. You guessed it … Yes, that’s right!
You’re right and It’s crazy, P22, how so many people don’t realize that the Rio police lied that the guys vandalized the inside of the gas station bathroom, when the video showed that they didn’t even get inside because it was locked. They were in a foreign country, got drunk, peed in public then some guy(s) pointed a gun at them, speaking a foreign language and demanding money.
Anyway, some people are so quick to judge and think the worst of people. I wish more people would be like Derek with positively and light.
#Heart, today some information came out about the demonstrators. They are an Iranian-American family who were in Rio at the time it happened and felt embarrassed by it. They also felt that their own security was at risk as a result, believing that angry Brazilian feelings toward Lochte would generalize to all Americans. I think it is very possible that they never heard the rest of the story.
But there is no excuse for that sort of “eye for an eye” behavior. They could’ve taken a page out of Colin Kapernick’s book and just stood quietly with the T-shirts on instead they rush the stage. Seems to me,though, that they were looking for attention for themselves.
I guess these protesters have never heard the saying,”Two wrongs don’t make a right!” They obviously think by what they read or clips that they saw on TV that Ryan was “wrong”, but what what they did was ridiculous! Do they not have better things to do??? Let me throw out another saying – “Get a life!”
What I found so disturbing about the incident Monday night is how close those two guys got to Ryan and Cheryl.
Yeah, the others in the audience shouting to disrupt the show were bad enough, but place yourself in Ryan and Cheryl’s place for a minute. You’ve suddenly got two angry, shouting men wearing anti-Lochte shirts walk on the floor toward you. The very real possibility of violence toward you is there. You don’t need a gun or a knife to do bodily harm to someone. Then after the incident is over, you still have to keep it together enough to appear on camera after commercial break and get your scores.
Those two guys are stupid. Not for their views, but for the manner in which they expressed them. You don’t have a right to instill fear in someone just because you don’t like them or their actions.
Both Cheryl and Ryan looked completely dazed and in shock. I realize the TPTB wanted to keep the show from going off the rails, but perhaps it would have been better to remove R&C from the ballroom floor to either the skybox or the red room to get their scores.
The protesters’ reasonings and all the other haters don’t make any sense to me. What Ryan did doesn’t even warrant that kind of behavior or hate from anyone. None of these people have never been drunk before and didn’t accurately remember what happened? I don’t think call that lying.
#PH. Yes, I heartily agree. There is no excuse for their actions. And now their own level of criminality matches that of Lochte’s (misdemeanor), but they feel entirely justified in doing what they did, and feel that spending a night in jail and shelling out $1000 each for bail was well worth what they imagine they accomplished. So, yes, it could be an attention-getting thing ala Kardashian family, or it may have something to do with the unique beliefs of the Persian-American psyche; that by “getting their pound of flesh”, as it were, they may believe they have restored their own sense of honor after having felt humiliated in Rio as a result of Lochte’s actions. I don’t believe they will ever feel remorse for this, and I am hoping that Disney hits them with a huge civil suit when the criminal proceedings are over and done.
Oh, Lord. More information came out. A relative of these guys was arrested in Rio for selling bogus tickets to USA Volleyball events. He was caught with 51 fake tickets on him and a fake ID. He was indicted for document forgery and embezzlement. He is still in Rio and his passport has been seized. Because the arrest occurred three days after Lochegate, the protesters believe that the only reason their relative was arrested was because the police were angry at Ryan. They appear to be in a massive state of denial. Source: TMZ