musings and misadventures: HTT

8.12.2008

HTT - Olympics Edition

So, did you hear? NBC used computer-generated graphics to look like a live fireworks display during the opening ceremony of the Olympics. Apparently, Beijing is so smoggy that there's no way the fireworks could have been captured by aerial cameras. But, oh yeah, they didn't tell us it was fake. (Or to avoid Beijing if you have asthma.)

And while this trickery is pure Milli Vanilli to me, I think NBC thinks it's totally OK. After all, the opening ceremony cost $300 million dollars. (That's 2,061,119,985.5700 yuan for you finance geeks out there. Hi Dad.) So they had to show an aerial view, even if it was from a computer in New Jersey.

That's OK, because it just represents what I hate about the Olympics - that it's an inaccurate gauge of athleticism, because it's ultimately about ratings and not raw talent. (Though I do love the water sports. I was once a synchronized swimming coach. Seriously.)

I mean, Beijing is a smoggy city. And some of the athletes are doping and/or 10 years old. And some of the judges are not being fair. Also, sometimes you feel embarrassed by some of the outfits, but you pretend like it's normal for men to wear short-shorts because you're at a friend's house, and she makes a mean chili-cheese dip.

But instead of exposes on Olympic failings, you get some 30-minute, overly dramatized bit about how the athlete overcame an ingrown toenail to participate. And while some of the athletes have great stories, it's overkill to me. Let's face it, while they have faced some human adversities, the only thing that makes them remarkable is that they have no life besides their sport.

I feel bad for some of the athletes. While winning gold medals is infinitely cooler than what I plan to do today - park? pool? - it's an overwhelming obsession for them that keeps them from accomplishing some of life's less notable, but more fulfilling goals. And what about the guy who places seventh? He's still seventh in the world, yet he goes home feeling like a loser.

But I'm still rooting for Michael Phelps, even though I generally hate dominant athletes. It's, like, give another dude a chance!

Anyway ... are you watching the Olympics?

What do you like/dislike?

Have you considered a career in table tennis?

Go.

38 comments:

Shaka said...: hmmm,interesting. fake fireworks. and everyone has been talking about how great the opening ceremonies were! i like watching the olympics. i just wish they were show some of the "less popular" events. i get tired of beach volleyball pretty quick!; 7:57 AM
zeeny said...: I totally love the olympics! I cried within the first thirty seconds of the opening ceremony! I think these people can be obsessed, but hey, at least they have a goal and are willing to work really hard. If they can work really hard in this aspect of their life, think of what they can accomplish if they transfer that work ethic over to other aspects of their lives.
I do agree, that to be a winner doesn't mean everything. I think seventh place is still admirable, and hope that we as parents can teach our kids that athletics is more to do about your best, than about what place you finish.
So for me, I will continue to dvr every minute of the olympics, cry over the cheesy stories, and dream of a past life where I might have been so talentd or worked so hard at something just for me! Selffish yes, but I am not apologetic!; 8:28 AM
Sarah Garner said...: I personally didn't care that the fireworks weren't live, it was an amazing and entertaining show. China is all about technology right? We'll be watching 3-D digital fireworks here within a couple years... just watch. :)

My favorite part is the fake sense of worldwide comaraderie we feel during Olympics.

BTW... how the H did China of all places get to host the Olympics? it's like letting the playground bully plan a neighborhood birthday party. And OF COURSE records are being shattered, people are on oxygen so they can BREATHE.

This sounds pretty negative, but I actually really really enjoy watching the Olympics.; 8:37 AM
janaya said...: all i know is canada needs to step it up a notch! don't they realize i live surrounded by trash talking americans!?

and yes, i was a little disturbed by the fake fireworks unveiling. apparently they really did have the display there, but were concerned about how it would show up on tv or something. anyway, regardless, it's right up there with the other things i roll my eyes at, like peter pan carrying the torture and looking like he's about to fall to his death everytime the chords change position... or the ridiculous banter of the broadcasters. BUT, i do enjoy the olympics (AFTER the opening ceremonies are over). i agree with you that it's a little irritating when one (or two) countries completely dominate (not naming any names...), and you're so right about the seventh place thing. but it's still fun to watch and often pretty moving.

but seriously... canada... can you pick up the pace please!?; 8:37 AM
Mary said...: I'm sorry ... I love the hard luck stories. That's why I expected to hate Michael Phelps but then I too found myself rooting for him, 'cause he's just so dang cute. I do hate the swim suits on the beach volley-ball players, but then one of them lost her wedding ring and then she found it and ...

