The Olympics

[par4dcourse]

Ok, I may have an unpopular view here, but I've been cringing at the months long build up to this crap-a-thon and now its upon us. I'm not real atheletic and don't revel in the unending coverage of beach volleyball or competive walking that some do.

Everyone is supposed to make nice to China and overlook their horrendus human-rights issues and knife-cuttable atmosphere and smile like a bunch of idiots. The Chinese gvmt. spent billions on these two weeks when a great deal of their population is in poverty. (They should be smart like us here in the U S of A and just lock 'em all up.)

Can you see an athlete in a job interview in a few months? "No, sir, I don't have a degree or any job experience, but I can ride a BMX bike like nobody's business."

But soon the new fall season will come, then fade, then it's back to the 20 versions of Law and Order and American Idiot. I can hardly wait.

[end rant]

[florduh]

I hear you and I feel your pain.

[Misterspock1]

Ok, I may have an unpopular view here, but I've been cringing at the months long build up to this crap-a-thon and now its upon us. I'm not real atheletic and don't revel in the unending coverage of beach volleyball or competive walking that some do.

Everyone is supposed to make nice to China and overlook their horrendus human-rights issues and knife-cuttable atmosphere and smile like a bunch of idiots. The Chinese gvmt. spent billions on these two weeks when a great deal of their population is in poverty. (They should be smart like us here in the U S of A and just lock 'em all up.)

Can you see an athlete in a job interview in a few months? "No, sir, I don't have a degree or any job experience, but I can ride a BMX bike like nobody's business."

But soon the new fall season will come, then fade, then it's back to the 20 versions of Law and Order and American Idiot. I can hardly wait.

[end rant]

 

I know that it in some respects is just another way our society glorifies its athletes. You have a really nice body, you can do all these awesome things with it, and we'll put you on television so everyone can see you do it. The people in our society that may not have a great body but do use their other talents to contribute to society kind of get the short end of the stick it seems. I am not very athletic either, and in that regard I do agree with you.

 

However, I do like the way that it brings people together under the theme of friendly competition. For a couple of weeks, nations from all over the world put aside their petty squabbles and participate in the spirit of the games. For that time, at least, we are no longer Muslim, Christian, Chinese, American, French, African, conservative, liberal; we are just people cheering as other people try their hardest at what they do best. Those are the principles the Olympics were originally founded upon, and IMHO that is a worthy cause.

[Purple]

If I just didn't care would that be bad. I don't think the Olympics is SO cool, but I'm not all OMG this is a horrible waste either. It is what it is. eh

[white_raven23]

I was in France in 2005, standing on a train platform, and worried to death as the French people on the platform with us became aware of the American tourists waiting for the train with them.

 

I was aware that I was from a country with a warmongering president who was pushing the nation into unpopular conflict in Iraq. A country that was openly sneering and specifically rude towards the french people at the time. Even to a childish extent...."freedom fries"? Shit.

 

And here I was.....an American on their train platform. An American who disagreed (and still does) with her own country's policies, but was an American regardless.

 

And they did not hold it against me. They knew the difference between a nation and an individual. They judged me for me. I was polite, so they were polite. They wanted to talk about the political crap going on in their own nation, and I wanted to listen.

 

There is a great separation of ideology between the governed and those who govern. And I will never forget that.

 

I've been to China. I stood in the Square where months later, there would be a confrontation between protesting students and tanks.

 

I can understand and sympathize with the anger of the world at China's human rights violations, but at the same time, I know these chinese athletes are striving for something completely different. They are not trying to oppress, they are working to achieve. I cannot paint the people of China with the same broad brush as is used to paint it's leaders. It's not fair, and I would be a hypocrite to do so. As in all my travels, I've yet to have the people of any other nation I've visited hold ME responsible for the stupid shit the leaders of my country have done. So how could I do that to the people of a country that does the SAME THING (you really think America is innocent of human rights violations?).

 

China has to work out it's own shit. So do we.

[Eponymic]

You don't like the Olympics, that's fine. I don't like fishing or hunting. But this isn't about the Olympics.

 

People love using the Olympics as an excuse to yell at other countries for their faults. The Olympics isn't about that, yet we are all such assholes that we have to focus on the negative. If we took a little more time focusing on what's good, the bad might just get taken care of in the process. The Olympics is supposed to be about getting everyone together and show how far we can go as individuals, while also displaying comraderie regardless of where you're from or who you are.

