Have you been watching the Olympics?
I can't help but be a Debbie Downer about them this year.
Usually, I LOVE to watch the Olympics, both summer and winter. But I haven't really gotten into the Sochi games. All of the negative press has really gotten to me this time. Instead of watching figure skating, I find myself reading articles about nearby communities without water, thanks to Sochi construction demolishing their wells and how Russia spent over $50 billion on the games-yikes. Not to mention everyone's fixation on a certain snowflake that refused to become a ring.
I appreciate that all of the negative aspects are coming to light instead of being hidden from the rest of the world. Russia isn't the first country to host an Olympic Games that has a less than stellar human rights record. And no matter where you are, hosting such a big event is a magnet for terrible things like human trafficking and threats of terror. Just as it is an issue in Sochi, sex trafficking was an issue at the London games. Maybe the positive in this is that all of these things ARE being reported on instead of ignored, the first step toward change.
One more complaint, then I'll leave you be. #sochiproblems, REALLY people? Do you realize the people of Russia have to deal with yellow tap water ALL the time, not just for 2 weeks like you do? Stop complaining! Did every news outlet send only journalists who've never traveled outside of the US before? I really appreciated the way this article tackled the issue.
I WANT to get into it. I do think the idea of the Olympics is still a positive one once you get past the human rights violations and overpriced pyrotechnics. I remember watching as a child and it inspiring me to continue with sports- definitely a great message for people of all ages today.
Have you been watching? What has been good?
Hopefully I'll watch some of the games and be back next week with a post full of Olympic spirit!
PS. Loved this about Surya Bonaly- one of my favorite figure skaters from back in the day. But even Surya and her backflips, something I looked on with nothing but amazement as a child is rife with it's own controversy.
One more complaint, then I'll leave you be. #sochiproblems, REALLY people? Do you realize the people of Russia have to deal with yellow tap water ALL the time, not just for 2 weeks like you do? Stop complaining! Did every news outlet send only journalists who've never traveled outside of the US before? I really appreciated the way this article tackled the issue.
I WANT to get into it. I do think the idea of the Olympics is still a positive one once you get past the human rights violations and overpriced pyrotechnics. I remember watching as a child and it inspiring me to continue with sports- definitely a great message for people of all ages today.
Have you been watching? What has been good?
Hopefully I'll watch some of the games and be back next week with a post full of Olympic spirit!
PS. Loved this about Surya Bonaly- one of my favorite figure skaters from back in the day. But even Surya and her backflips, something I looked on with nothing but amazement as a child is rife with it's own controversy.
I have to admit the #sochiproblems twitter hashtag did provide some good laughs, but I am with you. For the same reasons, this Winter Olympics is harder to get into. I am liking figure-skating (as always), and pretty much all of the skiing/boarding events this year. It makes me jealous I am not more fearless :)
ReplyDeleteI totally agree, it really was pretty funny at first! It just went way to far.
DeleteI'm planning on catching up on figure skating and then I think I'll have a better attitude about it all.
Thanks for sharing that article, I was definitely chuckling at #sochiproblems but it's a great point that it's not really a laughing matter. I have not gotten into the Olympics at all this year. :(
ReplyDeleteI remember Surya Bonali, she was one of my favorites too, I still vividly remember watching her backflips with my sisters. I agree the Olympics were kind of a buzzkill this year…hoping Brazil really amps it up for the summer games get me back in the Olympic spirit.
ReplyDelete