I love watching the Olympics, especially final competitions for Pairs Free Skating and Short-Track Speed Skating. There is a very touching story behind Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo, the free skating gold medallists: having been partners on ice for nearly 18 years, the happily married couple retired in 2007, but made a glorious return to the Vancouver Olympics with a mean age of 33.5 to glide in Adagio in G Minor and claim their well-deserved gold medal.
I dislike the Olympics as a medium for promoting the consumption of junk food. As there are numerous factors associated with individual input/output differences in energy storage and utilisation, by no means am I suggesting that the consumption of junk food is the sole cause of obesity. However, junk food that is quickly delivered, cheaply produced, and heavily marketed to viewers in the name of sport is unacceptable and is a significant threat to the health of the population. The encouragement of consuming such food items through the association of such products with the Olympics would likely increase the incidence of obesity and result in poorer quality of life for the population.
As most of us are aware, the Obesity epidemic is ravaging through North America and much of the developed world. Evidently, obesity is a major contributor to the current leading causes of death, including heart disease and stroke. Take the following figure from the United States, for example, where the incidence of Obesity has risen and continues to do so at an alarming rate:
Fundamental Principles of Olympism
According to the Olympic Charter:
Olympism is a philosophy of life, exalting and combining in a balanced whole the qualities of body, will and mind. Blending sport with culture and education, Olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the joy of effort, the educational value of good example and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles…
Both McDonald’s and Coca-Cola are major sponsors of the Olympics.
When advertisements from such corporations are fed to millions of unsuspecting viewers on television every 15 minutes during the Opening Ceremony, every 7 minutes during the pairs free skating competition, every 2 minutes during clips of news briefing or highlights of the Olympics, Olympism cannot be accepted as valid philosophy of life.
I struggle with distinguishing Olympism from its corporate cousins. I question this “philosophy” of life — a McMeal and can of Coke with its artery-clogging, hypertension-causing, teeth-rotting goodies. I worry for the flawed logic in combating diseases of affluence, where mountains of cash are spent and health care resources drained while Ronald McDonald mingles with Ilanaaq, Sumi, Quatchi, and Miga in urging the population to become more obese.
Indeed, this is “blending sport with culture and education” at its best. The same cannot be said about “respect for universal fundamental ethical principles.”
I was so happy to watch Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo get gold!! YAY!!
With regards to the promotion of McD’s and Coca Cola, I think the biggest influence here is the western culture. Unhealthy eating has always been a problem, and that’s why McDonald’s has grown to be so popular and successful. From a business perspective, I would never give up an opportunity to become one of the biggest sponsors of the Olympics if I were able to. Naturally, these big and powerful companies get their logos next to that of Vancouver 2010.
Unfortunately, it`s hard to change cultural norms like that, but hopefully the negative effects are balanced with some new motivations to take up sports or exercise more?
It was very touching, especially with such a piece of music and their special circumstances.
In my opinion, the commercialisation of the Olympics and its implications have much to do with Western ideology, where individual interests and profits come before the well-being of society and its people.
Sometime I wonder whether it’s ethical to be so “popular and successful” at such enormous costs. I’d highly recommend you to check out The Corporation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Corporation — you can find it on YouTube.
Although your argument does make sense, I don’t think it’s fair to blame business ethics for the social costs that are essentially caused by consumer choices.
As well, I agree with what you said about the pursuit of self-interest having much to do with what’s happening with the current situations with the Olympics. This is largely a part of the western culture, as I mentioned before.
Consumer choices are quite heavily influenced by marketing practices. Why else would businesses spend so much to influence us? If costs to society are essentially caused by consumer choices, then one may wonder whether there is a purpose to PR/marketing. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Bernays#PR_techniques
Are consumer choices responsible for the following?
IBM’s role in the Holocaust:
http://www.ibmandtheholocaust.com/
General Electric’s repeated pollution of the environment:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Electric#Environmental_record
Union Carbide’s lack of responsibility for the Bhopal disaster, in which tens of thousands were killed:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhopal_disaster
Like gender, dominant ideologies, and other social phenomena, culture is very much a social construction. When a phenomenon becomes “common sense” so that citizens legitimately view a cultural norm as being natural, then hegemony is achieved. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_hegemony
Interesting discussion!
(I hope I didn’t offend the Sauder side of you 
— Psychology, Sociology, and Population Health have smothered the Commerce flame in me)
I think that the psychology behind why people fall for advertisements is a totally different topic. I also completely agree with the fact that these corporations are fueling another wave of obesity (or continuing the same wave I guess
)
However, what I meant before is that, we sometimes overly blame these giant corporations.. Just like how people would blame external forces for their failures (doing badly in school, etc.) which attributing their successes to internal forces. In this case, we’re blaming McDonald’s for obesity, but avoiding other factors.
The Fundamental Attribution Error in action!
You’re right: a large number of factors are responsible for the obesity epidemic.
It is more effective to invest “upstream” — I’ll write about this shortly.
This is why I disagree with the Olympics: it’s one giant consumerism scam, and it’s money being spent where it shouldn’t.
“Come buy our McDonald’s burgers! The difference between a working athelete and a coach potato is nil in our eyes!”
“Make sure to buy Coca Cola tonight! Enjoy your night and double your chance of getting cancer at the same time!”
“Buy our Olympic jackets and mittens and boots and make sure you ignore our thousands of homeless people when you’re on the way to the store!”
Couldn’t have quoted them any better.
It seems like the ultimate irony, isn’t it?
There should definitely be more commercials focusing on promoting healthy living through sports. After all, every Olympian must be in peak physical shape.
It totally is the ultimate irony, especially with the video Alison shared, below.
Hey Eastwood!!
Super sorry it’s taken me soooooo/this long to reply to your welcoming comment on my blog!! Hope Reading Weeks’ been treating you well and you’ve gotten out to August in February this past week!
I have to agree with that. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsteASyhz8U
Note how he doesn’t receive the burger. We were dissecting athletes despite how nice they really are in real life and how they’re a product of the media.
We had some fantastic weather during the first week of reading break!
Wow, Patrick, how could he? What kind of a role model is he to all the young skaters and admirers? I can hardly believe my eyes, as the next generation of kids are being infected by “obesity germs” by their favourite Canadian athlete. Thanks for sharing.
Not surprisingly, Skatebuzz is owned by Skate Canada, which released the following statement:
Patrick Chan joins the McDonald’s family! Two-time Canadian Champion Patrick Chan is now a part of team McDonald’s. On February 12, 2009, Chan celebrated the one year out to the 2010 Olympics at a Toronto McDonald’s. He signed autographs for fans and chatted with media. See: http://www.skatecanada.ca/enews/current/mar09/index.htm#athletes3
Well, I don’t think that Patrick Chan seriously encourages kids to eat at McDonald’s and fast food…figure skating is expensive. I would know. Prices for private coaching range from $8 per 15 minutes (read: almost $50, add how you have to pay about $10/hour for ice time) at a beginner level and up. Costumes cost about $2000 at the elite level, plus travel. When Elizabeth Manley won silver in 1988, her mother was $50,000 in debt. So I can’t blame Patrick Chan for agreeing to be supported by McDonald’s.
That’s a valid point. As expensive as figure skating lessons may be, music lessons, at least ones in Vancouver, are not any cheaper. Top music lessons can cost up to $65/hour, not to mention instrument, travel, etc.
With such popularity and media publicity, Patrick Chan should have done the right thing by representing products that are less “evil”, such as athletic gear, as opposed to being a representative for McDonald’s and fuelling the next wave of obesity.
Looks like Patrick resigned to self interest and profit over societal well-being.
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