No, not really. Just a few of the more un-PC or off-colour observations that bubbled up out of various bar conversations over the past few weeks.
For instance...... the finale of the Paralympics Opening Ceremony provoked lively discussion. An athlete in a wheelchair raised himself up a rope hand over hand, from the ground to the roof of the Bird's Nest, in order to light the Olympic Flame. A lot of people were concerned about how tiring this must be for the poor chap. (Well, he was in a harness, so I don't suppose he was really bearing much if any of the weight; but he did look a bit out of puff by the end.) A more jaded talking point was just how far the organizers were prepared to tax our patience with this stunt - it did take f***ing ages. But the best comment was prompted by the surreal element of the spectacle, the fact that the guy was being raised up while still sitting in his wheelchair - even though the chair was not visibly supported by a harness or cradle. It really looked as though the chair should fall at any moment. "How's he attached to that? Do you think they used superglue? Or nails through his thighs?"
In a similar spirit of creative tastelessness, there has been an ongoing contest to suggest events that one would like to see in the Paralympics (occasionally, one is shocked to find that the event does actually exist!). My favourite was Wheelchair Judo (you have to dump your opponent completely out of the chair to score ippon).
And then..... the discovery that, in addition to the main Paralympics, there is an entirely separate Deafalympics (and, I've just learned, starting next week - entirely unsung! - a Mental Olympics, for games like chess and go), prompted some more tasteless ruminations on other possible 'minority' Olympic Games. Is there a Dwarf Olympics, for example? Or a Gay Olympics? ("Oh yes, great idea. China would clean up on the gold medals again in that one.")
4 comments:
I'm looking forward to the Wheelchair Ski-jump in the Winter Games!
Gary, you bad man!
It hadn't occurred to me that there was a Winter Paralympics as well. I wonder if they have One-Legged Speedskating.
Some of the gems of tastelessness we've had suggested here for the Summer Games are:
Conjoined Twin Table Tennis
One-Legged Taekwondo
Quadruplegic Synchronised Swimming
and..... a Three-Legged race for individuals with three legs.
What a sick mind you and your “friends” have to speak so patronizing about disabled athletes.
you sick minded can also attempt to the Olympics competing: “Who can perform the most sick making joke about athletes who are different than what you designate as “normal”
or even better jump before a vast driving car (do not wait till this is your destiny) and experience the joy of revalidation (if you are lucky for years) and after years of training maybe you can participate in the Special, para or deaf Olympics.
Made ridicules by fools like you who, apparently never did anything positive in live for society.
No 'patronizing' here. I have the greatest respect for disabled athletes, as, I'm sure, do most of my friends and commenters here.
The humour here is directed at the concept of the Games and the way they are presented; it is not making fun of the participants.
Also, it's important to remember that 'nothing is sacred'. You can make jokes about anything. And disabled people generally get more pissed off with you if you feel so awkward around them that you shy away from making this kind of joke out of a misplaced 'sensitivity'.
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