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Hmm. Interesting.
Jan. 30th, 2010 04:47 pmI've been a fan of the Winter Olympics since I was a kid (not so much the summer ones, because I'm not all that interested in watching gymnastics or swimming or running, stuff like that).
I love the Luge and the bobsleds and the hockey (without fighting!) and especially, especially the figure skating--ironic because I've never been able to do much more than stand up and wobble my ankles while on skates. A complex skill--like, say, stopping, for instance--is totally beyond my level of expertise.
Annnyway, over the past few years I've been hearing all these bad things about the Olympics, like the way the homeless are displaced how the IOC is evil and the Olympics are more about sexism and homophobia and corporate greed than about peace and love and gold medals, and that environmentally and a bunch more other ways, the Olympics basically suck. And this year, the Olympic resisters are adding one more thing--they're saying that the venues where the games will be played are on land stolen from indigenous peoples.
It all sounds pretty incriminating, so I've decided to investigate. I'm still at square one, basically, but I wanted to share a talk I found that not only makes sense to me but also talks a lot about the history of activism in sport, which I'd really like to know more about--people like Muhammad Ali, Billie Jean King, and a whole bunch of others.
So here's the talk: The hidden history of activism in sport. The speaker is David Zirin, sports writer for The Nation.
I'd really like to know what you guys think about the whole argument, pro-or anti-Olympics. Feel free to give me links, ideas, arguments pro or con.
I'm planning to watch this year either way, but maybe by the time I get done investigating, I'll decide not to, or not to in four years (like I said, I don't really like the Summer Games that much, but that really has nothing to do with anything political). It looks bad, but I have to see for myself.
I love the Luge and the bobsleds and the hockey (without fighting!) and especially, especially the figure skating--ironic because I've never been able to do much more than stand up and wobble my ankles while on skates. A complex skill--like, say, stopping, for instance--is totally beyond my level of expertise.
Annnyway, over the past few years I've been hearing all these bad things about the Olympics, like the way the homeless are displaced how the IOC is evil and the Olympics are more about sexism and homophobia and corporate greed than about peace and love and gold medals, and that environmentally and a bunch more other ways, the Olympics basically suck. And this year, the Olympic resisters are adding one more thing--they're saying that the venues where the games will be played are on land stolen from indigenous peoples.
It all sounds pretty incriminating, so I've decided to investigate. I'm still at square one, basically, but I wanted to share a talk I found that not only makes sense to me but also talks a lot about the history of activism in sport, which I'd really like to know more about--people like Muhammad Ali, Billie Jean King, and a whole bunch of others.
So here's the talk: The hidden history of activism in sport. The speaker is David Zirin, sports writer for The Nation.
I'd really like to know what you guys think about the whole argument, pro-or anti-Olympics. Feel free to give me links, ideas, arguments pro or con.
I'm planning to watch this year either way, but maybe by the time I get done investigating, I'll decide not to, or not to in four years (like I said, I don't really like the Summer Games that much, but that really has nothing to do with anything political). It looks bad, but I have to see for myself.