 

And please... Don't be so naive and think the USA is so wonderful. We are just as big, if not bigger, culprates of human rights violations as the Chinese. We just hide it better. America grossly overspends on our military every year rather than taking care of its own people, so where's the difference? We still need to improve too. China is lead by an elite ruling class, so is the USA. If you want to start pointing fingers, look a little closer to home first. And don't use the Olympics as a crutch to start talking about the Chinese.

[Japedo]

---China has to work out it's own shit. So do we.

 

shortened whole outstanding Quote to save space,

 

WR,

 

What a kick ass spot on post, the entire thing! Olympics is a time to take pride in the good things of our countries, government bullshit aside, wars, stress, taxes, disagreements and so fourth.. To unite in the universal language of Sports and competition. 240 Countries sending the best in sports to compete for medals. A chance to take the world stage and represent your country.

 

I watched the Opening ceremonies last night and was blown away by their technology and sense of pride. By far the best opening for the Olympics I've ever seen. The Olympics is a chance to learn of another culture and the people who also take pride in their country's and culture. The Olympics isn't about the Chinese Government, It's about the people, People who live under communist rules, yet some how their pride and sense of self worth and love for peace shone thru like none I've ever seen. The entire thing was about Peace, Friendship and welcoming... It was moving especially at war and ugly times such as these. I found it just jaw dropping and inspiring If anyone has a chance to view it on line, or review it on a rerun, Take the opportunity. I do not take pride in my government right now, The Country isn't defined by it's government.. it's defined by it's people and culture. The Olympics is a time for great people of said country's to walk tall without the weight of government oppression or dictation.

 

Personally, I love the Olympics and what it represents.

[Neon Genesis]

One of my friends claimed that the athletes in China were threatened with jail and it was their duty to perform in the Olympics, but is this really true? I know the Chinese government has done horrible things, but I just find it hard to believe that they would force the athletes to perform with leaders from other countries there watching over them.

[Asimov]

I don't see the big waste in individuals trying to achieve their dreams.

[white_raven23]

I watched the Opening ceremonies last night and was blown away by their technology and sense of pride. By far the best opening for the Olympics I've ever seen. The Olympics is a chance to learn of another culture and the people who also take pride in their country's and culture.

 

 

Exactly! I've had a bitch of a time over the years, trying to explain how deeply the cultural differences go, our country values the individual and independence, in China, it's the polar opposite. The Opening Ceremonies expressed that so much better than I have ever been able to manage with mere explanation alone.

 

And what I really liked, was that while there was deep appreciation for all that cool tech, the PEOPLE were not forgotten. In America we have a bad habit of going for tech that tends to be more sterile....significantly removed from humanity. The Opening ceremonies in China displayed to the world than humanity does not have to give way to technology. And if anything, humanity made the true beauty of the technology even more than it could ever have been by itself. Amazing....and worth thinking about.

[pitchu]

I was lucky enough to see this Monty Python sketch when it was first televised. Every four years when all the hyperbole begins again, I recall this wonderfully wry take on such competitive events.

 

There it was, an enormous playing field, with cheering crowds, for the Novel-Writing "Olympics..."

 

http://www.wepsite.de/novel%20writing.htm

 

And now it’s time for novel-writing, which today comes from the West Country, from Dorset.

 

(Voice of first reporter). Hello, and welcome to Dorchester, where a very good crowd has turned out to watch local boy Thomas Hardy write his new novel The Return of the Native on this very pleasant July morning. This will be his eleventh novel and the fifth of the very popular Wessex novels; and here he comes, here comes Hardy walking out toward his desk, he looks confident, he looks relaxed, very much the man in form as he acknowledges this very good-natured Bank Holiday crowd. And the crowd goes quiet now as Hardy settles himself down at his desk, body straight, shoulders relaxed, pen held lightly but firmly in the right hand, he dips the pen in the ink and he’s off! It’s the first word, but it’s not a word, oh no, it’s a doodle way up on the left-hand margin, it’s a piece of meaningless scribble and he’s signed his name underneath. Oh dear, what a disappointing start! But he’s off again and here he goes, the first word of Thomas Hardy’s first novel at 10.35 on this very lovely morning, it’s three letters, it’s the definite article and it’s "the", Dennis.

 

(Voice of Dennis) Well, this is true to form, no surprises there. He’s started five of his eleven novels to date with the definite article. We’ve had two of them with "it", there’s been one "but", two "ats", one "and" and a "Dolores"(?). Oh, that , of course, was never published.

 

I’m sorry to interrupt you there, Dennis, but he’s crossed it out! Thomas Hardy here on the first day of his new novel has crossed out the only word he’s written so far, and he’s gazing off into space. Oh dear, he’s signed his name again.

 

(Voice of Dennis) It looks like Tess of the D’Urbervilles all over again.

 

(Voice of first reporter) But he’s, no he’s down again and writing, Dennis. He’s written "the " again and he’s written "a" and there’s a second word coming up and it’s "sat". "A sat ...", doesn’t make sense, "a satur ...", "a Saturday", it’s "a Saturday", and the crowd are loving it, they are really enjoying this novel. And "this afternoon", "this Saturday afternoon in, in, in know ..., knowvember", November is spelled wrong, ... but he’s not going back, it looks as if he’s going for a sentence, and it’s the first verb coming up, the first verb of the novel and it’s "was"! – and the crowd are going wild. "A Saturday afternoon in November was" – and a long word here – "appro ..., appro ...", is it "approval"? No, it’s "approaching, approaching". "A Saturday afternoon in November was approaching", and he’s done the definite article "the" again, and he’s writing fluently, easily with flowing strokes of the pen as he comes up to the middle of this first sentence. And with his eleventh novel well under way and the prospects of a good day’s writing ahead, back to the studio.

 

... we interrupt the sketch to take you straight back to novel-writing from Dorchester and the latest news about that opening sentence.

 

(Voice of first reporter) Well, the noise you can hear is because Hardy has just completed his first sentence and it’s a real cracker, just listen to this: "A Saturday afternoon in November was approaching the time of twilight, and the vast tract of unenclosed wild known as Egdon Heath embrowned itself moment by moment" and that after only three hours of writing. What a "hardyesque" cracker.

[par4dcourse]

I don't see the big waste in individuals trying to achieve their dreams.

My problem is why the world in general and countries with large populations below the poverty line should spend billions to show the world how fast pedro can pedal or what a wonderful swimmer yang ng is. Unless I've just fallen off a boat and yang was the only one who saw, I really don't give a shit. They can pedal a bike or play volleyball to their little hearts' content, just don't act like it's, well for lack of a better term, an act of gawd.

Eponymic, if you'll reread my second paragraph you'll see that I took a backhanded swat at the good ole amuricun way too.

[Evan]

My problem is why the world in general and countries with large populations below the poverty line should spend billions to show the world how fast pedro can pedal or what a wonderful swimmer yang ng is. Unless I've just fallen off a boat and yang was the only one who saw, I really don't give a shit. They can pedal a bike or play volleyball to their little hearts' content, just don't act like it's, well for lack of a better term, an act of gawd.

 

My biggest problem with the Olympics definitely has to do with the way broadcasters treat the olympians. Their demigod status among broadcasters and regular people is just silly. However, I enjoy watching the olympics because its a final culmination of hard work and long term commitment. The Olympic gold medal is a tremendous achievement. Broadcasters just take it waaaaaaaaay too far. I cheer team USA on, but I don't worship them.

 

The location of the olympics is always my second biggest concern. I don't understand why we continue to host olympic games in western cities like London or Atlanta. Countries that feel that they are up for the task should be given the chance. Rio De Janeiro put up a bid to host the olympics, but it looks like the award will go to Tokyo or Chicago. There are many winners and losers when the Olympics come to town. I'm definitely not saying that the poor working class are the big winners, but hosting the Olympic competition is a great chance for economic stimulation. I think china is the best example of how pride for the perfect show can hurt a lot of people. South Africa is also the best example of how national pride has actually helped keep a country together and distribute wealth in the country. A lot of people are holding their breath over the 2010 world cup. That could make or break the lonely african country on a steady path.

[Misterspock1]

My biggest problem with the Olympics definitely has to do with the way broadcasters treat the olympians. Their demigod status among broadcasters and regular people is just silly. However, I enjoy watching the olympics because its a final culmination of hard work and long term commitment. The Olympic gold medal is a tremendous achievement. Broadcasters just take it waaaaaaaaay too far. I cheer team USA on, but I don't worship them.

 

The location of the olympics is always my second biggest concern. I don't understand why we continue to host olympic games in western cities like London or Atlanta. Countries that feel that they are up for the task should be given the chance. Rio De Janeiro put up a bid to host the olympics, but it looks like the award will go to Tokyo or Chicago. There are many winners and losers when the Olympics come to town. I'm definitely not saying that the poor working class are the big winners, but hosting the Olympic competition is a great chance for economic stimulation. I think china is the best example of how pride for the perfect show can hurt a lot of people. South Africa is also the best example of how national pride has actually helped keep a country together and distribute wealth in the country. A lot of people are holding their breath over the 2010 world cup. That could make or break the lonely african country on a steady path.

 

Those are my sentiments pretty much exactly...all of it.

[Eponymic]

Eponymic, if you'll reread my second paragraph you'll see that I took a backhanded swat at the good ole amuricun way too.

 

Okay. It read to me like you were agreeing with American policy there.

[Asimov]

We should go back to the good old days where the Olympics were performed naked and all the winner got was a goddamn olive branch crown.

[Religion Destructor]

I watched the Opening ceremonies last night and was blown away by their technology and sense of pride.

 

You know the whole fireworks display that the whole world watched on TV was computer generated don't you. You know also that the Chinese are under strict orders to be nice to foreigners and dont offend anyone. They are told be nice and dont complain or youll go to prison. I spent a long time in China and the people are generally miserable and unhappy with their government. Not much they can do though because if they show they are unhappy or dont like the government they will go to prison and be tortured.

One of my friends claimed that the athletes in China were threatened with jail and it was their duty to perform in the Olympics, but is this really true?

 

I heard this when I was in China, so it cant be far from true. It makes sense to me as that is the mindset of the government. My Chinese friends believe this is true. I know that a fact is that when athletes do badly they get beaten with sticks by their coaches that is something that I have seen in China. I saw a coach beat a little girl maybe she was eight or nine because she fell over in a practice for gymnastics. The Chinese can be very barbaric and they can show harsh hatred if you dont like their way of life.

[TheOtherRainMan]

I really honestly don't care.

 

I respect and honor the reason why their holding these (to bring the world together through all of its problems) but people make it a over dramatic problem.

 

BTW, I'm not a fan of sports.

 

- TORM

[Evan]

I heard this when I was in China, so it cant be far from true. It makes sense to me as that is the mindset of the government. My Chinese friends believe this is true. I know that a fact is that when athletes do badly they get beaten with sticks by their coaches that is something that I have seen in China. I saw a coach beat a little girl maybe she was eight or nine because she fell over in a practice for gymnastics. The Chinese can be very barbaric and they can show harsh hatred if you dont like their way of life.

 

I watched the men's and women's floor gymnastics and you can see that clearly. The captain of china's women's team pleaded with her parents to quit two years ago. I don't know how much of her return has to do with "family shame," government strongarm, or personal feelings. However, I bet the first two had a LOT to do with it.

 

I then watched the men's competition and China's coach looked like he was about to flip his shit when one of the guys made a mistake. He won't be happy unless they win 5 gold medals. Something they will very easily do. Needless to say they still won the gold because they are so fucking amazing.

[Pecker]

I have to say, the Olympics are about celebrating Human Achievement in the athletic venue. Talented people exist in the Athletic, Academic, Business, Artistic and Musical worlds. I think the Olympics are one of the better things man has done.

 

It brings nations together for peaceful competition on a level playing field.

 

I won't say their perfect, but they're a very good thing (channeling Martha Stewart there huh?)

 

I think celebrating human achievements is much better than celebrating supposedly supernatural achievements.

[par4dcourse]

As of this morning, 8/12, they've found lip-syncing and pre-recorded fireworks in the opening ceremonies. Yeah, the Olympics brings out the best in everyone my ass.

 

Link

[Pecker]

As of this morning, 8/12, they've found lip-syncing and pre-recorded fireworks in the opening ceremonies. Yeah, the Olympics brings out the best in everyone my ass.

 

Link

 

That doesn't take away anything from the athletes competing. Now, the Host nation on the other hand...

 

But, you can easily argue about the failings of a totalitarian state trying to put on a show. (I knew that girl was lip scynching as soon as I saw that video.)

 

I read a poster on another board who said that this olympics is the same to China as the 36 Berlin olympics was to Nazi Germany.

 

Time will tell.

[white_raven23]

As of this morning, 8/12, they've found lip-syncing and pre-recorded fireworks in the opening ceremonies. Yeah, the Olympics brings out the best in everyone my ass.

 

Link

 

 

Your point??

 

The Opening Ceremonies were a PERFORMANCE.

