Thoughts on opening ceremonies ...
I watched the Olympics opening ceremonies last night at a friends house that dvr'd them. They were beautiful. But the thought I had this afternoon I saw repeated on the internet just now.
The individual was supplanted by the masses. Group think, group movement, group everything. And so many men. Why only men beating boxes that light up? Why only men moving boxes in unison? Women made appearances with the traditional make-up and fancy dress. And the only thing I kept thinking was Memoirs of a Geisha. Which of course is about a prostitute.
Don't get me wrong, 2,008 men pushing boxes up and down in perfect unison is an amazing feet. One that Bob Costas on NBC a few moments ago marveled at, saying something about how Americans just cant do that.
I wouldn't go that far Bob.
The thing is, while the Olympics are team sports and they do win medals for their country, we still celebrate individual achievement. And the opening ceremony just ... well it didn't sit well. It was awesome, and amazing, and beautiful, and full of technology ... but the lack of women tweaked my nose. And the fact that China is communist and censors everything and Tibet and Sudan and Darfur ... well I just don't like it. And all those perfect lines ... all that perfect timing and choreography ... it reminded me of a totalitarian marching band, where if someone steps out of line they are shot.
And then just the coverage ... from Matt Laeur saying people in China are happier than people in the United States to Costas saying [paraphrase] that if these games go well (I think he means high viewership) that it means their system of government is okay ... to the President of the United States he says this ... it makes me want to vomit. I know we are capitolists and we all know I love me some capitolism, but the blatant "please don't cut our satallite feed, we've made so much in advertising" cowtowing to the Reds just makes me ill.
I know boycotting wouldn't have solved anything. I know that China is a world leader and their economy and ours are very closely tied. And I am watching the olympics so I'm as guilty of hypocrisy as the next person I guess. I just really, really don't like it.
I'm so lucky, so very lucky, so very blessed, that I was born in this country. I can search whatever I want on google. Nanny government doesn't have a leash on my internet use (yet) and I can say "I hate Congress!" at the top of my lungs and no one will hurt me. I won't be sent off to "reeducation" camps. Labor camps. No trial. Just sent off to labor camps. Un.Be.Liev.Able.
God Bless the United States and her athletes. May they and the rest of the free world kick communist butt.
The individual was supplanted by the masses. Group think, group movement, group everything. And so many men. Why only men beating boxes that light up? Why only men moving boxes in unison? Women made appearances with the traditional make-up and fancy dress. And the only thing I kept thinking was Memoirs of a Geisha. Which of course is about a prostitute.
Don't get me wrong, 2,008 men pushing boxes up and down in perfect unison is an amazing feet. One that Bob Costas on NBC a few moments ago marveled at, saying something about how Americans just cant do that.
I wouldn't go that far Bob.
The thing is, while the Olympics are team sports and they do win medals for their country, we still celebrate individual achievement. And the opening ceremony just ... well it didn't sit well. It was awesome, and amazing, and beautiful, and full of technology ... but the lack of women tweaked my nose. And the fact that China is communist and censors everything and Tibet and Sudan and Darfur ... well I just don't like it. And all those perfect lines ... all that perfect timing and choreography ... it reminded me of a totalitarian marching band, where if someone steps out of line they are shot.
And then just the coverage ... from Matt Laeur saying people in China are happier than people in the United States to Costas saying [paraphrase] that if these games go well (I think he means high viewership) that it means their system of government is okay ... to the President of the United States he says this ... it makes me want to vomit. I know we are capitolists and we all know I love me some capitolism, but the blatant "please don't cut our satallite feed, we've made so much in advertising" cowtowing to the Reds just makes me ill.
I know boycotting wouldn't have solved anything. I know that China is a world leader and their economy and ours are very closely tied. And I am watching the olympics so I'm as guilty of hypocrisy as the next person I guess. I just really, really don't like it.
I'm so lucky, so very lucky, so very blessed, that I was born in this country. I can search whatever I want on google. Nanny government doesn't have a leash on my internet use (yet) and I can say "I hate Congress!" at the top of my lungs and no one will hurt me. I won't be sent off to "reeducation" camps. Labor camps. No trial. Just sent off to labor camps. Un.Be.Liev.Able.
God Bless the United States and her athletes. May they and the rest of the free world kick communist butt.
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