Swimmer Lilly King swam in the Olympic trials (she qualified) and then her boyfriend proposed to her at the Trials. Do you love it or hate it? Like… she was at work, dude. She was focused on qualifying for the Olympics and he had to make it all about him. Plus, I think a proposal live on NBC is tacky as hell. [Just Jared]
Even People Magazine is clowning on Justin Timberlake. [LaineyGossip]
Horoscopes for Cancer Season. [OMG Blog]
Jenna Dewan gave birth to her third child. [Hollywood Life]
Some of these male models are so average-looking, right? [Socialite Life]
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Review of Inside Out 2. [Pajiba]
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Train (the band) wants people to wear yellow to their concerts. [Seriously OMG]
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ugh, I am so over men making it about them. When it was her time to shine. I’m surprised he didn’t wear a Medieval suit of Knight’s Armor (if you read Jenny Slate bad date story).
Seriously. This is absolute cringe. Her life is about to go in a whole new direction, and I get that he wants to lock down her commitment, but wait a beat before giving her another massive life change to think about.
On the one hand, I agree with you both – these public proposals are just, cringe. On the other hand, I became a huge fan of Lilly’s when she openly went in on that female Russia swimmer, during the Brazil Olympics, who was busted for cheating. The Russian swimmer was beating her chest after winning a race. Lilly was like, “Oh no you don’t, have multiple seats!” All of this is to say, if Lilly’s happy, I’m happy.
Are you referring to when Lilly BEAT her and then smashed her fists in the pool and victory roared in the cheater’s face? It wasn’t the greatest sportsmanship, but, neither is egregiously cheating, so I made an exception to my normal expectations.
I changed channels as soon as I realized what he was doing. This is her time and her shine. Nope.
He actually threw in something about the sacrifices HE made for the relationship!!
Such an insecure move (she’s getting famous and he feels like he needs to lock her down now). Let HER shine. Because it was on TV, she probably felt obligated to say yes.
I hope once the excitement of qualifying wears off, Lilly go ahead and return that ring.
The absolute never of dude. I am upset for her.
I hate all public proposals, let alone one hijacking an unrelated event on TV. It would have been delightful if she turned him down.
Regardless of my opinion, hers is the only one that matters. Either she loved it and made a great day evenbbetter, or she now knows she is marrying a douche who will make her biggest days about him.
I have never seen a man using his own public victory to propose to her girlfriend. It is interesting the ones we are reading always happen when the girlfriend is getting her moment. I also hope she wanted a public proposal, not everyone enjoys that kind of attention and pressure.
🎯
If she didn’t qualify, would he have still proposed? Hmmm
especially standing there with soaking wet hair in a swimsuit. I mean did he think ahead at all. Or just thought, cameras, and let’s make it about MEEEEE!!!!!!
I can imagine him *thinking* he’s making a great day even better— but come on, dude! No!! Where was his get-a-grip friend to talk him out of this?
See also highly successful female actors /athletes becoming pregnant just as their stars rise. It’s a control thing by their husbands.
I’ve seen it happen exactly once (Alexander Gustaffson in MMA). But yeah agreed…
What? Guys do it all the time during the World Series, college championship games. Seems like you need to watch more sports.
Except college baseball is one sport, and it doesn’t happen “all the time”. How often have you seen a man propose after he has a big win in football, basketball, soccer, golf, swimming, track, or gymnastics?
Hmm, I remember when Tuf Cooper proposed to his girlfriend at the National Finals Rodeo right after he won the whole thing. It’s a different vibe when it’s his thing I feel. It kind of reminds me of when that dad threw his kid in front of his wife to give her a hug right before she crossed the finish line for a marathon she was WINNING.
On a personal level, if Lilly King is happy, then I’m happy for her
On a business level, dude gave a few more talking points to feed press hounds and made her look hetero-wholesome-desired-by-a-dude to prospective multi-national sponsors and that’s big money!
That’s the plot of Hunger Games.
Snort! You nailed that. (And on this topic, have they already filmed the Hamich Hunger Games movie? If not, what are they going to do about president snow? Will Keifer fill in as middle aged Snow?)
Yeah, probably olympic athletes see more than a few parallels too. Elites can have professional status now but you have to pay the bills. For athletes, financial gains mainly come from sponsoships and endorsements, brand ambassadorships. It is what it is
Most of the big company shot callers are still conservative older men. And you know, women’s swimming has been out (no pun intended but hey!) with some deeply polarizing gender issues that don’t. move. product.
I hate that some ad exec’s ideas on attractiveness, race, gender, social ratings, have any bearing on earning potential (for anybody) but every boost to a woman’s bottom line matters! I hope Lilly cashes in as best she can on her success
Everything you all have mentioned. If he had just won and used his excitement to propose, sure. That’s you using your moment. It just doesn’t work in reverse.
