Monday, August 18, 2008

Olympic Media Coverage You Had Me At Hello.

The media and a centuries old event has inadvertently created a relaxing yet heart-racing soundtrack to my early mornings and late night lullabies. When the Olympics are on I just feel completely connected with the global community. I feel a sense of safety and peace, although we are presently at war. The only negativity I feel is the athletic rivalry unfolding during the games. It's really a beautiful thing. It's hard not to feel patriotic pride with the nations stations pumping out American olympiad propaganda. Phelps! Nastia! Shaun! Phelps! Nastia! Shaun! Phelps! Phelps! PHELPS! That's basically United States news in a nutshell the past few days. 

My cousin just came back from Australia the other day and she reported to me that the Aussies down under are as engrossed in the Olympics as we but they too have olympiad propaganda (female swimmer whose name escapes me) with a minimum side note of Phelp's win. I was a little offended when she told me of Phelp's minimum coverage but I soon realized it was just the nationalistic hold the media had on me. I brushed the news off as peculiar but expected after my realization. It's funny and a little scary how easily the media got to me. Thank God it was just the olympics this time. 

The only real downside of the Olympic coverage was the fact how pushed aside the Georgia situation was. I bet if I asked five people on the street if they knew what was happening in Georgia, one person would answer correctly; but I would also consider the lack of global awareness that Americans stereotypically have. Russia was very smart and sly about invading Georgia during the start of the Olympic games in Beijing. They knew that the Olympic coverage would mask, if not completely, anything going on be it a small town mugging or a situation as big as an unjust invasion. I think I hear Orwell's 1984 a-knockin'. 

KELCIE

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