I really do love the Olympics – the concept and the hopes, dreams and the brilliantly concocted video biography. I swear. It’s like Mike Byrne created them for Nike while he was at W+K. I always find myself tearing up right as the athlete’s face is juxtaposed against an American flag backdrop. I like to call it Olympic Porn and it’s so satisfying it hurts.
Naturally, I was looking forward to the Beijing Olympics, as much as any other I’ve been alive for, but christ… China is so complicated. My visions of Olympic Porn (can’t you just imagine shots of little powerhouse gymnast Ivana Hong training hard on the beam, talking about she loves math and her grandma, too) are getting more and more tarnished as environmental concerns mount, Tibet rages, terrorists threaten and activists gear up for a real fight.
The latest Olympic debacle involves brands. The group Dream for Darfur is organizing protests against Beijing Olympics sponsors that it says have failed to press China to help end fighting in Darfur. DFD, which boasts of having Mia Farrow as a spokesperson, said 16 companies, including General Electric Co., Coca-Cola Co. and Microsoft Corp., have exhibited “moral cowardice.” Meanwhile, brands such as Eastman Kodak Co., Adidas AG and McDonald’s Corp. have taken adequate action by the group’s standards and will not be targeted.
Dream for Darfur will be protesting at the companies’ headquarters and will aim to get viewers turn off commercials during the Games in August.
I believe in activism. I do. Even at the cost of my favorite type of porn. Sigh.