Call me a nerd
but I love the Olympics. I know it's not "cool," and it's probably more PC anyway to boycott watching in protest of China's human rights violations, etc. (Also scary: this article. Though is it just me, or does anyone else wonder if Tyson chicken is all that "clean" itself?)
I don't care. I mean, I do care, but I will still be watching every minute of the Olympics that my cranky toddler allows me. Not because I'm particularly patriotic--I root for whoever I feel like, not just U.S. athletes, and I'm a little embarrassed that NBC convinced the organizers to hold the most anticipated medal events at a time when they could be broadcast live during prime time in the U.S. (So all of Europe and Africa and swaths of Asia now have to stay up into the wee hours to watch these events live, just so McD0nald's can try to sell me and my neighbors more S0uthern Ch!cken S@ndwiches?)
But I just plain love it. I love seeing the swimming events and pretending that two years on my high school team make me an expert in swimming mechanics and strategy. I love rooting for the plucky underdog athlete who's his/her country's first serious medal contender in a generation. I love feeling pride in the South Korean wins, even though I've never lived there. I love the apprehensive pit I get in my stomach watching the inhuman things those gymnasts do with their bodies, waiting for someone to fall or break something. I even love the ritualistic bashing of the sick system that creates those gymnasts and their crazy tiny bodies, and I love making fun of the syrupy "portraits of courage" NBC shoves down our throats. I love Tim Daggett and Elfi Schlegel and Rowdy Gaines.
Of course, this will be my first Olympics where I can't just park on the couch for two weeks and ignore the rest of my life. Or can I? Do you think that watching platform diving and fencing and tae kwon do and shot put are educational for a 1-year-old?
ETA: See, this is the shit I live for. How can you not love that?
I don't care. I mean, I do care, but I will still be watching every minute of the Olympics that my cranky toddler allows me. Not because I'm particularly patriotic--I root for whoever I feel like, not just U.S. athletes, and I'm a little embarrassed that NBC convinced the organizers to hold the most anticipated medal events at a time when they could be broadcast live during prime time in the U.S. (So all of Europe and Africa and swaths of Asia now have to stay up into the wee hours to watch these events live, just so McD0nald's can try to sell me and my neighbors more S0uthern Ch!cken S@ndwiches?)
But I just plain love it. I love seeing the swimming events and pretending that two years on my high school team make me an expert in swimming mechanics and strategy. I love rooting for the plucky underdog athlete who's his/her country's first serious medal contender in a generation. I love feeling pride in the South Korean wins, even though I've never lived there. I love the apprehensive pit I get in my stomach watching the inhuman things those gymnasts do with their bodies, waiting for someone to fall or break something. I even love the ritualistic bashing of the sick system that creates those gymnasts and their crazy tiny bodies, and I love making fun of the syrupy "portraits of courage" NBC shoves down our throats. I love Tim Daggett and Elfi Schlegel and Rowdy Gaines.
Of course, this will be my first Olympics where I can't just park on the couch for two weeks and ignore the rest of my life. Or can I? Do you think that watching platform diving and fencing and tae kwon do and shot put are educational for a 1-year-old?
ETA: See, this is the shit I live for. How can you not love that?
posted by electriclady at 10:46 AM
6 Comments:
Then call me a nerd also, because I freaking love the Olympics as well! I was so angry with my Ph.D. advisor when he rescheduled my dissertation defense for the last weekend of the 2006 Winter Olympics. I got to watch almost none of them because I was studying and preparing--argh! I am so excited that they're starting tomorrow and will be watching any event I can fit in between meetings and the start of the school year.
I love it too!! I can't wait until the game starts...especially since I am not working I have something to look forward to. Of course it is education to 1 yr old--it will teach them about the importance of sports and team work! Especially for girls...they get to see strong women compete!! Hehe!!I hope B will let mommy watch it--b/c lately if the TV is on he turns it off and gives me the no-no sign!
I don't think it's nerdy. Don't billions of people watch the Olympics? Billions of nerds perhaps!
I even like the winter Olympics, which is weird since I participate in absolutely no winter sports whatsoever.
This post has made me all giddy for hurdles.
I have never seen any kind of Olympic event. And now we don't have TV, so even if I wanted to. My mom (also TV-less) really is into it, though, and is sad about the TV situation for this one reason.
I also love the Olympics! I love the sappy stories, the amazing gymnastics, the swimming, the diving... oh, everything!
I hope I can also park my butt in front of the TV... but right now is opening ceremonies, and I'm working. URG! If it's not work, you know it'll be the toddler keeping me from it!
Well, it's counting as educational for my sixteen-month-old (and four-year-old) so I say park BG there with you! We watched fencing today (technically *not* fencing, but I digress) and swimming tonight.
Did you TOTALLY love the torch lighting ceremony? Very cool. Um, yeah, so. Nerd here, too. ;)
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