Olympian Raygun isn't an embarrassment to Australia, everyone's reaction is

Forget Tom Cruise and Snoop Dogg, it was 36-year-old Aussie, Rachael ‘Raygun’ Gunn who became the greatest unexpected star of the Paris Olympics. While many have poked fun at her and some even shamed her for bringing embarrassment to the nation, the truth is what's really getting under people's skin is that she brought so much joy and unironic sunshine to the event and we Aussies just don't know what to do with that.

In one of the most memorable moments from the Games, Australia's female breakdancer, or B-Girl, took to the dance floor to perform moves that have made headlines and generated memes around the world. And most of them have been at Gunn’s expense.

One user on X compared the creative arts researcher from Sydney's Macquarie University to the cartoon character Homer Simpson as he rolled around the floor. Others criticised her technique. And some even mocked her appearance. Some went even further, questioning the sport’s validity altogether.

“Many sports fans have been left wondering if the sport of breaking should be at the Olympic Games after dancer Rachael Gunn sent the internet into a frenzy with her eccentric dance move,” wrote James Cooney for the Daily Mail Australia. “She hopped like a kangaroo, resembled a T-Rex at times and rolled around the floor in a disjointed way that confused and amused Aussies back home watching the sport for the first time.”

Some critics also questioned why Gunn was even at the Games in the first place. “It’s surprising that Raygun from Australia is the best breaker y'all have,” wrote one user on X. “How did she make it this far?!”

“Insane respect, got an all expenses paid trip to Paris plus all the free gear and is forever an Olympian. She cooked hard here I’m afraid,” said another.

Gunn symbolises something Australians hate

While Gunn didn’t score any points from the judges for her performance, what was clear was that she was having the time of her life and giving it her best shot. Gunn had a smile from ear to ear, obviously embracing the opportunity, with an undeniable optimism - and it is exactly this, the exuberant positivity - that is crawling its way right under the skin of so many Aussies and refusing to leave.

Because if it's one thing that Aussies hate (aside from hearing a foreigner say: “Throw another shrimp on the barbie") it’s excess positivity and embracing a new idea, or in this case sport, which isn’t widely undertaken here. No, we can't have an adult — who despite earning her Olympic spot fair and square, being aware and publicly acknowledging her lack of breakdancing technique compared to other dancers — actually going out there, having a go and enjoying it now, can we?

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Instead of saying: "Good for you, good try, and thanks for doing your best representing our country in a sport underrepresented by women in Australia", we poke fun at her, put her at the centre of memes, make her the butt of jokes and label her embarrassing. I won't lie when I first saw Gunn’s performance, my immediate thought upon seeing the kangaroo move was, “cringey”, but the more I watched, the more I came to realise that something else was happening – a smile.

Yes, I found Gunn’s performance entertaining: joy-filled and fun, simply put, it made me happy. Her light moment, unintentional as it may have been, allowed us to smile and laugh and just be entertained even if we didn’t "get it". Instead of turning this around against Gunn, it should be embraced, and her contagious positivity welcomed because it is clearly something we need more of.

Raygun brings 'more eyes to breaking' than 'anyone else'

Not only has Gunn brought a sense of lightness and fun into the Games, but through her performance she has also managed to bring attention to the sport of breakdancing across the globe. “[Gunn has] brought more eyes to breaking than probably anyone else in that sport, she’s second behind the Olympics as the top trending Google searches at the time of writing,” Australian Olympian Sally Pearson wrote for News.com.au.

While some Aussies are definitely in need of a shot of Raygun, others have a more favourable opinion about Gunn’s performance, understanding and embracing what it was all about. “She's a hero to me, I'm proud of the display she gave … Good on her for having a bit of fun,” wrote one user on reddit.

Another even called for Gunn to be our flag bearer. But perhaps it was her fellow Aussie Olympians who responded the best, not only celebrating Gunn’s skillset, smiling on as she performed for them before the Closing Ceremony, but then giving her a guard of honour, carrying her high on their shoulders – a move that the haters and most critical of Aussies should take note of.