Sunday, July 29, 2012

Four Billion people are expected to watch the 2012. Olympic Games. And in this world of political correctness, I expect quite a few of the 4 billion are of that PC ilk. The games themselves are traditional, so they are a little PC as well. Anyway, just to update you about this aspect of the Games, I have a few examples for you to think about when watching the more the boring of the events like synchronized swimming or the biathlon.

* The Olympic Oath (If you want to play in these Games just like when testifying in court, you have to take the pledge.) “In the name of all the competitors I promise that we shall take part in these Olympic Games, respecting and abiding by the rules which govern them, committing ourselves to a sport without doping and without drugs, in the true spirit of sportsmanship, for the glory of sport and the honor of our teams.” The part about doping and drugs was added at the 2000 Olympics. I wonder if the Olympic organizers really believe many athletes abide by that drug free part.

* Over 200 national anthems have been arranged by British composer, conductor and cellist Philip Sheppard and were recorded by the London Philharmonic Orchestra at the world famous Abbey Road Studios. Using 36 musicians, it took 50 recording hours over 6 days and will now be played at over 100 Team Welcome Ceremonies and 805 Victory Ceremonies in the run up to and during the Games. It's still important to divide the world with jingoism at the Olympics by labeling an athlete with his nationality instead of his individual identity.

* Forget about naked athletes in ancient Greece competing on the fields of play au natural. The old days of  naked competitors an the modern of a few wacky fans streaking naked in the area will probably be killed by political correctness. To dissuade fans from baring it all,  in the land of Lady Godiva, London police say they will hand out fines of up to $30,000 to anyone who streaks.

* With women boxers entering the boxing ring this summer for the first, the 2012 Games will mark the first time female athletes are competing in all 26 Olympic sports. But political correctness is still alive in the Olympic world. Each gender is barred from certain disciplines, women from Greco-Roman wrestling, for example, and men from rhythmic gymnastics and synchronized swimming. And of course, in all sports the athletes compete in separate categories for male and for female competitors.

* Advitisers/sponsors of the Games are making their political correctness obvious, even when the product the advertise is far from one the politically correct would use. So Coke, for example,  produced two campaigns, one for the U. S. and one for everywhere else to motivate couch potatoes everywhere to get up and start working off the empty calories they consumed from slugging down Cokes. McDonald's is running an Olympic ad campaign to "encourage fun, active play as well as smart eating." I guess I must be smart for eating those sausage biscuit sandwiches Mc Donald's sells. Most of the other sponsors and advertisers of the Games produce the least politically correct products, but one would never know it  if seeing the claims made in their ads.

* Ankie Spitzer whose husband was murdered by Palestinian terrorists during the 1972 Munich Olympics has been fighting to have a minute of silence at the London Games to remember the eleven murdered victims. Her efforts have been supported by the governments of much of the western world, but the International Olympic Committee rejected her pleas on the grounds it might politicize the Games. That's like saying that athletes should be banned taking a bath because it might remove the purity of the dirt ion the competitors bodies. Hmmmmm I guess we must not upset the Muslims by reminding them of their hate for Jews....

* In most countries, including democratic ones like Australia, the Olympic athletes must agree to social media protocols that restrict their use of it. The common theme of political correctness is that the athletes "have an obligation to use social media responsibly" . Greek triple jumper Voula Papachristou is the first casualty. She was sent home by the Olymipic Committee before the games even started because she posted,  "So many Africans in Greece at least West Nile mosquitoes will eat homemade food."  I guess one has to give up his or her freedom of expression if they want to win a medal.

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