Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Olympic Fever?

The 100 Words readership spans the globe, from Harvey Illinois to Terre Haute. So, many of you not in Chicago are no doubt wondering: does Chicago have Olympic Fever?

No.

We talk about the Bears, the weather, the Kardashian sisters. Nobody is talking about the Olympics. There is zero buzz.

Why?

One, the city is broke as a joke. Having to go to an ATM to feed a parking meter is of greater concern than the Games.

Two, the bid is a fabrication of government and big business. There was no citizen groundswell to bring in the Games. The ‘enthusiasm’ is wholly manufactured.

Third, the ad campaign for the bid is cold, arty and distant, conveying none of the joy and pure fun having the games would bring.

I am ambivalent about the Olympics. Just like the city.

5 comments:

Joanne said...

I really am conflicted over the bid. I love our fair city dearly and I love the Olympics, and would love to show it off to the world. But I can't even catch an el train home when there's a Cub game. And must we always trot Oprah out?

G.D. said...

I tried to cross the Michigan Avenue bridge to go to a recording session on the day Oprah had the Black-Eyed Peas playing on Michigan Avenue. It was a bottleneck, and the reason why is everyone had stopped to take a picture of Oprah on top of a double-decker bus, interviewing somebody. I think our idolatry of Oprah is a little provincial, and semi-embarrassing.

m-c said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
m-c said...

How soon you forgot there is someone reading you in Paris.

G.D. said...

Ha! Is the MC?