NBC's Pathetic Praising of China

Should "asshole?"

 

Agreed with others that I've also seen some critical coverage from NBC. As someone who was born in China, I'm obviously proud about the Games being in Beijing. What has irked me about some of the media coverage I've seen is that they seem so obsessed with the fact that China has a communist government that they see everything China-related through that lens. Trains run on time? Oh, it must be the communists. The people are all friendly and eager? Oh it must be the government's doing. They can get 2008 drummers together? Well, that's easy because they are communist (nevermind the population of 1.3 billion). One of the opening ceremony fireworks shots was a digital effect? Well, that's the regime trying to lie to the world (nevermind that it was a pretty obvious CG effect and NBC pointed it out as it was shown). Critical coverage of the country's political shortcomings is perfectly fine and necessary, and that comes with the territory when a country hosts the Olympics. But stop trying to frame everything you encounter in a political context. Sometimes I swear I think the U.S. still hasn't really left the McCarthy era behind.

Rant over.

 

I love how we all bash the "hardship" stories every Olympiad - then fall all over ourselves in March giving APSEs, our most prestigious awards, for the same types of stories.

 

Haven't watched every minute of the coverage but I think you're being a little unfair. Where did NBC get the idea that people are friendly because they're communist? Because the government rolled out a campaign essentially ordering people to be nice. I'm assuming that's not the real reason, but this has been no different from any other type of coverage.
The media accepts the storyline suggested by recent events or by the subject itself.

It's no different than saying Joe Schmoe's gold medal was due to "a renewed focus", as opposed to being more skilled than the other guy. If Joe says that to enough reporters, and tells enough stories about how he does tai chi to focus, that's what'll make the papers, whether it's true or not. To call Americans Communist-haters over this is silly.

 

Hoda Kotb, simply and politely, is just not a very good journalist. Her reports reek of someone being outside the know and they are very cliche-ridden. She is obviously over her head.

 

I am so with you on this. It's the Olympics. They're in China. I don't want to see Kobe Bryant and LeBron James and Misty May every night. I've been disappointed in the prime time coverage, I think they could do so much better (so far) than the swimming-gymnastics-May/Walsh circuit. That said, they are providing other channels with tons of sports, so I can always turn the channel.

Eh, I love Andrea whatever she does - she does a 30 second fluff interview, its good enough for me.

 

I wasn't talking about NBC's coverage specifically, but rather about various other things I've seen, heard, and read. And a lot of it isn't even blatant, but definitely present. Quick case-in-point: Read this story about the "eight don't-asks":

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/07/23/oly.etiquette.guide.ap/

The last graf of the story:

What's the point of throwing "communist" in there? What exactly about this story requires the political context that it's a communist government? Would you write "England's democratic government is suggesting its citizens clean up their act for the 2012 Games"? Remember, these posters are recommendations/suggestions, not orders. So the government is trying to clean up its image and avoid cultural misunderstandings. Which Olympic host government doesn't do that? Why is the fact that this particular government is communist relevant here? By inserting it in there, it potentially endows the story with a different tone. Couple that with other, more subtle word choices in the story (locals being "instructed not to" or "told not to" by the posters, rather than the posters "recommend" or "suggest"), and it gives the story a completely different subtext. Instead of the government recommending guidelines to its people, it now sounds more like the government is handing down draconian codes of conduct, with the unspoken understanding that punishment will be dealt out if you don't follow. Were there going to be cops on the streets of Beijing ready to pounce on citizens who ask one of the "don't asks"? If so, then perhaps "communist" should be in the story. Otherwise, it doesn't belong in there.

And while Americans may not be "communist-haters", they are definitely still paranoid about communism. Think about it: What's one of the most common criticism leveled against government-sponsored healthcare plans? "It's socialist medicine". OK. Why does it matter if it's socialist or not? Shouldn't the question be whether it gets everyone covered? The fact that accusations of being socialist/communist can still carry resonance in this country shows that the U.S. still has remnants of McCarthyist paranoia. It's of course nowhere as blatant as before, but it hasn't died out, and it definitely still affects the way people perceive the world.

 

But the Chinese premier told Bob Costas he loves Keith O's constant demeaning commentary on George Bush.

 

NBC has numbers that show Phelps and gymnastics are the top viewing audience attractors. Sorry, but that's why boxing and handball are on CNBC.

 

But then, instead of gymnastics, I think they ought to run that annoying official Chinese Olympic song.

 

Boom kindly asks you to refrain from working his corners.