The Olympics seem so unhealthy. Don't get me wrong, I am awed by the graceful ease with which some athletes perform, but I object to the massive pressure these people are under and the spectacle that we create for them. It is all about winning. It's all about a one-time performance.
How sad for someone to train for years, only to fail. To have one day of their lives define their whole being. It takes only a few seconds to become absolutely ruined. There is no after, it was all for that moment, so if you fuck up, you are a fuck up.
What kind of horrible lesson is that? It seems sad and unbalanced and lonely to be an olympic athlete. It's so similar to the competition and public humiliation featured on most reality TV shows - we're obsessed with the winners, but mostly we're obsessed with the losers.
We watch the Olympics to see superhuman feats of athleticism, but we also watch for the tears as someone breaks down with fury and shame when they come in 2nd or 3rd (or god forbid 4th). We watch to see someone broken.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment