The Olympics: a showcase of unrestrained nationalism
Okay, I have virtually no interest in the Olympics, and if they were to cease to exist tomorrow, I wouldn't much notice. In the interest of full disclosure, I should point out that I worked three Olympic Festivals (1989-1991) for ESPN or a thereby contracted production company, so I used to be able to talk relatively intelligently about Olympic sporting events -- this was, of course, before snowboarding got added, so it was some time ago. I have almost no use for the Olympics now.
The one thing I do find interesting, though, is the opening ceremony march-in of the various national teams. NBC provided useful information such as the location of the country in question, its population, and the number of atheletes competing for that country. There was the standard run of American atheletes who could never have competed in the Olympics if they didn't have dual-citizenship with a country that doesn't see much snow or ice in winter: downhill skiers for Ethiopia and Thailand, for example. These are interesting in that they're a refreshing break of the unrelenting nationalism of the Olympics, but more interesting still are all the examples of nationalistic conflict among existing nations.
For example, Macedonia -- or, rather, the Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia. Why such a long, ungainly name? Because Greece sucks.
How about "Chinese Tapei"? We all know the answer to that one, but let's repeat it anyway: The People's Republic of China sucks. It sucks so much that a chunk of it's populace still would rather compete on the "Hong Kong" team.
I don't even want to start on the Koreas. Um, so I won't.
Nationally-based medal counts, national anthems, blah, blah, blah. And the most irritating example of nationalism is the French insistence that they are still relevant to world affairs by pasting their language -- which I loathe even more than that of the Russians -- on top of every single pronouncement. English is international in part for the same reason French is: conquest and rule by force of folks outside their rather small countries. But English also has the virtue of being attached to a chunk of music, movies, and other entertainment from a country of tremendous size and power that until recently made a show of multi-lateralism and limited its depradations on smaller nations to very specific (if still unjustifiable) cases. English also is not in the strait-jacket of a central government department, preserving anachronism by the will of the state and stifling the dynamic growth and and evolution that languages must undergo. So, yes, France sucks.
Lest there be any doubt, I speak five to seven languages beside English, and I would be willing, even happy, to learn another if its utility so argued. This is not an "English ueber ". . . er . . . " over all" rant.
And I don't give a fart how many medals some individuals who happen to be other Americans happen to win. That sort of feel-good-ism, based on essentially taking credit for somebody else's achievement, is best left to those who have no achievements of their own. The only value I could see in the Olympics would be the quality of the athletic performances, which can only be hampered by the participation of athletes based on national affiliation before individual skill.
No, the Olympics don't suck, but they are too steeped in national chauvinism to be something that interests me much.
The one thing I do find interesting, though, is the opening ceremony march-in of the various national teams. NBC provided useful information such as the location of the country in question, its population, and the number of atheletes competing for that country. There was the standard run of American atheletes who could never have competed in the Olympics if they didn't have dual-citizenship with a country that doesn't see much snow or ice in winter: downhill skiers for Ethiopia and Thailand, for example. These are interesting in that they're a refreshing break of the unrelenting nationalism of the Olympics, but more interesting still are all the examples of nationalistic conflict among existing nations.
For example, Macedonia -- or, rather, the Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia. Why such a long, ungainly name? Because Greece sucks.
How about "Chinese Tapei"? We all know the answer to that one, but let's repeat it anyway: The People's Republic of China sucks. It sucks so much that a chunk of it's populace still would rather compete on the "Hong Kong" team.
I don't even want to start on the Koreas. Um, so I won't.
Nationally-based medal counts, national anthems, blah, blah, blah. And the most irritating example of nationalism is the French insistence that they are still relevant to world affairs by pasting their language -- which I loathe even more than that of the Russians -- on top of every single pronouncement. English is international in part for the same reason French is: conquest and rule by force of folks outside their rather small countries. But English also has the virtue of being attached to a chunk of music, movies, and other entertainment from a country of tremendous size and power that until recently made a show of multi-lateralism and limited its depradations on smaller nations to very specific (if still unjustifiable) cases. English also is not in the strait-jacket of a central government department, preserving anachronism by the will of the state and stifling the dynamic growth and and evolution that languages must undergo. So, yes, France sucks.
Lest there be any doubt, I speak five to seven languages beside English, and I would be willing, even happy, to learn another if its utility so argued. This is not an "English ueber ". . . er . . . " over all" rant.
And I don't give a fart how many medals some individuals who happen to be other Americans happen to win. That sort of feel-good-ism, based on essentially taking credit for somebody else's achievement, is best left to those who have no achievements of their own. The only value I could see in the Olympics would be the quality of the athletic performances, which can only be hampered by the participation of athletes based on national affiliation before individual skill.
No, the Olympics don't suck, but they are too steeped in national chauvinism to be something that interests me much.
posted by heavynettle at 20:13
1 Comments:
Sport is ritualized combat.
I more shocked at the universal generation gap than the nationalism. I caught part of the grand march or whatever it's called of the athletes marching into the stadium. At least one or two or even more from every country were carrying video cameras. One American athlete was even talking on her cell-phone. Sorry, folks, but when I was young, this was considered tacky; I suspect it still is. (I might add, the Mongolians and Macedonians both showed some real style--and no cell phones--and class in their marches. I hope they have a good showing.)
So the crass use of intrusive technology turned otherwise idols of world youth into gawking hicks (I mean, really, who films themselves at the Olympics?? Don't you all have Tivo?), but it also showed how broadly standards of social behavior have been affected by new technology: with the exceptions noted above, they were all crass together.
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