Beijing Olympic Disaster: It’ll be Entertaining
Just more than five months away, I’m already getting the feeling that things are going to be really crazy in August. In the last day I’ve had people ask me if they can stay with me during the Games, get them an internship and help students volunteer during the Olympics. Plus, the rumors flying, both here and around the world, are enough to make a propaganda ministry go into convulsions. Here are some of the stories, both in print and floating around, that give you a sense of how bad the coverage is going to be during the Games:
Everyone I know in the States is going crazy, sending me articles about how American athletes will be wearing gas masks and only eating home cooking, straight from the States. Why? They want to live and not test positive for steroids. The brilliant Chinese response? Ban all outside food to protect athletes from contamination. That’s right, China decided that the American team was more likely to poison itself than a Beijing chuanr stand. I’m salivating over how this story is going to be covered when LeBron James is too sick to play the Chinese team (minus Yao Ming). Set your Tivos now!
Unverifiable rumor that spectators will have to give the names of the user for each ticket 2-3 months in advance and then show up with a picture ID. I know a lot of BOCOG folks read Cup of Cha, so let me give you some advice: this is the dumbest thing I’ve heard in a long time (I guess that is not explicitly advice). I know they are trying to crack down on scalpers but this is a disaster waiting to happen on a zillion fronts:
- You are a Chinese family with of four with three tickets and you have to make a decision in June for an event in August. Good times.
- You choose Wang Lei over Wang Feng, and little Lei-Lei gets sick the day of the event. But you can’t give it to the other person because his name isn’t on it. Genius.
- I would imagine sponsor companies have a lot of tickets for corporate clients. Can you imagine calling up the CEO of a company like GE or Coke (both sponsors) in May and saying, “I know you shelled out 100 million dollars for the rights and advertising fees, but we really need your guest list by the end of this week.” This can’t possibly go well.
- You show up with your passport, but the picture is eight years old. The guard argues with you because you have gone bald and shaved your beard.
- You show up at the event only to discover that checking 57,000 IDs for a soccer match isn’t as fast as China anticipated. Soccer fans are a patient bunch anyway.
- I could go on, but I think you can see this is a BAD idea.
Something about Darfur.
The CCTV tower will topple. Mark my words. (note: just in case anyone misinterprets this, I am simply saying that the design is ridiculous. I am referring to tipping over from poor design, not any malevolent human factors.)
Oh, and what about dissent from average Chinese people and freedom of the press? This is from an article in the UK’s Telegraph. This is not an editorial, but it sure reads like one:
The crackdown is making a mockery of China’s promise to the International Olympic Committee in 2001 that it would improve its dismal human rights record and allow greater media freedom if it were allowed to host the Games…
Bizarrely, among the activists now under house arrest is a two-month-old baby girl, who is believed to be China’s youngest political prisoner.
Her father, Hu Jia, a campaigner for the rights of Aids patients, and a blogger on land and environmental abuses, was charged at the end of January with “inciting subversion of state power”, a catch-all charge frequently used against dissidents. His wife Zeng Jinyan, together with her mother and daughter, are all under house arrest in Beijing.
I would have loved to be in on that meeting when government officials decided to put a two [month]-old under house arrest. “Well, there are positives and negative to this decision. Let’s weigh them carefully.”
It’s going to be a fun five and a half months.
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michael responds:
Posted: February 27th, 2008 at 1:39 pm →
I believe you meant to say two-month old baby. And here’s another possible disaster for the Olympics: Chinese officials have stated unequivocally that terrorists from Xinjiang are planning attacks on the games. Have fun!
b. cheng responds:
Posted: February 27th, 2008 at 2:01 pm →
There are no rumors about IDs and names being required for events, only for the Opening Ceremony tickets won in China’s domestic phase 1, and they aren’t rumors.
Josh responds:
Posted: February 27th, 2008 at 2:28 pm →
@b. cheng:
I wasn’t talking about the opening ceremony. I’ve heard rumors that they want to require ID for all events. A fairly reliable source indicated that they were pressing for it, but presumably they will get talked out of it.
nanheyangrouchuan responds:
Posted: February 27th, 2008 at 3:17 pm →
Which will be more entertaining, the action at the sporting events or potential action in public areas? Bring extra batteries and video cards.
Mia responds:
Posted: February 28th, 2008 at 3:00 pm →
Yay! Now I’m so excited about the Games! Thanks Josh!
The ch gvmt generally don’t know what to do about anything, so it tries to control EVERYTHING. The new thing of checking the ID of all event-goers just reminds me how the gvmt is always at it’s wit’s end.
Also whenever the gvmt don’t know how to regulate something, it BANs it, like the food, the traffic, the SuperGirl TV show wannabes and many more.
Mia responds:
Posted: February 28th, 2008 at 3:07 pm →
Oops, hit the botton before done.
Anyway, my complaint is: why should WE pay for the gvmt’s brain deficiency?
Alice, Beijing China responds:
Posted: March 6th, 2008 at 5:12 am →
I think the Beijing Olympics ticket plan is sensible and will likely be done in other countries too - if not already.