Appealing to the lowest common denominator

[trinityvixen]

It's already a given that there are favorite sports in the Olympics. We like things that are pretty or whose physical prowess is demonstrable in a dramatic way. Gymnastics, we know, is always going to the get the coverage that handball, volleyball (note: except beach volleyball), softball, even basketball, aren't. It's just so pretty and surprising and scary and amazing. The track and field events will get their day, but there's definitely a reason they drag out the gymnastics events over the entire two weeks of coverage. You could do all the individual medal events--the beam, the bars, etc.--in a day or two. But why? The better to spread them out and have people tuning in each night for twenty minutes. Maybe they'll stay and watch other stuff!

It works, so they'll never stop doing it, but the coverage is agonizing. They cut away and cut between things. Our other broadcasting prejudice--to only display those countries as are good/likely medal contenders, the host country, and ours--make it even worse. Here's some gymnastics! Well, ours, China's, and some of Japan, but they're only silver medalists. They're not the plucky USA team that shouldn't even be here! Wait, Michael Phelps is doing something! Cut to him listening to his iPod! GREAT STUFF.

Actually, I'd like to see all of the event, good or no. I'd love to know when in the event something is going to happen or not, and not be yanked every ten minutes between sports. NBC is tempting me to set up the DVR recording for the first two hours, ignore it, and then come back and watch on fast forward until I catch up with real time because this schedule is nuts. Even Bob Costas is like, "Sorry folks, this is no way to broadcast a jumping frog race, and it's going to go on for another week."

Comments

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

He is cool. He's amazing and well worth watching when he's in the pool. He's also doing something amazing with his medal count, so I get the excitement. I was very excited to watch him easily outdistance his next closest competitor by a body length. I still wanted to finish the gymnastics--all of it--first, thanks.