If you watch the grisly U.S. network coverage of any global sporting event, you've no doubt who your team's meant to be: If there are plucky Belgian hurdlers or Fijian shotputters in the Olympics, you never hear a word of them on ABC and NBC; it's all heartwarming soft-focus profiles of athletes from Indiana and Nebraska. The American media have no problem being ferociously jingoistic when it comes to the two-man luge.
Yes, this is all true -- and that's why I stopped watching, a long time ago (certainly by the Los Angeles Olympics, in 1984) such events on TV. Yet, when it's a war, there is no "our" team, not on American TV. Like snotty French ice-dancing judges, the media watch the U.S. skate across the rink and then hand out a succession of snippy 4.3s -- for lack of Miranda rights in Fallujah, insufficient menu options at Gitmo.
Again, all true -- and that's why I stopped watching, a long time ago such events on TV, with just a few exceptions.
So true, AI....and I have followed you off of the Olympic games. As for war, my brief access to telly has come to an end, and so could not help but follow you--as regards tv. Of course, today, there is the internet, and with it no need to be a prisoner of the stupidities of the MSM.
Yes. But you know how human nature is -- one still remembers fondly the good old days. I watched my first Olympics on a black-and-white, dinky little TV -- the year was 1960, the place was Rome. There were some amazing moments -- Bikila Abebe, Iolanda Balas, Cassius Clay -- and absolutely no commercials, just the sports, ma'am. We've come a long way, baby.
As for wars, I don't think it's a good idea to watch them, at least not in real time. This is no spectator sport -- rather, war is hell, as the man said. But I must confess I did watch on TV the push up from Kuwait all the way to Baghdad in March-April 2003. But pretty much no more TV since then.
AA, the longue duree has been going, as I said, since 635. It hasn't stopped. There's continuity throughout, with Jihad spanning from then to now. Saying that "it will not be a longue duree...this time" is an impossible statement. Unless you're going Foucault on me?
If you watch the grisly U.S. network coverage of any global sporting event, you've no doubt who your team's meant to be: If there are plucky Belgian hurdlers or Fijian shotputters in the Olympics, you never hear a word of them on ABC and NBC; it's all heartwarming soft-focus profiles of athletes from Indiana and Nebraska. The American media have no problem being ferociously jingoistic when it comes to the two-man luge.
ReplyDeleteYes, this is all true -- and that's why I stopped watching, a long time ago (certainly by the Los Angeles Olympics, in 1984) such events on TV.
Yet, when it's a war, there is no "our" team, not on American TV. Like snotty French ice-dancing judges, the media watch the U.S. skate across the rink and then hand out a succession of snippy 4.3s -- for lack of Miranda rights in Fallujah, insufficient menu options at Gitmo.
Again, all true -- and that's why I stopped watching, a long time ago such events on TV, with just a few exceptions.
So true, AI....and I have followed you off of the Olympic games. As for war, my brief access to telly has come to an end, and so could not help but follow you--as regards tv. Of course, today, there is the internet, and with it no need to be a prisoner of the stupidities of the MSM.
ReplyDeleteYes. But you know how human nature is -- one still remembers fondly the good old days. I watched my first Olympics on a black-and-white, dinky little TV -- the year was 1960, the place was Rome. There were some amazing moments -- Bikila Abebe, Iolanda Balas, Cassius Clay -- and absolutely no commercials, just the sports, ma'am. We've come a long way, baby.
ReplyDeleteAs for wars, I don't think it's a good idea to watch them, at least not in real time. This is no spectator sport -- rather, war is hell, as the man said. But I must confess I did watch on TV the push up from Kuwait all the way to Baghdad in March-April 2003. But pretty much no more TV since then.
AA, the longue duree has been going, as I said, since 635. It hasn't stopped. There's continuity throughout, with Jihad spanning from then to now. Saying that "it will not be a longue duree...this time" is an impossible statement. Unless you're going Foucault on me?
ReplyDelete