I Don’t Like the Olympics
August 9, 2008 by Kristen King
Filed under Women's Health
(www.livelywomen.com) — Every time the Olympics roll around, I cringe.
There’s nothing like pitting countries against one another in a commercialized competition to see who’s the best and make everyone else feel resentful. Mmm, good times. Do I think Olympic athletes have worked really hard to get where they are? Absolutely, and good for them. Do I think our lives, and our prime time programming, should revolve around that fact for the next 2 weeks? No, no I don’t.
Anything that promotes rabid nationalism and holds individuals to virtually impossible standards freaks me out.
I would much rather see athletes and, really, all individuals, take pride in achieving their personal best and focus on THAT. I would rather see injured athletes take a break instead of “pushing through the pain” and causing lasting damage to their bodies. I would rather see people excited about the human experience and what our bodies are capable of instead of trying to beat someone else or feeling like they’ve failed their country in some way because their score wasn’t high enough, they didn’t medal, or they didn’t come in first.
I don’t like the Olympics. How do you feel?
(image: SXC.hu)
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Contents © Copyright 2008 Kristen King
Tags: womens health blog, womens health, women, woman, health, 2008 olympics, olympic games, beijing olympics, do not like the olympics, nationalism, competition, commercialism, lively women, kristen king
Hmm, I’m going to have to send you messages every day over the next two weeks saying something like “SMILE! It’s Olympics time!”
I love the summer Olympics. It’s the only time I get to watch most of those sports: swimming, diving, track and field. Those are rarely shown on tv and I don’t get a chance to get out to these types of meets.
As well, I get a huge kick out of cheering for the really tiny teams, the countries that could only send three or four athletes.
So…. Lively Women Unite! Ignore our friend Kristen here and enjoy them. {insert huge grin}
I generally enjoy watching the Olympics, but I don’t like that some athletes feel that they must ingest illegal and possibly harmful substances to produce stunning performances.
I also don’t like that this year’s games are hosted by China, which has a dismal human rights records and a dismal environmental record. I don’t think that I’ll be watching much this time around.
C’mon, say the truth: you’re just angry because you didn’t make the olimpic softball team!
Just joking…
Olympics are generally good to see but this time I decide to boycott because the host country and the international situation reminds me the ‘36 edition, held in the Nazi Germany, that was just a prelude to WWII.
I really tried to like this, but I guess the human rights coupled with the current economic situation just leaves me cold. I feel like others as far as the enormous stress to be no. 1 and giving themselves at any cost NOT being what I like to see ESPECIALLY steroid abuse, etc.. But mainly, it just sickens me when I think that Real Chinese citizens are treated like garbage. SO I TOO WILL BOYCOTT MY VIEWING!
I don’t like the Olympics either.
I regret that some people take steriods and push themselves to the point of injury. I love Olympics and world cups of both soccer and cricket especially because teams represent their countries, brings in much more passion, emotions and a feeling of achievement when they win than seeing two random guys cycling or swimming
I haven’t watched the Olympics since I was a little girl and my best friend and I were fascinated with the gymnasts. These days, I’m just not interested. *sigh*
Thanks for the comments, all. And feel free to completely ignore Marijke.
Giorgio, great connection and well stated.
Glad to know I’m not alone, guys.
kk
To call what happens during the Olympics “rabid nationalism” severely devalues the charge when it is laid at the feet of the truly offensive. In other words, this whole rant is a strawman argument.
Example: The author states, “I would much rather see athletes and, really, all individuals, take pride in achieving their personal best and focus on THAT.” News Flash, that is exactly what the Olympics is about. I guarantee you that the athletes you see performing are more disappointed by not achieving what they KNOW they are capable of than they are by simply not winning the gold. This author seems to be confused by those particular athletes that know they are capable of winning gold, but don’t perform up to their own standards.
Case in point: Men’s team gymnastics, the US team was absolutely ecstatic when they won the bronze, because they knew that they had performed up to (or maybe even exceeded) the level they were capable of. That is exactly what the author wishes to see, and that is exactly what is happening at the Olympics.
