TV Dreams Beijing into Life

Dana's questions about the Olympics on Mombian really got me thinking. Actually I’ve been thinking about the Olympics a lot this week. It’s a big water cooler topic at my office. It turns out that several of my colleagues are veritable Olympic junkies.  Who knew? 

NPR has run some great stories recently about the upcoming Olympic games.  My favorite one was about the cultural dilemma faced by the Chinese because although it is the Year of the Rat they are having to exterminate rats in order to prepare their city for the masses. So, apparently, the British have come to their assistance.

We don’t watch television at our house. We don't even have cable. When I say that, however, I don't mean to imply that we are purists.  Instead of television, Pearl and Carrie watch videos. They love their videos. I also have a list of YouTube favorites that Carrie particularly enjoys.But with the Olympics only hours away, I've starting remembering.

When I was a kid, I found the Olympics very inspiring. I grew up in a small town in the bible belt where conventions ran very deep, and so the powerful confident women athletes I watched on TV were a new kind of role model for me. I liked learning the stories of the athletes--where they started and how they became great athletes. Mark Spitz was a hero of mine, representing the equally surprising combination of Jewish and athlete. By watching the games, I got an early sense (however formulaic) of a larger world.

So I’m planning to let the girls check out the Olympics if they’re interested. Since they’re taking swim lessons this summer, maybe we'll start with that. But not on TV, only on YouTube. My ever-so-slight purist condition.  I'll let you know how it goes.

Comments

[anniem]

When the kids were littler I found myself using the Olympics like a smorgasbord of sport. I wanted to expose them to a ton of sports and watch for that special Zen-like spark with one. Didn't really work.

Between John's schedule and mine, we're going to be out of the country for most of them this time around. It's strange to let something like that pass.

Maybe they could resurrect Olympic popularity by taking them the direction of Fantasy Foodball. Release people from the obligation of identifying athletes by nation and cheer on individual talent (or access to technology, in the case of the US swim team). It seems more Greek that way.

[valerie]

I love the Olympics. They make me all sappy and mushy and proud. I cry at the stories about hardship, when usually I think that type of stuff is cheesy. I cry during the medal ceremonies. I cry when they show some athlete's mom watching from home half way across the world.

I'm not bawling, mind you, but the tears do manage to find their way down my cheeks.

This year, though, I'm a tiny bit less excited. I keep reading about and hearing stories about all the problems in China, ones I knew about and ones I didn't, and it's putting a damper on my anticipation.

Am I the only one who feels this way?

Not that it will keep me from watching. I even like the opening ceremony cheesiness, and I have avoided watching the leaked video online so as not to ruin it. I can't wait to watch them tonight.

Of course, the China issue won't bother your daughters one bit, which is good. I hope they enjoy watching the competitions and maybe find some inspiration!

[Jack]

I might know who you're talking about with your reference to water coolers. :)

The Olympics for me have always been inspirational -- of course I had to love Greg Louganis in Seoul winning medal after medal. I have new heroes with Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh who made beach volleyball look SO SO easy. And the grandeur of the opening ceremonies blows me away each time.

I'm willing to look beyond China's faults with human rights (like the USA doesn't have its own troubles, right?) because these games will showcase what's beautiful in China, and they are about more than one country -- they are really about individual achievement and patriotism and camaraderie, and I love that.

I can't wait for the time when Grrlville will be represented -- I think Pearl is going to go for the gold. Maybe the Games in 2020?

[valerie]

"I'm willing to look beyond China's faults with human rights (like the USA doesn't have its own troubles, right?) because these games will showcase what's beautiful in China, and they are about more than one country -- they are really about individual achievement and patriotism and camaraderie, and I love that."

Actually, as I watched the Opening Ceremonies last night, those feelings were the ones that took over. As the commentators speculated about the reception some of the countries would get, I found myself saying, "No one should boo them -- this is the Olympics! It's about the athletes!"

The thing that bothered me most had nothing to do with China, actually. I was quite annoyed by the announcers' subtle (and not so subtle) criticism of the costumes/outfits of various countries. I thought that was pretty tacky.