 

And on which golden tablet is it written "Thou shalt maintain reality in Live Performances whilst being free to break reality in Filmed Performances"

 

That is a WESTERN idea, and it's not even written in stone anywhere there...people who break the unwritten "rule" just get villified in the press, so it assumed to be a univeral idea....well....IT'S NOT.

 

Going to get upset that Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum didn't really sneak aboard an alien mothership in a refurbished scout craft?

Oh...and more bad news.... Pamela Anderson's BOOBS might not be real!!

And....oh shit.... get this....horses can't really talk, so Mr. Ed might be a total fraud!!

 

Again....you (and the people who wrote those articles) are applying Western values to a non-Western culture. Their culture does not celebrate individual achievement the same way Western cultures do. It's the Western cultures who want to single out one performer from another, so for Western cultures, to find a performer lip synching would be construed as wrong. But for the Chinese, it was all about the bigger goddamn picture. Here, the cute little girl would be plastered on 60 foot billboards with a bottle of Coca-Cola in her hand. So yeah....her not being the actual singer would be considered a betrayal of some kind. But in China, while that little girl has a lot to talk about with her friends and classmates, she is not suddenly a cultural icon for China. That would be Yao Ming.

 

Or this guy: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080812/od_nm/...SIaV5H9iyes0NUE

 

Is it any clearer? Come on....are there fan sites for members of the Secret Service? Or women throwing themselves proposing marriage at the guy who escorts the Stanley Cup? NO.

 

Their values are different. D-I-F-F-E-R-E-N-T.

 

Just accept that you don't see eye to eye with their values and move on.

[Evan]

As of this morning, 8/12, they've found lip-syncing and pre-recorded fireworks in the opening ceremonies. Yeah, the Olympics brings out the best in everyone my ass.

 

Link

 

 

Your point??

 

The Opening Ceremonies were a PERFORMANCE.

 

And on which golden tablet is it written "Thou shalt maintain reality in Live Performances whilst being free to break reality in Filmed Performances"

 

That is a WESTERN idea, and it's not even written in stone anywhere there...people who break the unwritten "rule" just get villified in the press, so it assumed to be a univeral idea....well....IT'S NOT.

 

Going to get upset that Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum didn't really sneak aboard an alien mothership in a refurbished scout craft?

Oh...and more bad news.... Pamela Anderson's BOOBS might not be real!!

And....oh shit.... get this....horses can't really talk, so Mr. Ed might be a total fraud!!

 

Again....you (and the people who wrote those articles) are applying Western values to a non-Western culture. Their culture does not celebrate individual achievement the same way Western cultures do. It's the Western cultures who want to single out one performer from another, so for Western cultures, to find a performer lip synching would be construed as wrong. But for the Chinese, it was all about the bigger goddamn picture. Here, the cute little girl would be plastered on 60 foot billboards with a bottle of Coca-Cola in her hand. So yeah....her not being the actual singer would be considered a betrayal of some kind. But in China, while that little girl has a lot to talk about with her friends and classmates, she is not suddenly a cultural icon for China. That would be Yao Ming.

 

Or this guy: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080812/od_nm/...SIaV5H9iyes0NUE

 

Is it any clearer? Come on....are there fan sites for members of the Secret Service? Or women throwing themselves proposing marriage at the guy who escorts the Stanley Cup? NO.

 

Their values are different. D-I-F-F-E-R-E-N-T.

 

Just accept that you don't see eye to eye with their values and move on.

 

 

Although I agree with you about the relevance of the opening ceremonies and the overall Olympics. The opening ceremonies were amazingly spectacular even if the little girl lip-synced and the footprints were faked. It is disappointing that they decided to do that. I wish they would show a picture of the 7 year old. I want to know the ratio of adorableness that was determined by the Chinese communist party lol.

 

However, Let me get to the point. Even many Chinese citizens are upset about the lip-syncing. Who knows how large this percentage of the population is, but it definitely exists.

 

The Chinese Internet quickly lighted up, with many online users condemning the apparent bait and switch at the government's big show.

 

"Fake singing for national honor? What kind of lessons are we giving such a small child?" asked an anonymous posting on 163.com, a news portal. "Is this national honor or national shame?"

 

edit: article link: http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-fg-lipsyn...0,3009926.story

[xequar]

Olympics bla bla opening ceremony bla bla China bla blah...

 

Male gymnastics, fucking awesome. Male swimming too. Incredibly hot guys doing stuff in little or very form-fitting attire, fucking awesome!

 

The rest of it, whatever.