... that's what it's all about. It's about the entire world watching the same show at (roughly) the same time.

With some competition thrown in for good measure.; 8:53 AM
steph said...: normally i'm embarrassed to say this, but now, i don't have to be. i do not watch the olympics. they bore me... it's never just the sport; there always has to be some lame commentary.

and, these days, the goal is ratings... and that makes me sad.; 9:01 AM
brookegfunk said...: I am with mary .I enjoy the overcoming obstacles stories. I sometimes AVOID watching cuz' I dont have time for a cathartic cry over a Lost Boy carrying the flag for team USA. I agree that some of the pomp is not very circumstantial but I love the feeling that these are regular people pushing themselves to extraordinary limits, chasing a dream .You dont get a more universal theme than that. Everyone in the world can relate to it. My dream is to fold all the laundry right after it gets washed -oh and then put it away...yep Im shooting for the stars!; 9:20 AM
janaya said...: so... i just realized that i "agreed" with something you didn't actually say... i apparently thought it while reading your blog post and then thought, "ya! that's right! it is annoying when one or two countries dominate the olympics" :) that mrs. dub and i, man... we're really on the same wavelength. haha. anyway, sorry to put words in your mouth. ;); 9:30 AM
K and A Edgeworth said...: i love the olympics. it's amazing to see how hard work and dedication pay off.

but i hate when athletes complain about getting silver or bronze. i mean, it's an honor to just be considered for the olympics. to be there means you are some of the most talented in your sport. i just wish athletes would be more gracious.; 9:34 AM
Karen Vutrano said...: I kind of like the Olympics just b/c while growing up I was allowed to stay up past my bedtime to watch my favorite events. Plus, I always feel like I learn something about other countries--even more so now when I know the world is so geographically different than when I learned the globe in my middle school social studies class.

However, I don't like the Olympics because I cry when anyone falls off the balance beam or gets obviously cheated by the judges. Or when the 10 year olds cry because they have disappointed their coach/parent/nation.

In the end, I could really take it or leave it. It's kind of like the Oscars--if someone is more excited about it than me and wants to make a social event out of it, I'm game. Otherwise, I kind of want to do other things and read some highlights the next day.; 10:05 AM
Mrs. Walker said...: I love the Olympics, we're huge fans in this household. We loved the opening ceremonies as well, and I think it was dissapointing for NBC to use enhance the fireworks (which weren't even the best part IMO). It was really unnecessary and a little dissapointing. We talk about athletes using performance enhancing drugs and how awful that is, but it seems like NBC is doing the same thing by "beefing" up their opening show.

I think it's an amazing thing to see what the human body can perform. It's awesome to watch people break records and push the limits. It's been incredible watching Michael Phelps break all of these records, but you're right, it is a bit strange that they work for hours and hours each day for years to get this 2 weeks of recognition.; 10:05 AM
sara said...: Oooh talk about a hot topic! I love the Olympics. There's Olympic gold in my family (a fact I bring up every chance I get lately). I can accept a little over-dramatics (fake fireworks, personal stories) as long as it helps accomplish the goal of promoting pride in our country and international unity at the same time - the Olympics are great for those things. And I don't even mind Bob Costas' dorkiness, but I think he wears too much makeup. I don't feel as badly for the US athletes as I do for the Chinese or others who I feel are under more pressure from their government to perform, and were probably torn from their families at age 3 or something when it was determined that they were potential Olympic material. Didn't the Chinese men's gymnastics coach say he was going to kill himself if they didn't win the team gold? I feel like the US participants are at least more human about it. And - I loved how hard the US men's gymnastics team cheered at winning the bronze last night. That was nice to see people so excited about 3rd place.

