WAG Gabby Douglas reality show

[All Chalked Up]

You heard me correctly- Gabby is getting a reality TV show. According to some articles (like this one http://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-gabby-douglas-reality-tv-show-20150331-story.html ) it will be about Gabby's return to gym and Olympic hopes, her brother John's Olympic track hopes, and how her family deals with it.

Opinions? This announcement sort of makes me doubt the legitimacy of her comeback, I know she did supremely well at Jesolo, but is the comeback more for publicity than anything else? I feel like the whole thing is very strange!

 

[Deleted member 17723]

not sure. IMHO I don't think she will make the Rio team. but what do i know, that is just my opinion .

 

[zoe_the_gymnast_]

Wow. Didn't see that coming. It will be interesting to see how this rolls out... But it will be nice to see her journey and more of her gymnastics frequently.

 

[motigymnasticsmom]

Ouch,...hot topic

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Looking forward to it. Not sure how this makes her less legit. Good for her.

 

[billise]

I think her comeback attempt is legit but I also think she is carrying the weight of trying to support her family. Tough stuff for a 19 year old to have to balance. I for one am rooting for her!

 

[sce]

I was surprised by the reality show, but don't truly fault her for making money from her fame. I also don't think the comeback is not legitimate. Does she have a chance at RIO? It's tough with all the amazing athletes in the US, but she is looking good based on her recent performance, so I don't think it's just a story, she is truly working out.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

I just hope the producers portray gymnastics in a positive light ... Which usually does not happen with our sport...

 

[sce]

I just hope the producers portray gymnastics in a positive light ... Which usually does not happen with our sport...

That is a very good point.

 

[gymdog]

It's hard to believe she would take the comeback this far just for publicity. Competing successfully in Jesolo was no small feat, it's really not something you would do half heartedly, nor would Martha put up with that. So I have to assume she genuinely wants to do gymnastics right now.

That said I don't see how an ongoing reality tv show will do anything but distract from her goals and be a PR disaster. I'm honestly surprised the National Team doesn't have some sort of policy against it after the CNN Parkettes thing. I would assume they have a social media policy, etc. Either way surely they could leverage quite a bit to discourage this and I find it highly surprising that they wouldn't, guess we'll find out if it gets off the ground.

 

[bogwoppit]

I just hope the producers portray gymnastics in a positive light ... Which usually does not happen with our sport...

This.

It has never really worked well before. To make money you need people to watch, to get people to watch you need drama. I would be surprised that any gym would encourage drama. Gabby has had plenty of drama surrounding her gym, I cannot imagine that more would really help her train more effectively.

 

[Faith]

I wonder if this is behind the gym switches though? Finding one that will agree to camera's etc...

 

[bogwoppit]

We have Buckeye parents here. @aksaunders what do you think? DO you see Buckeye being a great gym for a reality show? Guess your kid would end up in it as she trains days.

 

[my4buffaloes]

While I am not a big Gabby fan, I have to say it cannot possibly be easy to make a comeback like she has. To go from not even training to competing in Jesolo is incredible. I don't see how anyone can say her comeback is not legit. But I think there are younger girls that are better than her for Rio.

 

[wallinbl]

Looking forward to it. Not sure how this makes her less legit. Good for her.

A documentary and I'd agree with you. Reality TV is about manufactured, fake drama. Her producers will surely interfere with everyone else trying to get there as well, because you can fairly well guarantee they'll turn this into a person vs person drama rather than leave it as person vs self.

If I were Marta, I'd say drop the TV show or drop Rio.

 

[All Chalked Up]

It's hard to believe she would take the comeback this far just for publicity. Competing successfully in Jesolo was no small feat, it's really not something you would do half heartedly, nor would Martha put up with that. So I have to assume she genuinely wants to do gymnastics right now.

That said I don't see how an ongoing reality tv show will do anything but distract from her goals and be a PR disaster. I'm honestly surprised the National Team doesn't have some sort of policy against it after the CNN Parkettes thing. I would assume they have a social media policy, etc. Either way surely they could leverage quite a bit to discourage this and I find it highly surprising that they wouldn't, guess we'll find out if it gets off the ground.

This is basically what I meant about the legitimacy, however I was very unclear in my OP. I cannot fathom that one could train for the Olympics AND have a reality TV show as I imagine it would be very distracting

 

[esor]

It's hard to believe she would take the comeback this far just for publicity. Competing successfully in Jesolo was no small feat, it's really not something you would do half heartedly, nor would Martha put up with that. So I have to assume she genuinely wants to do gymnastics right now.

That said I don't see how an ongoing reality tv show will do anything but distract from her goals and be a PR disaster. I'm honestly surprised the National Team doesn't have some sort of policy against it after the CNN Parkettes thing. I would assume they have a social media policy, etc. Either way surely they could leverage quite a bit to discourage this and I find it highly surprising that they wouldn't, guess we'll find out if it gets off the ground.

Gymdog, what is the CNN Parkettes thing? I think I remember seeing some stuff on you tube, but don't remember hearing about any issues there.

 

[bogwoppit]

Gymdog, what is the CNN Parkettes thing? I think I remember seeing some stuff on you tube, but don't remember hearing about any issues there.

Do a search on youtube. There was a "documentary" made at Parkettes some years ago, it really showed all the worst of the gym and was edited to make things look very bad. Still worth watching, but since that most gyms have avoided any kind of tv shows.

Then look at Stick It and then MIOBI, drama that nobody really wants in a gym, let alone out in public.

@wallinbl I am with you, this brings drama to the National Team that they really do not need.

I think Gabby is a fabulous gymnast and has clearly worked very hard to get back to this level, a reality show is not going to be a helpful training tool.

 

[vagymmomma]

The articles that I have read make it sound like they will be focusing a lot on the family side -- not the training. Unfortunately, Gabby still seems to be under the thumb of her mother who is thinking short term gain instead of big picture. I don't think it's fair to say that her comeback isn't legitimate after Jesolo though. This poor girl has so much natural talent -- just ashame that she has to carry so much dead weight along with it. The Olympics are a long way off, but I am quite sure there's not room for Gabby, Kyla, and Aly. The pressure will continue to increase for all of them.

 

[aerials]

It seems like the show may be Gabby's mother doing. My guess is that there will be very little shown of the training and will show L.A./family more. At least I hope I'm correct in my guess. I feel bad for Gabby. It seems like she really wants to persue another Olympics for gymnastics sake and her family may have other goals.