Olympics, Recommendations & Previews
Paris 2024 Olympics & Olympics Adjacent Content
If you know me, you know that I love the Olympics. And like all the things I love (Award Shows, Romance Books, American Politics), I also know the very real challenges, harms, biases, and marginalization that exist in the institution that reflect our society and our world. I grew up watching and loving them, had all the songs and favorite athletes. And as I got older I started seeing the cracks - what it takes, what it requires to be this level of athlete, but also what institutions, and countries, and the individuals of the Olympic Committee will do to win at all costs - cheating and bribery. That’s bad enough, but as I then I learned about the cost of hosting Olympics in the cities, specifically to the poor and marginalized, and increasing policing. There are many discussions happening about changing the way the Olympics work, rotating host cities, or permanent host cities, for example so we don’t continue to displace people and their homes in city after city. Oh and with climate change, it’s harder and harder to identify locations that will be HUMANE for athletes to perform in the summer and where “winter” can actually exist. So some highs, lows (there are none) and WTFs from the first 4 days
Highs:
The USA Men’s Gymnastics Team and their first ever team medal since 2008! Honestly it’s how awesome they are supporting each other and I’m all about the pommel horse guy, Stephen Nedoroscik, who is a specialist on the pommel horse and his amazing glasses. He literally had one job and he killed it! I hope he wins gold on the pommel later this week too! I am also all about Frederick “Flips” Richard!
The way the French fans chanted “LÉON” for gold medal 400 IM French swimmer Léon Marchand timed with his strokes so he could hear them when he had his head out of the water!
Flavor Flav sponsoring the USA Women’s Water Polo Team after athlete Maggie Steffens posted about how they work 2-3 jobs in addition to training.
The opening ceremony was unique, charming and so very French. The athletes were on all types of boats, there was no stadium, they used the Paris streets, buildings, architecture, and the Seine as their venue. They had an amazing Ménage à trois love story, a kick ass drag show, performances by French singers and bands, Celine Dion’s first performance in 4 years (see below), and disrupted decades of stadium opening ceremonies, I hope forever! I do not envy LA2028 organizers! And some people could use this opportunity to learn about art, Dionysus (Greek, Olympics, Get it?) and stop being weird. And the memes? Chef’s Kiss!
WTF:
The French ban on French Olympic team members wearing Hijabs - on brand for the French who are always aiming for the gold in Islamophobia.
Canada Women’s Soccer (Football) Team spying on New Zealand team with drones, and apparently they have been doing it for a long time and only got caught in Paris!
Colin Jost in Tahiti for Surfing Events. I can’t even.
Speaking of…every article and commentator in every country and media outlet should be required to NAME why Paris 2024 has surfing events in TAHITI every time they report. SPOILER ALERT: Colonialism. Also its apparently very dangerous and the athletes are sleeping on cruise ships.
Documentary: I Am: Celine Dion (Amazon): Celine Dion participated in this documentary about her life with Stiff-Person Syndrome. It’s extraordinary. She was filmed taking her medicines, doing physical therapy, trying to sing, and most jarring of all, having the spasms and seizing up. Also she shared her very odd and very painful (IMO) pattern of wearing shoes too small for her feet if don't have her size. Celine has always been EXTRA and her voice is a gift to humanity. She performed in public for the first time in almost 4 years at the Paris 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony. I hope we can see her perform again in the future and appreciate her showing this to the world.
Documentary Series: Simone Biles Rising (Netflix): Simone Biles participated in this documentary that started filming during the 2021 Tokyo 2020 Olympics (you know what I mean) so it includes footage of her and her family as they deal with her decision to withdraw during competition, and the aftermath. Biles, like Dion, and unlike most celebrities, chose to show the hard stuff and talk about it. The documentary series continues on to talk about therapy, deciding to come back for Paris 2024, and the impact and consequences of the sexual abuse charges and USA Gymnastics coverup (you can watch that documentary here). And Biles also allowed this documentary to share the supportive side of her husband (IYKYK). They continue to film in Paris and final episodes will air in the fall.
Recommendations
GOOD: Movie: Wicked Little Letters (Netflix): I love a charming British period piece, and with a cast of Olivia Colman, Anjana Vasan, Timothy Spall, and Lolly Adefope, it was even better! Based on a true story - fun and charming.
WTF: Documentary: Tell Them You Love Me (Netflix): A reader suggested I watch this after my WTF recommendations, and she was right. This documentary really angered me and freaked me out and sent me down many google rabbit holes. A philosophy and ethics professor at Rutgers University, was charged and tried for sexually assaulting Derrick Johnson, a non-verbal man with cerebral palsy. This is horrifying enough. Then you add in race, class, education, and medical ethics, and it’s just a hot mess of WTF! You can read about the case in the article that inspired the making of the documentary. I had some major concerns about how they let the rapist just talk and talk and talk with very little rebuttal by either the survivor, his family, or actual experts in the fields of facilitated communication until the end.
August Previews
August 6, 2024: Book: The Truth According to Ember by Danica Rava: I love a good romance book and can’t wait to read this! According to reports, It’s the first ever traditionally published (not self published) Native America romance book.
August 23, 2024: TV Series: Pachinko Season 2 (Apple): The first season of Pachinko aired over 2.5 years ago and was one of my inaugural 2022 recommendations. Based on the acclaimed Min Jin Lee novel, it’s engaging and cross generational, about a period of Japanese-Korean history that I knew nothing about, a talented cast, and amazing opening credits! You should definitely read the book and you don’t have to read it to enjoy the series. Watch season 1 now and be ready for season 2!