The Opposite Feeling

All the downgloom I was feeling about the spreading influence of racism was nicely countered last night by watching the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. The Olympics have always been fiercely nationalistic, despite the ideal, but racism has no home there. (As far as the two can be separated, at least.)
And its hard to stay gloomy when you’re seeing athlete after athlete marching into the stadium and grinning like they were the luckiest people in the world. Which they were, I guess.
The roar of applause for the Palestinian team cheered me up too.
I only watched bits of it, managing to miss New Zealand among others, but it was a happy occasion nonetheless. I watched more than I did of the 2000 opening ceremony, at least. (Cough cough.)

10 thoughts on “The Opposite Feeling”

  1. Despite that fact that I wasn’t born then, I recall a time when a certain world leader refused to give a medal to an athlete because he was black.
    I’m not sure but I doubt there would have been any black athletes at the Olymipc Games in Athens 1896, particularly unlikely from countries like England and America at the very least.

  2. Racism has been part of the olympics before – but there is a prouder and stronger tradition of its absence, one that has grown far stronger over the years I think. Was it in the Berlin games, with Hitler looking on, that a black athlete defeated a white German one – and the German athlete made a point of going up to the man and congratulating him in full view of all? Man. These anecdotes would be much more compelling if we could remember actual names and stuff 🙂

  5. I was referring to Hitler yes. I was trying to point out how far in many ways we have come but also how even the Olympic games aren’t free of racism.
    Bringing to world together has long been one of its themes and yet often it seems so shallow because of current events in the world.
    The next games in South Africa will be pretty interesting from the whole race point of view. While individuals in SA will still be racist, as a nation they are only too aware of the nature of evil in racism and prejudice because it is so close to them.

  6. If I can be a Hitler apologist for a second (huh? WTF?), Hitler only shook hands with the athletes, not hand out medals; and even then, he only attended the first day, and Jesse Owens didn’t win anything until the second. It’s a bit of an urban myth.
    There was another black American athlete – Cornelius Johnson – who did win a medal on the first day, but Hitler and his crew conveniently left before the US anthem was played.
    More here: http://tafkac.org/celebrities/jesse_owens_hitler_legends.html. It’s interesting to note the Owens was applauded loudly everytime he walked out onto the track.
    You know that bit in “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” where Indy and Elsa pretend to be a Scottish tapestry expert and his secretary, and the German butler goes “If you are a Scottish lord, then I am Mickey Mouse!”? You can see he says “Jesse Owens” instead. Richly comic.
    Next time I promise to post something more substantial.

  7. Fucking hell, Jarratt and I are having a nice conversation about how racism is situated in the modern Olympics and suddenly we get a HITLER APOLOGIST sticking his nose in! Spreading his lies and filth. That’s it. Comments section closed forever.

  8. He! I remember the 2000 opening ceremony well, and your state! Wasn’t really cough cough though. I think your mind is trying to put a bit of a spin on the ‘actual’ events. Not that I can talk of these things. And I should be more supportive given that I’m still grateful for your cauliflower removal expertise…

  10. Just to clear up something stupid I said though no one noticed. I thought the next Olympic Games were in South Africa. They are not, I was getting confused with the Soccer World Cup. The Olympic Games are in Beijing next.
    Anyway all the things I said still apply, as the Soccer World Cup is probably more about bringing people together than the Olympic Games.
    I’m not sure that China has anything to offer the Olympic Games personally, but I guess it is the opinion of the Olympic Committee that by giving them such a prestigious event they will get their act together.

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