While there was no shortage of laughter and jokes in the Black community after the debut of breaking in the Paris Olympics, there were just as many critics who had smoke for the competition — specifically surrounding the performance of Australian b-girl Rachael “Raygun” Gunn after learning of her background.
If you missed it, both viewers and judges in Paris were unimpressed by Gunn’s performance, as she didn’t even make it past the first round.
Here is a short clip of her performance:
Many of us used her moves as an opportunity to make jokes, but some found it disrespectful and a mockery of an art that Black people originated. It was even more offensive after people learned that she has a a Ph.D. in cultural studies and breakdancing and hip-hop culture and is a lecturer at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia.
Some expressed that if she was so educated about the art, why did she go out and make a fool of herself?
One particular creator on TikTok expressed how the breaking competition at the Olympics should’ve been a marker in the Black community, especially since 50 years of hip-hop was just celebrated last year.
Instead of being a representation of how influential our culture is, he felt it was a disgrace to everything the art form stands for and was much closer to a parody of the film “Malibu’s Most Wanted” instead of a breaking competition.
But despite the disappointment from the Black community, Raygun and the judges have defended her routine.
After her showing on Friday, Raygun told reporters, “I was never going to beat these girls on what they do best, the dynamic and the power moves. I wanted to move differently, be artistic and creative because how many chances do you get that in a lifetime to do that on an international stage?”
Martin Gilian, the chief breaking judge at the Olympics, stated that she “did her best” even though “her level was maybe not as high as the other competitors,” according to NBC News.
Sadly, the art form won’t get a chance at redemption at the next summer Olympics, as the competition isn’t scheduled to return in the 2028 games.
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