U.S. Versus Them

Earlier this week, I am watching the Olympics in the evening. Now, I've actually been to an Olympics and I can tell you for certain that American Olympic coverage is crap. Not only is it crap from the point of view the scanty and patronizing coverage it gives to most events, but it plumbs whole new levels of crapiness with its so-called announcers. I am not generally indisposed towards the expert announcers, former athletes with keen eyes and sharp minds who can actually assist the viewer in understanding what is going on. I reserve my contempt for the inevitably obnoxious anchorperson who's job it is to announce the names of the contestants and prattle off some tidbit about them before leading us into one of those awful "personal segments" they show us for 10 minutes instead of (gasp!) the actual Olympic events.

So, here I am earlier this week, watching the women's gymanstics team competition when the Russians enter the floor lead by Svetlana Khorkina. Our Fearless Announcer begins to talk about what a princess (in the worst sense) she is, how she just barely practices, and how she posed for some pictures for a disreputable magazine. Translation: she's a bitchy Russian slut. Her performance is sub-par, which is grist for the announcer's mill, who might as well drop any pretext of politeness and just call her a washed-up, used-up hag and be done with it.

Later in the evening, coverage shifts intermittantly to women's swimming, where American darling Amanda Beard is given lavish attention. Indeed, a two-minute segment of Ms. Beard in a bikini, being doused by water while the camera zooms into her bosoms and crotch, lycra-covered but otherwise exposed for accurate evaluation by even the feeblest imaginations, proceeds the match she is about to participate in.

Perhaps the dear reader doesn't see the humor in this, so I'll spell it out...

Pretty Russian Gymnast with attitude gets down and dirty for magazine: bitchy slut.

Pretty American Swimmer frolics in water, wiggles her tits, and smiles copiously on national TV: wholesome girl next door.

Now, are we alone in the world guilty of such guilessness? Most certainly not, but that doesn't excuse it.