And just for clarification, “rabid nationalism” is thinking your are the best simply because you were lucky enough to be born in a certain country, and placing your particular country at the top (prematurely) for no other reason. This is entirely different than cheering for your home team. Just because the teams, in this case, are divided by the lines that border our countries does not make that cheering “nationalism”. It’s sport for christ’s sake, and the Olympics embodies the ideals we would like the true “nationalists” to adopt – Good-natured competition, sportsmanlike conduct, shake hands when the match is done, congrats to whomever the victor may be.
I don’t like sports in general, so I don’t particularly like the Olympics – however this time I have been paying attention. I love China and am interested for that reason and the opening ceremony was just so impressive!
I think it would be much, much better for humanity that instead of the world getting together to compete – why don’t we get people together to work on solving some problem? Like get the best scientists together to brainstorm on ways to cure cancer? Poverty, etc. And televise it.
@ Trisha – I think it would be much, much better for humanity that instead of the world getting together to compete – why don’t we get people together to work on solving some problem? Like get the best scientists together to brainstorm on ways to cure cancer? Poverty, etc. And televise it.
I think that’s a great idea.
Alicia – we must be in the minority in thinking this way since it is still so far from what is actually happening in the real world.
Very true, Trisha. Hey, do you plan to participate in Blog Action Day 2008 (www.blogactionday.org) with Ideas for Women? The topic this year is “poverty,” and that’s a great way for us bloggers at least to stand up and get ideas out there.
I’m planning to, but haven’t signed up yet.
I absolutely agree with the writer of this column. It was the gal who was up against Tonya Harding, the one who screamed ‘WHY ME????WHY ME???” when she was hit at her knees.
I learned through that incident that these athletes take this way way too seriously. The children start at early ages, if they show promise, they often go and live with a strange family and work under a coach. Coaches often work their students to the bone.
You have young ladies, who when they start developing, are often too old to compete. Sorry, but if you need to retire at age 14, what is it that we are doing,
I have always watched, even as a child, feeling bad because we go against undeveloped countries and American in training have every advantage.
Then, there is the corporation who wants you to wear their name all over you. So, we watch really closely the beautiful clothing designs to see if Nike is on it or Adadidas. Now, we have the most exclusive designers in the world, Stella McCartney for one, designing garments.
Swimmers from Spain has to use other swimsuits from those they brought because they had lights on them.
This stuff plus the drugs…………..sorry, but I do not like it. In America they take these sports and put them under the lab. They design bikes, equipment, everything to the advantage of the person who gets to use it.
And then, there is horrendous and STUPID attitude that if you don’t get a medal you are a loser. HOW STUPID. The person has given up his life to be there, at lest the last year of his life, and he doesn’t get credit just for being good enough to be there. I CALL THAT BAD SPORTSMANSHIP.
Olympiads should be people who use no additional equipment or drug or costume to win. They should all have the same outfits, the same training rules (that exclude living away from home for a year to be coached,) advertisers should be excluded and they should have NO special equipment. To me, that is just cheating—->I ride a bike that has all the bells and whistles while someone from Albania doesn’t. I think that training should be limited to 2 hours a day or something like that. This way, they all have the same chance, advertisers don’t own them, and the contest is about how good the athlete is versus who has been sculpted the most.
I don’t call what we have now “sports,” I call it a bunch of little freaks who don’t know how to relate to other school children because their lives are so lopsided.
Want me to get started on pro sports???
My suggestion is : Like the Olympics, if you cannot like the Olympics, be brave in the attempt!
The things that bother you about them are real. They are issues far greater than the Olympics. I just try to see the best in it, and save the fight for a different day. Kinda like movies, suspension of disbelief.
I don’t care for the Olympics. Typically, I dislike events that have a lot of hype. I understand your dislike. Personally, since I am not a “sporty” person I can’t understand the obession and it isn’t like I haven’t tried; I’m not interested … period.