Lastly and I know it doesn’t matter but he talked way too much. He didn’t even keep it simple. He’s over there rambling about how he changed his life to support her. It was so cringe
That Brandon Maxwell dress is EVERYTHING. As for the dude proposing at the Olympic trials it’s a hard no for me. I find public proposals to be passive aggressive anyway but doing it during one of the most important moments of your partner’s career is a big yikes and a red flag. He made that moment all about him. And what if she wanted to say no?? She couldn’t. Because then that moment would be even MORE tainted.
Lilly King’s BF: 🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩
Nope. I hope that she’d once made an off-hand remark to him that she found public proposals to be romantic or whatever, at least. I also know a couple of women who basically orchestrated their future husbands’ proposals themselves (one of them hilariously even posted obviously staged photos and really went in on trying to convince everybody that it was spontaneous), so that could be a possibility as well. But really, I think that doing it at a competition is tacky and inconsiderate under ANY circumstances. It’s for THE OLYMPICS, something athletes dream about and work towards for their entire lives, and one man (or one couple, if she was aware of his intentions) is stealing that moment.
Why do men keep doing this? When I was young and didn’t know any better I thought these public proposals were really cute and romantic, but now that I’ve been around a few blocks I just find them terrible narcissistic and scary for the hapless proposee.
If I was proposed to publicly, the first thing I’d say when we were in private was “No” to the marriage, and then “maybe” to the relationship. I don’t want to feel forced into saying yes, even if I do want marry him.
Not a fan of him taking the focus off of her accomplishment and making it about his gesture.
Public proposals are so wrong! Ugh. I also hate (in case you are keeping track) 🤣 military dads and moms “surprise” showing up at elementary school (like no one knew, but someone is filmimg). Older kids fine, but a little one whose parent has been away for years, it makes me so uncomfortable for them, because they aren’t sure sometimes.
My husband and I hate those military surprise reunions. (Retired military). They are definitely not advised as a healthy reunification, especially for kids. And we all sit through seminars about this. The soldiers and spouses.
I’m glad to know that Bumblebee!
Army Brat here who experienced father going away to war-zone twice (Vietnam). I’m so glad my parents kept us pretty well informed. The time is uncertain enough as it is. Of course, sometimes the service-member manages to come home early, but, I still think it’s best for someone to prepare the kid even if they don’t have much time to do so. It’s only fair.
A public proposal would have me curling up in embarrassment, but putting one’s private life out there for everyone to see doesn’t mean the same thing as it used to. So many people, including athletes, are orchestrating their lives for the public – proposals, weddings, childbirth, their bathroom habits, their actual dirty laundry. There are so many stories on line about women who thought their fiancé’s first proposal wasn’t romantic enough – it had to be done over in a public place with music and candles or the roaring surf or something. So, I don’t think I’m in a place to criticize this – if she’s happy, that’s great.
That’s where I’m at.
If she likes it, I love it. If she doesn’t, I hate it for her. I’m happy to let her determine whether this was right or wrong for them.
I didn’t watch it, so if he was being a douche in some other kind of way, ok…but maybe he actually knew she would enjoy this. I dunno. Couples DO talk about these things, often.
1. I wish People would show some shade towards the leftover, left behind Windsors. The unbiased mainstream interest in the Windsors is sickening, especially in the USA. 2. The buzzfeed article featuring JT getting lampooned is hilarious and makes me feel bad for dinonuggets at 3 am. Lol. Lort. Maybe everything that goes around does come around.
Even women who grew up with prom-posals and don’t mind the “in public” part MUST feel a little something about having their big professional moments hijacked for a proposal. I ranted angrily when someone I knew proposed at his girlfriend’s graduation ceremony from army basic training for the same reason (and that engagement didn’t even stick).
Congrats to Lilly on qualifying. I don’t love the takeover of her big moment with a proposal.
I was so mad when I watched that proposal last night. It was awkward, she was uncomfortable, and way to step ALL over her moment! My bf thought it added to the moment, so I can maybe see (if I squint really hard) why a guy would think it’s a good idea, but has Serena’s husband taught these men nothing???? Your job is to support your kickass partner and their accomplishments, not steal the attention.
Note that he made a comment during the proposal about “dropping my job and moving across the country.” Gotta get that dig in there, what the man sacrificed. 🙄
I guess that I’m in the minority. I thought it was sweet. But I follow swimming closely so I knew that she and James both swam as teammates at IU and have been together for many years. I’m sure he talked to her friends and family and got their blessing before he did this publicly, not to mention NBC. Swimming is a huge part of their history and this is her last Olympic Trials so I think it was meaningful for them. She didn’t seem upset at all but that’s just my take on it. Congrats to the happy couple!
He really wasn’t sure she’d say yes without the planet watching her, was he? It’s so gross that he made her day about him.
On a different note, I am LOVING the Justin Timberlake trolling that’s going on. Little douchecanoe deserves it.
Stealing a woman’s spotlight with a proposal is why I could never ship Logan on Gilmore Girls.
Nope, hate it. Not only is it a huge, public, on TV proposal where she feels pressured to say yes, but he took over her professional victory and made it about something else. Maybe she’s OK with it, but I would not be.