tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5867660884980504124.post8523191118777389059..comments2023-10-29T10:00:18.905-04:00Comments on Power Word: Blog: Olympic Feverhcduvallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08271032072494870642noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5867660884980504124.post-11148816975095219602008-09-05T01:11:00.000-04:002008-09-05T01:11:00.000-04:00yeah, surprised at Chengora's lack of interest. Fr...yeah, surprised at Chengora's lack of interest. From most people I know, and from the ratings, it seems like people were all surprisingly interested this time around.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14546992715660985590noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5867660884980504124.post-7296571470116022472008-08-12T14:45:00.000-04:002008-08-12T14:45:00.000-04:00Oh Spain.http://tinyurl.com/5jxpnuOh Spain.<BR/><BR/>http://tinyurl.com/5jxpnuhcduvallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08271032072494870642noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5867660884980504124.post-17243408554893522462008-08-12T13:07:00.000-04:002008-08-12T13:07:00.000-04:00You're going to be tempering yourself? That's unex...You're going to be tempering yourself? That's unexpected. I can't help but think the Chinese are still so unused to truly public criticism (self or otherwise), still too sensitive to it--this China is a young teenage nation that often wants the credit and respect of a 5000+ civilization tacked on. What's all the opening night (uniformly described as once in a lifetime and unbeatable as spectacle) and it's tinkering but that insecurity manifest? I mean, they built curtain walls overnight to cover up the neighborhoods they didn't have time to tear down. What are the man-on-the-street "woe is us" commentary but the petulance of that age group manifest as well?<BR/><BR/>I think the media has been doing very well, at least by the relevant parties. Salon can run its "Is Torture an Olympic Sport"-style pieces all it wants, but no one follows Salon for Olympic coverage. Commentary about the coverage is where all the hand-wringing is, and I don't see the Chinese despairing that they're expectations of being ensnared in a complete global embrace of all-is-forgiven-love being criticized internally for its own outsized outlandishness. There's been one unpredictable murder of a foreigner, multiple Uigher protests and terrorist acts, and this is the actual coverage? Mild beyond belief. If anyone wants an actual debacle of jingoism to compare to, just recall the Atlanta games. Now that shit was dumb.<BR/><BR/>For myself, I had some anticipatory schaendenfreude in reserve, but been surprised about the whole thing (technical sleight of hand and glitches aside) and actually more interested than I ever expected to be in the sports themselves. My respect for the athletes is in proportion to whether or not I think they're kids guided too far into it, and everyone looks a lot more like an young adult this time. I keep my cynicism neatly in a box in my dehydrated heart, so I know well enough for one when spite enters the fray, and there's not nearly that much around.hcduvallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08271032072494870642noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5867660884980504124.post-4098378560475100902008-08-12T11:33:00.000-04:002008-08-12T11:33:00.000-04:00A nice little commentary from a friend of mine on ...A nice little commentary from a friend of mine on the sappiness of Olympic coverage.<BR/><BR/>http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/tv/2008/08/nbcs_olympic_crying_games.htmlChengorahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11331203991110671822noreply@blogger.com