Rachael ‘Raygun’ Gunn, the breakdancing b-girl and academic who attracted global controversy for her turn at the Olympics, has been on holiday in Europe for the last few weeks. But now, she’s back and ready to talk.
Gunn appeared on The Project on the 4th of September. The teaser for the episode was met with mixed reception.
In the trailer released by Channel 10, host Waleed Aly asked Gunn whether she ‘genuinely’ thinks she’s the “best female breaker” in Australia. Gunn responds, “I think my record speaks to that.”
When The Project shared a promotional clip to Instagram it was challenging to find positive responses. One commenter wrote “the sheer caucacity”, alluding to the allegations of cultural appropriation levelled at the Olympian. Another said: “let’s stop giving her air time”.
What Happened With Rachael ‘Raygun’ Gunn?
If you were taking a brief nap under a rock in August, we’ll catch you up on the Raygun controversy.
Immediately following her performance at the Olympics, where she delivered a routine that included kangaroo hopes and the miming of swimming laps on a flat surface, Rachel Raygun Gunn received international vitriol. She was accused of everything from stealing a spot from more deserving breakers to cultural appropriation and fraudulent activity (this last accusation has been emphatically disproven).
What Raygun Had To Say
Raygun spoke in detail about her experiences post-Olympics, but The Project interview has received understandably mixed responses. She told Waleed Aly, “It’s been a pretty wild ride… I definitely have my ups and downs, my good and bad days.” She shared that she had quickly engaged professionals for mental health support and avoided social media when she started seeing responses to her performance rolling in.
“I didn’t understand the scale of it. I did preview some comments and I was like, ‘Oh no,’ and this kind of sick feeling started coming out.” Raygun recounted that the experience on the day was very different to the aftermath. “It was so nice to have the support of. of all the other Olympians there. They understood… that I went out there and I gave it my all… It was like ‘You’re a legend.'” She added that the Australians in the stands were cheering, “it so warmed my heart, I will always be grateful for those moments.”
She described the events that followed, like seeing herself depicted on a Jimmy Fallon skit as like “a weird dream.”
But, she defended her Olympics performance. “A lot of the responses, though, are due to people not being very familiar with breaking and the diversity of approaches in breaking,” she said, describing the difference between ‘athletic’ breakers and ‘artistic’ breakers. Raygun also said that when she qualified for the Olympics, she knew immediately that she couldn’t win. ‘I knew that I was going to get beaten, I knew that people were not going to understand my style and what I was going to do.” Addressing the accusations, some from other breakers, that she had “made a mockery” of the Australian scene Raygun was more contrite.
“I am very sorry for, you know, the backlash that the community has experienced, but I can’t control how people react.”
Will We See Raygun On Reality TV?
It’s been speculated and reported that TV Networks have been competing to secure Raygun for their programs. After all, as a source told Yahoo Lifestyle, love her or hate her Raygun is one of the most talked about Australians.”
According to reports, these offers look like exclusive network deals that could last 12-24 months.
Of course, Gunn, who received support from the Uninspired Unemployed, Steph Claire Smith and Zoë Foster Blake following her global cancellation, has the don’t-give-a-sh*t attitude that typically plays well on network television, and reality TV.
She’s been largely unapologetic in the face of international furore.
On August 15th, she posted to Instagram that while she had intended to “bring joy” to people’s lives with her performance, she didn’t realise it would “also open the door to so much hate.” Gunn requested critics leave her family, the breaking community, and herself alone and promised she would be ready to respond to questions when she returned from vacation.
Then, on August 18th, Raygun made a video experience at the Logies. She seemed to poke fun at the controversy. “I just want to say congrats to all the Logies nominees and best of luck tonight,” she said from a screen. Please feel free to pull out one of my signature moves in celebration.”
Whether Dr Gunn, academic and Olympian, is ready to hang up her b-girl shoes and put down her papers for life on the small screen remains to be seen, but we’re sure Australians will be tuning in to hear her out.
Where To Watch Raygun’s Interview On The Project
The Project can be streamed for free on 10Play at 6:30pm.
Related Posts:
- Rachael ‘Raygun’ Gunn Has Responded To The ‘Devastating’ Backlash To Her Olympic Debut
- Olympics By Numbers: How Aussie Women Won Paris
- These Niche Olympic Sports Are About To Become My Whole Personality
This article originally appeared on Marie Claire Australia and is republished here with permission.
