8/08/08

I gots da fever ya’ll ~ Olympic Fever!!!

Friday night after having dinner at Blockheads with my BFF (best fag forever) Jacob we settled in to watching the opening ceremonies; which were REDONKLOUS! $300 million dollars and a cast of 15,000. Work China! Sure you torture, kill and imprison anyone who goes against your goose stepping asses but bitch you can put on a show. All that was missing was a ballroom death drop and they would have had a vogue battle on their hands. I could have done without the children singing in Greek, I’m not sure why children always find some staring role in the Olympics? Who cares?

Really, it’s about finding the strength in yourself when you have nothing left to keep going until you cross the finish line. Sure future athletes begin as children but that’s about as far as it goes. So children of the world take a time out and watch the grown ups play for awhile, you might learn something.

Right before the ceremonies started we were greeted by the main monetary sponsors for the games which cracks me up: Budweiser, Visa & McDonalds. Beer, Debt and Fast Food the three things that are near and dear to most red state Americans!!! Jacob and I could not stop laughing they are the 3 things biggest things that will keep anyone from even being in the Olympics. It just never stops; the corporate strangle hold on EVERYTHING. It’s as pervasive as high fructose corn syrup which is making us all dumber, and fatter than ever.

Plus, I think I remember when the Athletes had to be amateur, now countries are PAYING them to win medals not to mention the almighty Nike and Speedo dollars that roll in and let’s not forget the professional athletes who already make their living in sports. Listen I’m not saying that they shouldn’t, I’m just saying that things have changed. Athletes (some of who I am sure still do) used to struggle to find the time and money to train. Families went without to try and help their daughter or son fulfill their dreams of standing on a podium to hear the National Anthem on the world wide stage.

Now it seems like countries are in Vegas placing bets on the fastest horse, investing in a winner. They are paying athletes to flip countries to stack their odds; it feels a lot like off tracking betting. Tarnishing the spirit of the ideal that the world stops and puts aside everything else to watch these Olympians call upon their bodies to reach farther, run faster, jump higher and to test the limits of what a human can do. Only to watching Michael Phelps’ Sprint commercial right after he wins another Gold medal kind of takes the pride out of it.

Listen most of them have a time cap on how long they can even compete in their sport, I understand that cashing in during that time is important but I’d rather NOT know about it. Like my denial about high fructose corn syrup, I’d rather not see the painted on endorsement tats on volleyball players or well places logos. Can’t these companies just fund programs that help assist athletes and be happy with the good karma and healthy people they are putting out in the world? Of yeah I forgot corporations don’t believe in karma or healthy humans they believe in the bottom line and remind us to Enjoy Coke.