And did I mention my grandpa won a gold medal in 1948?; 10:55 AM
Melanie M. McKinnon said...: i do not like(borderline hate) michael phelps on account of his driving drunk in Nov. '04. then he wasn't even cited for underage drinking and he was 19! i could kick him square in the balls for that. and if i ever have a run-in with him, someone will have to hold me back.

he's supposed to be a role model for crying out loud!

(ok, the soap box is back under my bed where it belongs.)

other than that, did you see men's gymnastics? phenomenal!!!; 11:01 AM
sara said...: Okay now I AM bothered by something - I just read an article about how the 9-yr-old girl who sang in the opening ceremonies wasn't singing - it was a pre-recording of a different girl, a 7-yr-old, who was deemed "not cute enough" for them to put on tv. I don't mind lip-synching for big events like that if it's a little kid and it's the actual kid's pre-recorded voice... but this story about how the girl with the best voice didn't have a cute enough face to use; that's sad. To me this is much more offensive than fake fireworks. AND, the dad of the girl who did the lip-synching only found out 15 minutes beforehand that she was doing it?? As if she's been under the control of her government handlers for the past year or something. This is what I mean about China and their control issues. The opening ceremonies were spectacular but the perfection was a little much, in a "we want to take over the world" kind of way.

So other than my apparent issues with China, I'm back to loving the Olympics. You know, with my grandpa's gold medal and all.; 11:14 AM
sara said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 11:14 AM
coolmomofseven said...: Amen, amen and amen.; 11:17 AM
mrs. dph said...: Has anyone noticed that Bob Costas' hair is like 3 shades darker than usual? I think it makes him look a little like a vampire that could use some sleep. Oh yeah, they don't sleep.; 11:20 AM
Carrie said...: My fav part of the Olympics is the Visa and Coke commercials... and the Home Depot ones, and the Nike ones. Those are inspiring. And I loved watching that American girl cry when she won gold in fencing. I missed the opening ceremonies. I did see all the commentators say that they were the best ever which made me glad I didn't see it because why do spend MILLIONS of dollars to put on a show that tops the last one????

I appreciate a role model in opposition to the young Hollywood types. I would much rather have my children obsess over swimming like Michael Phelps than singing like Myley Cyrus. The beach volleyball girls said this is there last Olympics because they want to start families. Where in Hollywood to you hear that?! And I love someone working hard at a huge goal and achieving because I really don't think many of us get that kind of opportunity in our lives often.; 11:32 AM
Jennifer said...: I really enjoy watching the olympics, but I tend to think that it's just one day, I mean the same athlete that came in 4, tomorrow could be first.
And I really hate the commentary, especially this year. I know Michael Phelps is a great swimmer, but that's all I hear about. Everyone else's accomplishments are over shadowed by his over exposure. And several times last night while watching the Men's gymnasts I wished I could have silenced the commentators without actually muting the television.
However, I am very proud of the U.S. men's reaction. In so many cases, if the athletes don't take a gold then they feel it's over. I was glad to see their excitement and truly celebrate earning a medal--no matter the color.; 11:33 AM
melissa said...: i am very torn about the Olympics. My hubs wanted to boycott them all together b/c of China's human rights record. I say hey its just putting a spotlight on their problems and im okay with that.

but the reason i dont think China should be hosting the Olympics is b/c of their air quality. it looks disgusting! i dont blame the cyclist at all for showing up in masks.

and as far as the athletes, i dont want Michael Phelps to win all 8 gold medals. i thinnk other people should get a shot. i like watching the women's gymnastics this year because it is the first time at the Olympics for most of them, and its more exciting.; 11:36 AM
Young Family said...: My only real issue is that they have qualifying rounds in the olympics. Didn't they all have to qualify to get there? They should skip the qualifying rounds and just get on with it.; 12:10 PM
Bobbi said...: I actually worked on the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. I never cared much about the Olympics before I went, but it was a cool work project! The Olympic Spirit is awesome when you are there!

