Winter Olympics 2010: the good, the bad, and the sparkly!

Sometimes I am a liar. But this time I really didn’t mean to be. XD Last month I said that I would do a Movie Month post each month. And truly I had plans to do that.

But…..what with the Olympics being on my time was really cut short this month. That and I am 75 percent done with Sailor Moon. I thought that goal would take much longer to accomplish but nopers! Besides the Olympics only a few reality shows got my attention. Otherwise it was Sailor Moon.

So….yeah. No movie post this month. I did watch a few movies but most of them I had already seen so it wasn’t going to be my first impressions I would be writing. The drama/newness was lost so they don’t count. That means there are like 2 movies this month and that isn’t much of a post.

Goodbye new friends!!

Instead of a movie post I shall dedicate this post to what really ate up my time in February: The Olympics!!! Sure they are over but that is best time to talk about something. That way you have a more rounded view of the event/topic. So enjoy my views on the highs and lows of the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Also I promise that my To Aru Kagaku no Railgun episode 21 post will be up tomorrow. Slacker Tenchi is slacking. Side note I thought there was 26 episodes in To Aru Kagaku no Railgun…….

Also none of these pictures are mind. I got them browsing the internet looking for Olympic news articles. NOT MINE PEOPLE OKAYS!!! They are someone else's pics! Not mine!

Ignore the fact that this is a closing ceremony pic. LOOK AT THE PRETTY!

The opening ceremony was pretty cool. Yes nothing will ever compare to the Summer 2008 Olympics unless they involve space, a talking unicorn, and The Terminator. So there is no point in saying MOG the Summer Olympics were better. I will just judge the 2010 Winter Olympics opening ceremony on their own merits. Not a fan of all the singing. Less singing more over the top costumes! That being said I didn’t see the big deal in the fact that there was a tiny problem with the 4th arm not coming up during the torch lightening ceremony. Machines break down and mistakes happen. The fact that commentators kept harping on it every day for the past few weeks and it was referred to as one of the great failures of the Olympics made me laugh/roll my eyes. I enjoyed the portions of the show that had to do with Canada’s Native population. That of course is putting aside how much of that was just putting on a good face and how those people are really treated. But that is the way the Olympics are right, putting on happy faces when staring your “enemies” in the eye pretending all is well.

The death of Olympic luger Nodar Kumaritashvili was horrible. Word has it that the course was made too fast on purpose which is automatic fail. I get pushing people to their limit but not at the expense of people’s lives. There is also word that Canada didn’t allow other countries many run-throughs before the Olympics. Not that ample practice or a slightly safer course (really, when you are going down a track with no protection at all does it matter if it’s 80 miles an hour or 90?) would have saved that young man. It is an overall sad situation and when sad situations happen people tend to play the what if game. Just a tragedy and a sad way to start off the Olympics.

The sport that got me screaming and cheering the most was speed skating. And booing the most of course. It is amazing how the Olympics make you an expert on a sport you don’t think about except during the Olympics. And how suddenly you find out you have rivals that you didn’t know you had! I am speaking of the Koreans of course. XD I am such a brat of course, booing people who are just trying to win like we are. Although I do think that NO ONE should be touching anyone on the field, whether it be our guys or theirs. That way it clears up any disputes and what not.

Glad everyone is okay but YAY for winning!

My favorite speed skating race would be the one where Apolo Ohno was going to be left off the podium all together and the Koreans were going to sweep the medals. I believe this race was either on the first day or two of the Olympics. The commentators were all going on about how the Koreans were pissy that Ohno got a medal in the previous Olympics that really should have been theirs and now all of South Korea hates Ohno. That and they were really playing up J.R. Celski’s injury and how he is the comeback kid. So my heart was sinking the entire race as all the Koreans buddle together and were going to win all three medals. Then it happens. CRASH. One Korean takes out another and both Ohno and Celski get a medal. It was really a WOW moment. Loved the 15 instant replays that came on afterwards too.

:( So frustrating. :(

Of course the saddest moment is when Ohno disqualified himself in his last individual race. *sigh* I don’t think his touch pushed that guy over but touching got the U.S. women a group medal so I can’t like something when it works for me and dislike it when it works for someone else. If he hadn’t had that hand there the other skater that took himself out on his own would have still crashed and Ohno would have had a medal. Sad face is sad. :( But he still has a lot to be proud of no doubt.

Yeah removing the brown skin will totally make this less fail. Go for it.

I don’t have words to describe the Russian ice dancing pair’s costumes. Well I do but they are all naughty and unladylike. While I am not one to cry about all the cultural appropriation in that event/the world there is a difference between respectful portraying a culture and being borderline racist. You two….whatevers were in the land of OH HAI RACISM. They were told before how awful and racist their costumes were before and all they did was remove the brown skin tone from the costumes. But apparently Aboriginal dance now includes hair pulling, butt shaking, and violence. Stay classy Russia.

The figure skating pair of Zhao Hongbo and Shen Xue nearly brought me to tears. Yeah I want my country to win all the medals but a sad back story always gets me going. They truly deserved this medal and they can retire knowing they are best. Good for them.

Yeah. I am sure this is not the most shocking costume ever in this sport. Compared to the other costumes in his event it's pretty tame.

Dear Johnny Weir I am sorry that some people are assholes. Seriously I am. I am not sure what sport they thought they were judging but figure skating has never been a very masculine sport. This is the sport where everyone is wearing tights and sparkly costumes. Not that there is anything wrong about that but it is stupid to call you out on your costume when everyone else is just as sparkly as you. But since you are gay your sparkles are evil or something. I am not going to argue whether or not you were robbed of a medal as I am not an expert on figure skating. But I will call out those who think you have to take a gender test, that it’s a bad thing if little boys turn out like you, and that you make a mockery of this sport. They have no right to judge you like that and need to talk about your performance and not stupid crap like that. You are taking the high road and not bashing these homophobes like they deserve. Keep on being who you are and know that people were not amused by their words. Love someone who had no idea who you were before the games but loves your style.

I wasn’t really cheering one way or another on who won the hockey game. Again it would be nice if my home country one the medal (one we haven’t won in a very long time) but it was a good game. Not understanding the criticism behind the way the Canadian women celebrating their victory but whatever. Go winners and silver is pretty good too.

I think with most sports there was a clear American favorite and that pushed aside the other Americans that were in the same sport. As much as I love Apolo Ohno Shani Davis was pretty amazing too and he got way less coverage. The same could be said for any skier that wasn’t named Lindsey Vonn. I know we all have our favorites and it is easier to follow people who been in the Olympics before. But legends won’t be born if we keep following the same people.

The closing ceremonies were kinda boring. Again too much singing. But the closing ceremonies are never as grand as the opening ceremonies. Someone said that opening ceremonies are more a presentation and the closing ceremonies are more of a party. That is really the truth. But I did like how they played up on the torch leg being broken. Cute.

So that is a very brief overview on my take of the last two weeks. I watched a lot of different events and found myself cheering for people I never even knew of until that event. I gasped at all the crashes and cheered when (most) everyone won. It’s sad that we won’t get to experience that same excitement for two more years but the wait is worth it. In the meantime…GO TEAM U.S.A!!!!!