I used to love watching the Olympic
games but now the commentary is so stultifying I have to mute the TV. As with
the news, factual reporting and intelligent conversation is trumped by
supercilious trivialities.
I started to make a list of the ridiculous
things said by the commentators, but I gave up. It was becoming too long. I was
particularly offended by the presumption of some of them who felt inclined to
tell us how the athletes were thinking and/or feeling.
The commentary is a positive festival of
clichés; every time the speakers open their mouths they reveal a shocking
dearth of originality. Sure, they’re under pressure, but it’s not a hugely
demanding job. The sentimentality is lethal; the compensatory euphemisms
offered to those who fail to win a medal are as offensive.
The medium is terrified of silence. The
constant barrage of dialogue makes it challenging to develop your own original
thoughts about all you see; it’s insulting.
But the visuals and the performances of
the athletes are compelling. Everyone involved in the technical aspects of the
broadcasting are delivering on a par with the athletes. Sometimes you feel like
you are in the pool with them; you almost feel the puffs of dust that come from
the calcium on the hands of the gymnasts.
On walks lately, I’ve seen several
remarkable cars…..
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| This little collection of perfume bottles is on the dashboard of the gold Porche pictured below. |
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