I miss old Jason Brown.
He was so. . .happy! Riverdance! Hamilton! Prince! Brown Betty! He was so peppy and perky and fun.
When they cut his ponytail, it's like his spirit was lost. Schindler's List has been overdone and no matter how beautiful one skates to it, it's very depressing. And that ballad in his short program wasn't great either. It's like those original songs that people used to write for Johnny Weir (or maybe he wrote them himself, I don't remember. Either way, they weren't great.)
Come back, old Jason. There has to be another way to show "artistry" than to do slow, somber music. You used to be unique, now you're like everyone else!
PS. I'm sure many will disagree with me, and I realize that he skates cleaner with less involved programs, but I still miss them!
I disagree.
I remember, for a good three years at least, Kori and Rohene talking about how they wanted to present Jason a "more mature" skater. I think the first year we heard that line was 2012-2013, almost certainly in response to Josh, who by then was already cutting a more mature, refined figure on the ice. That was the year they put him in George Washington ruffles for the Prince program he wasn't ready for and then blue velvet pants for Liebestraume to make him look like a Junior. Riverdance was good, and the second season of the Prince SP was much more mature, but then we had the massive step backwards the next year with the Juniorish Juke SP (bedazzled suspenders really don't scream "mature") and the terribly-costumed Tristan.
What I see with Jason with short hair is a Jason who is taking control of his career. Remember the story of how he had to fight Kori and Rohene to do Hamilton even though it was something he really wanted to do? He also really wanted to do Schindler's List, and instead of telling him no, Brian, Tracey and David Wilson made it happen for him. I think while Jason sorts out his technique this is the right sort of way for him to skate, and then at a later time I'm sure we'll see more of that bundle of sunshine on the ice.