TWEETED OUT OF THE GAMES
OK, so the joke about West Nile Mosquitoes wasn't in the best of taste, but neither was it dangerously offensive. It seemed a harmless attempt with an unintended racism, but it cost Greek triple jumper Voula Papachristou her trip to the Olympic games and earned her ignominy.
This is troublesome. It once again moves private communication, in this case via Twitter, into the public arena. In truth the joke was intended only for her followers, in a sense a private arena. However we can no longer pretend that social media, even if directed to specific users, is like an old fashioned snail mail letter. One more encroachment upon personal space perhaps, but the way it is in this age.
But even given the questionable nature of the joke, is that really grounds to ban an athlete from participating? If she had told the joke just to fellow triple jumpers, or her coach, it probably would not have resulted in her expulsion.
I question the fairness and proportionality of the move to kick her out of the games. As another athlete said, it is a new age. So it is, and if you are an athletic star, I guess you should be on your best behavior- always. Just like Soccer, NFL Football, NBA Basketball players always are, right?
I think she could have "scolded", but being expelled is
an Olympic blunder.
THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF
LUKE AND HEMINGWAY
HIGH ADVENTURE
See you down the trail.
"...but the way it is in this age." Very important. Let the writer beware.
ReplyDeleteJames St. Crahan
AMEN, St. James of Crahan.
DeleteI'm afraid I disagree. Professional sports are one thing, Olympic sports are another. I think her comment degrades the high ethos supposedly ingrained in the spirit of the Olympics. Greece, we are told, is awash with refugees from Africa and racism is growing there. That's a dangerous trend.
ReplyDeleteActually professional sport and Olympic sports are one and the same. For example, look at the basketball squads, US and others. They are pros...no one has banned them for, heaven only knows the laundry list of offenses to common decency. I still think the punishment was too severe for the "crime"
DeleteAnd then, Shana, you just may be an ignorant slut! BTW, was that appocraphyl, parody or otherwise.
I'd heard that a bad joke got someone expelled from the Olympics but I didn't know what the joke was. Now I need to Google it. Too bad these inconsequential things get in the way of the overall big picture, which is the Olympics.
ReplyDeleteStephen,
DeleteAmen to your last point! I'm sorry, but I didn't want to re transmit what some perceived as an offensive joke.
It is my considered belief that the Olympics themselves are obscene. Joy to the fans, yes; the "ultimate" objective for the athletes, certainly. But at what cost? To the Olympic cities and their populace. To the needy of the nation. To the needy of the nations spending so much to train and send their athletes. The Olympic "ideal" died long ago, actually not much later than the inception of the modern games (1898). DeCoubertin was French, but an anglophile of grand proportions. There is even some thought that he was racist. All the major team sports are populated by professionals. Why? Because so many of them were paid under the table---especially track & field---that the IOC wanted to legitimize illegitimate behavior. Why? Because the TV money could be enhanced. So there, you Olympic idealists!
ReplyDelete