Will You Think I’m Weird If…
Image by dawvon via Flickr ….I admit that I’m glad the Olympics are over?
It’s not that I hate them exactly.
I even watch some of the events.
If I have nothing better to do.
I’m really glad for those that get to go.
Really, I am.
And glad for those who have the success they have always dreamed of.
But it all honesty, I find it excruciating for those that things don’t go right for.
I don’t cope well with watching people absolutely shattered over a dream going up in flames.
And I’m really NOT a big fan of watching sport.
Maybe I’m just not competitive enough??? *shrugs*
I do have 1 political opinion though:
The Olympics shouldn’t be about political opinion.
And I hate the way activists use all the media attention surrounding them to push their own political barrow.
It’s not that I’m against the fight for human rights.
But just maybe rubbing shoulders with the rest of the world in this way might rub off a little on the Chinese.
Perhaps hosting the Olympics is a small but important step in the growth of this culture.
After all, our own British heritage is hardly brilliant when it comes to the whole Human Rights debate (we watched Amazing Grace the other night - the story of William Wilberforce and his struggle to abolish the slave trade).
Anyway, back to the Olympics:
Obviously I’m in the minority here.
Otherwise there wouldn’t be so much media interest and money tied up in the event.
Don’t get me wrong, I do think it’s good.
I just don’t want to spend every spare moment watching or talking about the Olympics.
Life’s too short.
Does that make me weird? 
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Soooooo totally NOT weird. Well, not to ME anyway. I agree that life is too short to be glued to the boob tube for any event of that duration. I also am happy for those that get to be there and for those who succeed in their goals, but I also find myself uncomfortable watching people suffer. You had many good points.
Great article about how much taxpayer money is spent for each Gold Medal earned:
http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/who-wins-when-we-spend-so-much-on-so-few-20080823-40wd.html?page=-1
The most interesting thing is that Olympic Success doesn’t equate to increased participation rate in the population. So the idea that watching all this success gets butts out of couches and into regular exercise doesn’t hold water.
Lightning I understand that you find it hard watching the people who dont succeed and are shattered….
But like anything i guess its different strokes for different folks. Me - i wish horse racing was an olympic sport hahahahaha…. well dammit, bmx riding is!
No. Power to ya.
Well if you’re weird, so am I! The only bits I watched were because Pete had the TV on - I could quite happily have ignored the whole thing!
I’m hugely relieved they are over. Time for some other topics of conversation to be given a chance
Lightning, your not weird.
I always hated how during the Olympics there was nothing to watch on telly on any channel. To me it always felt a bit like having the Olympics shove down my throat whether I like it or not.
Great it’s over and hopefully all the Chinese in Beijing can go back to their normal lives as well again.
Not weird at all Lightening. I’m glad it’s over too, but on the other hand the ratings season is almost over and there still won’t be anything worth watching on TV. Thank heavens (or the inventors), for DVD players and Blockbuster.
i agree it IS hard to watch dreams dashed! i feel the same about the political part. It will be interesting to see what becomes of China after this.
shannon
Rock Star Maternity Blog
Vogue Mum
Ummmm, there are plenty of things that make you weird but this isn’t one of them! Everyone’s a bit weird or we’d all be boring! I have to say that I was well and truly sick of the olympics by the end.
I watched part of the opening ceremony sequence on YouTube, one swimming race on tv at work and that’s been it.
I haven’t turned the tv on since Peter left a fortnight ago….
Here’s an interesting post I found about the Olympics - turns me off it even more!!! http://viv.id.au/blog/?p=2066
I hope your jelly legs are recovered!!! I had them a bit last night after the gym too but after walking home I could collapse on my bed with a book
I enjoyed the Olympics. I’m a bit undecided on the political aspects. A couple of things I do know:
* after visiting Beijing and Shanghai last year and in conversations since with people who actually live there my views on how to help change take place are more nuanced than they were
* as a student of history I can relate to how a lot of Chinese feel about being lectured about human rights by Western countries - um, which country was it that flourished from the 19th century opium trade that so devastated China? - um, why was I staying in Shanghai in an area called the “French Concession”? (answer - because the colonial powers extracted such “concessions” - and drove the Chinese to live in what was left over of their city)
I’m not saying by any means that we should not try to encourage -even embarrass - China to move further and fast on human rights, just let’s not be so patronising with the Chinese that they can feel justifiably insulted by people they might see as representatives of the former exploiters. You know, “all you white people look the same”.
Teeni - thanks. So nice to know I’m not alone in how I feel.
Stuffy - so I wonder what a “good outcome” from the Olympics is then? Increased exposure to tourist trade?
Horse - Horse Racing isn’t an Olympic Sport? I didn’t even know that. I know they have other horse riding events.
Cuileann - thanks. LOVE that I can put myself “out there” and find at least a few people likely to agree with me.
Kez - pretty much the same here. I don’t watch much TV anyway (too addicted to the net) but DH watched some so I saw bits and pieces. Not that I mind bits and pieces - it’s great big huge slabs I’m not such a fan of.
Marita - totally!!!
Mark - thankfully these days we get at least 1 other channel. For long time during Olympics we’d only have Olympics (and ABC).
River - and BLOGS!!!
All the more time to go blog reading with. 
Sharon - LOL. Yeah, being friends with you IS one of them though, yeah?
Cat - jelly legs are just SORE legs today!!!
The whole “clothing” debate highlights some very sad points about humanity if you ask me.
Des - yes, I totally agree. I really hate the whole “holier than thou” attitude and I can kind of understand how it would make the Chinese (and other cultures we set our sites on “fixing”) dig their heels in even further.