Friday, August 8, 2008
THE OLYMPICS IS HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am watching the Olympics right now and a thought hit me something from Amusing Ourselves to Death. Postman said that television is a continuation of a tradition begun by the telegraph and photograph. He was talking about television as the main medium and I realized just how true this is. When the Olympics began, the main medium that many turned to was television because television is so accessible and communicates information so quickly and efficiently. Television provides visual images that appeal to our senses and amuses and entertains us. Aren’t the Olympics entertaining? Isn’t that why we watch it? Television entices us it seems to call us to watch it, “Watch the Olympics LIVE on NBC TOMORROW.” As I am watching the Olympics I realized that my attention is drawn to it as I anticipate the arrival of the American team and that I am even more into the Olympics this year because it is in China Kobe as an American representative in China is something of a surprise and pleasantly holds our attention because he wasn’t much of a team player and so it is very entertaining to see how he will perform in China
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7 comments:
Edward, I heard that opening ceremonies would draw a global television audience of 4 billion...did you read my post? One eye should enjoy and take in the Olympics as entertainment (right now, it's badmiton), and the other eye should scrutinize how the event is packaged, how it has become a media event, how advertisers are using every opportunity to sell sell sell.
I really enjoyed the opening ceremony of the Olympics as a symbol. However, the American newscasters on NBC used a lot of subtle negative undertones toward the Chinese, showing their bias.
This may be just coincidence, but the newscasters used terms like "The Long March" and "Great Leap Forward." These are both terms that have negative connotations toward the Chinese by definition.
The term that I saw the most offense in was "Great Leap Forward" because this was a failed economic and social plan that resulted in 14-43 million people starving to death.
I am not sure whether I am overreacting and just searching for negative comments or the announcers may have been ignorant of the mistakes they made. (They made a lot of little mistakes that they corrected themselves in like calling tai chi karate)
For all the people that watched the opening ceremony, did you notice any negative comments made or notice a huge bias?
I am sorry Mrs. Fletcher I accidentally omitted the word “live,” I was reading an article from IHT, http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/01/04/business/tvsport07.php, where I found the statistics. In response to your question, I did read your post; in fact, it was what persuaded me to write about the Olympics. Furthermore, speaking of how the event is packaged, I just finished chapter 9 of Amusing Ourselves to Death and in the middle of that chapter it says, “Television commercial will use an athlete, an actor, a musician, a novelist, a scientist or a countess to speak for the virtues of a product.” This quote demonstrates how advertisers use athletes such as Michael Phelps, to promote their products; an example of this is the power bar commercial featuring Michael Phelps.
Matt, I also noticed some negative comments directed toward China. I thought the speakers didn’t do a very good job because they did point out The Long March, Great Leap Forward and they also couldn’t pronounce the names or knew anything about the nations that were represented. They had plenty of time to prepare and get ready but perhaps I am just biased because I am Chinese so I will say no more except that the Olympics might be an example of something Postman said, “For on television, discourse is conducted largely through visual imagery, which is to say that television gives us a conversation in images, not words.” The opening ceremony provided many visual effects and images concerning the culture and traditions of China, they put on a great show, which amused and entertained us.
I, too watched the opening ceremony of the Olympics and found myself drawn to the entertainment of the cultural dances and performances of China.
I found it funny how I didn't plan to watch the entire four and a half hour showing on television; however, I became intrigued and engulfed in the ceremony.
As I watched, I listened to the announcers and found that they stated negative comments not only about China, but other countries as well (during the entering of the athletes).
I missed most of the opening ceremony because I wasn't home and I was dissapointed I that I didn't see it. But I saw the last couple hours. I thought it was kind of boring watching all of the teams parade in but for some reason i kept watching it. I could'nt just leave the room because i wanted to see them light the torch. Now i know why they make the lighting of the torch a big secret. So people will want to watch the opening of the Olympics.
A couple of days ago I was watching the rowing and was getting frustrated because they never showed a close up of the U.S. team. Even thought they were in 3rd place right along with all the action! I don't know if anyone else noticed that but it bugged me.
I've been watching some of the Olympic trials, especially during prime time,and I am a bit amused and frustrated at the antics the television stations use to get us to keep watching their programs longer.
For example, yesterday, everyone was excited for Michael Phelps' participation in the 4oo m relay. NBC said that they would be covering the race and that people should tune in at 8 o' clock pm. However, they did not say when they would be showing the actual race. At 8, they showed bits and pieces of the women's gymnastics competition, starting off with the Chinese team. They then switched to women's swimming, promising that the American gymnastics team would come on in twenty minutes. They continued switching between the different event, not saying when exactly Michael Phelps' race would be broadcast. They only gave the time fifteen minutes before the race started, so that people would not turn off the television.
As a result of NBC's switching around and careful wording, most people did not know exactly when Phelps would be competing. As a result, they had to watch most of the program in order to figure out exactly what time he was competing.
I think that when an event as huge as the Olympics is broadcast, producers will do anything to keep people from turning off their television sets or changing the channel, including misleading statements and careful manipulation of the order.
-Sejal Shah
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