NBC's portrayal of the Olympics is very commercialized. The rest of the world and all these other countries actually get REAL PROGRAMMING without fancy graphics and "made for tv" background stories. They get to watch all their athletes compete in events that aren't popular, because that's the spirit of the Olympics. Sure, we should be proud of Phelps -- but shouldn't we also be proud of the guy in Archery? Unless you are willing to spend money with your cable provider, there is no way you will get that coverage on NBC. Which is a shame.; 12:27 PM
Carrie said...: I like the Olympics. I buy into all the inspiration stuff and marvel at the discipline it takes to get where they are. The only discipline I have is in making chocolate chip cookies weekly. I don't know if you take suggestions but I have a HTT idea for you - mom's who always sit in the back seat with their kids, agree or disagree?; 12:30 PM
whitney said...: like sarah garner, i don't really care that the fireworks were fake. it maybe would have been nice if NBC had been honest about it in the first place, but it was a fantastic opening ceremonies and i thoroughly enjoyed it.

i absolutely LOVE the olympics. what it's really about to me is so many nations of the world coming together peaceably and putting aside their differences. and while there is all that negative crap like doping, unfair judges, crazy men stabbing innocent people... i really feel like the good stuff outweighs all the bad. the olympics rock.; 12:44 PM
M-Ware said...: this is the first time i've really watched the olympics because it's the first time i've been married when the olympics came on and my husband, who used to swim with jason lezak and aaron peirsol, is obsessed.

i have found them to be great. i loved the opening ceremony, was speechless about it actually. i love the international unity i feel during them. i love the stories of the athletes. and most of all, i love tivo. i wouldn't be watching them without it. the endless bob costas blabber, the commercials, the jumping back and forth between sports - it's just not doable w/o tivo.

i do feel bad that their lives are one dimensional. comments were made during the chinese women's gymnastics that several of the girls begged their parents to let them stop doing gymnastics but now look where they are! (unhappy and) winning golds! some athletes love it and to them i say: way to go. but those who don't love it should get out and get some balance. it's a lot like child actors who grow up, get out of shape and don't know who they are without their sport. that's the true tragedy.

p.s.
the fireworks were also digitally added because of the danger of having a helicopter cameraman try to follow them in sequence. i thought that whole footprint thing was freaking awesome.; 12:50 PM
Leslie said...: it doesn't bother me that the fireworks were fake, either. the opening ceremonies were incredible, i just feel badly for london and vancouver who have to follow up! the real travesty about that situation that those poor chinese babies have to be born and grow up breathing air like that. there are many other travesties going on in china, too, and the olympics are highlighting many of them. i think that is worth noting. people are becoming more aware of the human rights violations happening over there.
overall, i don't care about the commercialism, either. this is america, capitalism rules, in case you haven't noticed. i do think all of those athletes ought to be commended for their dedication and their incredible talent. not to mention their muscles. so what if michael phelps is a media darling. he's an incredible swimmer! if i could do that like he does, i'd want people to know about it, too! but i don't think many of the "stars" enjoy the hype, either. also, remember that many of the athletes are in their late teens and twenties, it's not like most of them have wasted their whole lives doing selfish things. many of us were just as selfishly pursuing education and/or boyfriends at the same age. people like ian thorpe, a past olympic champion, have retired in their early twenties and are moving on with their lives.

i love the olympics, and i'm glad that nbc has the resources to show us as much as they do. there are many worse things to complain about than that. like the insane child-training and the "loss of honor" that happens in places like china and japan when gold medals are not attained.
this was very a un-flowy comment. sorry.; 1:55 PM
Morgan said...: i LOVE the olympics. even though i do think it may be true that many of those athletes don't have much of a life out side of their sport, and I agree with the 7th place thing as well. but i love seeing the countries coming together, and i love seeing how talented people are, and i love seeing the underdog come out of no where and win gold, like a few years ago with figure skating, and just a couple nights ago, with the americans kicking france's butt in swimming. love it. it gives me chills and warm fuzzies all the time!; 2:14 PM
stephanie said...: i LOVE the olympics, but i hate all the skimpy bathing suits (have you seen men's synchro diving? seriously teeny speedos). i agree 100% with leslie. she's so smart.; 2:28 PM
lrbodine said...: I love the Olympics! I volunteered for the 2002 games in Salt Lake City and it's an experience I will never forget. I was impressed with the athletes I met across the world that were so gracious and excited to be there. Even though many of them didn't win medals they just loved being a part of it.

So aside from the super annoying commentators! I love every part of the Olympics. I love the stories, the moments that make me cry, etc. Plus I'm hoping it will inspire me to just get back to the gym one day!; 2:49 PM
Gina said...: Ditto ditto. I love the olympics! The only thing that bugs me is the commercials that say, "GO WORLD". Whatever happened to "GO USA?"; 3:08 PM
Kate said...: I loved the opening ceremonies.. and if money weren't an issue.. I would have been there... once in a lifetime event. When the Olympics were here in SLC it was really an amazing feeling- something I will never forget- I was able to go to the closing ceremonies with my hubs- it was a memorable event. I do hate- the commentators, they are so annoying- just shut up and let us watch the race. They put their foots in their mouths all the time. It is super annoying.; 4:43 PM
go boo boo said...: I love it. I also love that my boys cannot get over that the boy swimmers are wearing "girl swimsuits".; 6:10 PM
Leisha Mareth said...: I like gymnastics. I do not like that they work their whole lives (or thereabouts) to see if they can get the gold in one try. Too much pressure.; 7:03 PM
Joey and Megan said...: So I just blogged about the Olympics yesterday. Stop on by and read my blog. I do agree that the athletes have no other life, I just had that conversation with my husband last night as we were too obsessed with men's gymnastics to go to sleep. And I didn't even watch the opening ceremonies, so I can't comment on that. I think there's good and bad, but overall I just like that I can get my fill of sports once every four years and then not care in between!; 7:17 PM
Carolyn said...: LOVE the Olympics!!!! I am really sad to hear about Micheal Phelps--the driving thing--but, yeah, I LOVE them! We don't have cable in our house, and it is the only time during the year that we actually watch TV. We get out the old bunny ears and the kiddos love that they get to stay up a little late and go crazy for the USA! The only thing I am sad about is that my husband told me that next year we won't be able to use bunny ears--we'll have to do the digital thing or whatever new technology is coming up. Anyway, I think it is a great way for us all to unify and get behind some pretty amazing, hard working people who represent our great nation!!! ANd I also love to see the athletes from the other nations and see that "we are all the same." Sounds cheesy, but it IS a small world after all.; 9:37 PM
Lindsey from The R House said...: love the stories. they make me cry.

and how great is the olympic theme song? i sing it all the time.

i am feeling chubbier than i ever have, however. something about watching people in their perfect bodies.

when is sumo wrestling?; 12:45 PM
Anonymous said...: I used to love the Olympics. However when they made the decision to split the summer/winter games to alternating times so that you have Olympic broadcasts every 2 years instead of every 4 years - it began to lose it's shine.

When Olympic athletes became so determined to succeed that it became the norm to have some sent home for drug use, it lost more.

And yes, when China was allowed to host I wanted to know what the Olympic committee was thinking.

At one point in my life the Olympics were about what the athletes achieved. But it seems to me that those who are charged with guarding the Olympic Spirit (the committee) are making decisions contradictory to the Spirit of the games.

It seems more about the show/spectacle than the sportsmanship and how much money will be made during the show.

Yeah, they've lost me.; 2:29 PM
The Queen said...: But NBC announced during that fireworks that it was virtual! They said right then that it wasn't real! So I am not sure why everyone is so upset. Besides that I agree with everything Leslie said.; 6:50 PM