Beijing Olympics: Oppression and yawns

Aug 14, 2008- Permalink

I find that I haven’t really watched much of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Perhaps watching corporations drool over airing sporting events in a repressive totalitarian police state isn’t my idea of a good time. Roger Ebert said the opening ceremonies reminded him of Leni Riefenstahl’s Nazi documentary Triumph of the Will.

The opening ceremonies were also tainted by the regime’s need to show a perfect face, literally, to the world.The musical director of the ceremonies, Chen Qigang, admitted that Ode to the Motherland wasn’t actually sung by the pig-tailed Lin Miaoke but rather by 7-year-old Yang Peiyi. Chen explained that, “The main consideration was the national interest. The child on the screen should be flawless in image, in her internal feelings and in her expression.”

Yang’s crime: her front teeth were crooked.

Another thing that bugs me about the Olympics is the fact that people get all patriotic about things they’d never watch normally. “Did ya see how we did in badminton last night?”

Really? How much of their entertainment dollar do you think they normally spend on badminton? Or gymnastics? Or even, dare I say it, swimming? Yet right now, Michael Phelps could probably run for president and win.

Well, maybe I’ll be more impressed with the Vancouver Olympics. At least they’ll be guaranteed to be a little less dictatorial.