RTT: The Winter Olympics Edition

It's Tuesday once again. Which not only means that it's random thoughts time, but also that it's been a whole week that I've had this hideous vertigo. I'm so sick of it I can not express how sick I am. I keep running into people (not literally, but I have, in fact, been running into things) who either have had this (including Jan, over at the Sushi Bar, who has it right now - small world, right?), or know someone who has, and everybody said about the same thing, that it takes about 2 weeks to get over it. I have an appointment with an acupuncturist on Wednesday, and an ENT guy on Thursday. I'll let you know how those go. Sigh.

But because I feel like I'm on a boat all the time (ironically, I had an audition last week in which I had to play a woman on a boat, and I didn't even get a callback!), I've been spending a tremendous amount of time sitting on the sofa watching television, and luckily the Winter Olympics have offered plenty of entertainment. So, here's my two cents...

I was thrilled that Ice Dancing started this week, I've been a fan since back in the days of Torvill and Dean, and their Bolero dance (okay, I may have just dated myself a wee bit). We'd been hearing all week about the "big controversy" over the Aboriginal dance that the top Russian pair, Domnina and  Shabalin, had planned. I kept thinking that it must surely be much ado about nothing, yet another example of political correctness run amok. But you know what? It WAS offensive. And what's more, it was stupid. They kept mugging and smiling ridiculously. They managed to offend pretty much all indigenous people on the planet - their costumes made them look like those actors in black-face in movies from the '30's playing "natives from Africa", but then they also did that hand over the mouth "wah-wah-wah-wah" thing people used to do when they played cowboys and Indians. I can't imagine what the hell they were thinking.

 

And this was the updated, less-offensive version of their costumes, originally, he actually WAS in black face. The theme for all the dances in the program was folk dancing, and they were meant to embody the "flavor" of the country of their choosing. How they could possibly have interpretted all that hair-dragging and eye-rolling as an Australian Aboriginal "folk dance", I can't imagine. I'm guessing that they had decided they thought it would be fun to do a "cave man" dance, and when they heard the theme for the Olympics was folk dancing, they tried to make it mesh. Just dumb. You can watch here to see for yourself.

And while I'm on the subject of skating costumes... take a look at these on Canadian pairs skating couple Dube and Davison...

 

Simple, attractive, stylish, functional, tasteful. And now on the other end of the tacky spectrum we have the Ukranians...

 
Oh. My. God. Just screams Soviet Bloc.

Jimmy and I were sitting together watching the women's skiing. During Julia Mancuso's run, the commentator, in regard to the snow conditions of the course, said, and I quote, "She likes it bumpy and rough." At which time, Jimmy, murmured, apparently forgetting I was in the room, "Yeah, I bet she does." Followed by a lecherous "heh, heh, heh." laugh. That's my hubby!

Shut up Evgeni Plushenko! What a big, snotty, whiny sore loser you are! Evan Lysacek won fair and square, and anybody who watched those two performances knows it. Plushenko did the jumps, and did the quad "woooooo" (said in sarcastic fake awe), but none of his jumps had the quality of Lysacek's, and all of his moves between the jumps were dull and uninspired. It pisses me off that Plushyehko's sour grapes has taken away some of Lysacek's thunder. Not cool.

And from Scotty Lago, we have hopefully learned this lesson - No matter how drunk you are, never ever let anyone take a picture of a snowboarder groupie chick "go down" on your newly won bronze medal.

Did y'all see Bode Miller on the medal stand when he got his gold? What a lovely moment. It's interesting to watch the way different people handle that gold medal moment when they're standing there listening to their national anthem and watching the flag of their nation raised in their honor. Some cry, some look nervous. But Bode Miller took the whole thing in with such dignity and humility, no doubt because of his past failings, and years of struggling. Lovely moment.

And finally, I offer my deepest sympathies to all Canadians after the USA beat the pants off them in hockey. I have quite a few Canadian friends, and I know that Hockey is to Canada as Football is to Texas. So, sorry. Please take comfort in the fact that you whipped us in that totally incomprehensible, yet strangely fascinating sport, curling. So you have that.

For more randomness, head to Keely's place.

 

Comments

[Michele Renee]

What a pain in the butt about the vertigo. I wondered if you had an audition during this.
And thanks for the update on the Olympics. I have seen just about nothing. Found out the reason I only saw curling was because the Hubs had the channel on CNBC and not NBC. Back in the day before kids I saw all the skating and dancing and loved it. Now I am a flick of femininity in a sea of male dominance over the TV. Are there any nights left of coverage? I have a plan to banish them all to the basement TV.

[middle-aged-woman]

I am all about the Canadian curling teams right now. And I don't count their hockey team out just yet. Round robin is different than the semis and finals. And you just made chills run up my spine remembering Torvill and Dean's Bolero, and the stunning moment that it was.

[Jan]

We haven't seen much of the Olympics (we DID see that bizarre and tasteless "Aborigine" thing), but curling was on last night when Beloved turned the TV on, so he called The Young One down to watch for a moment.

"What IS that??" the boy asked after a minute. "It looks like shuffleboard on the ice. With little brooms." Pretty accurate description if you ask me.

[The Bug]

My husband is fascinated with curling so I've seen a LOT of it these last couple of weeks. He's like Jimmmy - loves the innuendo (have you ever listened to curlers? "HARD, yep, yep, yep, HARD" Heh). I think he's in love with the Canadian female captain. I'll worry if he starts planning a trip to Canada.

I watched the finals of the ice dancing last night - & my favorite costumes were the winning Canadian couple & the Italian ones - nice & simple. I guess the women's figure skating starts tonight - I'll be pulling for the Canadian whose mother died on Sunday.

[Jenni]

"Simple, attractive, stylish, functional, tasteful." Pretty much sums up the entire country of Canada. I love Canada.

Great Random, lady!

[Harriet]

Ice dancing really did get popular this year.

Have a great RTT!
http://harrietandfriends.com/2010/02/learn-how-to-slice-your-kids-hot-dogs-boomers-who-still-smoke-the-stuff-pit-bulls-and-little-people-all-have-what-in-common/

[Kathy]

I have no TV :( so I haven't been watching the Olympics but I get lots of updates here in Blogland

[becky]

Go Jimmy! He couldn't let a choice set up like that just lie there!

I totes agree about the "aboriginal" dance. It was just dumb and dumber.

How 'bout that brother and sister pair who did the cowboy theme, and she was riding him at the end? Goodness.

I'm so sorry you still have that vertigo. Ugh.

[steenky bee]

Okay, so I must have missed ice dancing during the past 3 Winter Olympics and all because just last week I was rubbing my hands together in pure excitement telling my husband the beauty of Britain's Torvill and Dean (oh honey, we're in the same age boat). I was thrilled to be seeing me some classy dancin'. But gah! WHAT? Everything is so gimicky. My favorite routine was the Canadian pair last night that took the gold. Classy. But I must admit, I was ever so slightly distracted by the adorable little Canadian skater's name - Tessa Virtue. Sounds sort of strippery to me.

[Sara]

ha! That cave man dance was like a SNL skit! WTH??

My husband wanted to know why everyone in the Olympics is good looking. ?

Go away vertigo! Boooo!