Blogger "MZTexas" at Huffington Post had a less than glowing opinion of the coverage of America's Eight Time Gold Medalist, Michael Phelps. He comments:
This opinion is sardonically amusing, but it speaks to the larger issue of the media's presentation of Phelps. Is the constant coverage of Phelps sucking all the oxygen out of the U.S. Team's Olympic experience?
Do you think the media's done a good job profiling him? Their portrait is of an amphibious machine -- eating, swimming, sleeping. I know I wished I knew more about him -- his childhood (what of his father?), hobbies, special friends? Really, what did he major in at the University of Michigan?
Or is MZTexas the skunk at the picnic? And again, for the record, Phelps is a great athlete (the most winningest Olympian ever!) and we're all very proud. Of all our U.S. athletes.
"Phelps is a great athlete and I'm really proud of his accomplishments. I know that NBC has made him their "focus" story of this Olympics, but I'm really getting tired of hearing what and how much he eats every day. I'm tired of hearing how Phelps won another gold in a relay . . . the TEAMS win the relay,not Phelps. In fact, if the team had relied on Phelps leg of the 4 x 100 freestyle, they would have gotten the silver instead of the gold. He started them off in second and that's where they stayed until Lezak kicked some serious butt and swam the fastest leg ever recorded in that race.
Again, Phelps is a great athlete and I'm very proud of his accomplishments, but please, please, please, no more digitalized, computer graphic laden diagrams of Phelps' body telling us why he's such a good swimmer. And no more disgusting descriptions of the total amount of food he shoves down his face every day. Oh,
and tell him to pull up that speed suit . . . we're getting to see way more of Michael Phelps than most of us want to see."
This opinion is sardonically amusing, but it speaks to the larger issue of the media's presentation of Phelps. Is the constant coverage of Phelps sucking all the oxygen out of the U.S. Team's Olympic experience?
Do you think the media's done a good job profiling him? Their portrait is of an amphibious machine -- eating, swimming, sleeping. I know I wished I knew more about him -- his childhood (what of his father?), hobbies, special friends? Really, what did he major in at the University of Michigan?
Or is MZTexas the skunk at the picnic? And again, for the record, Phelps is a great athlete (the most winningest Olympian ever!) and we're all very proud. Of all our U.S. athletes.
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3 comments:
MZTexas is a bit of a kill joy. Phelps has pulled off a once in a generational sweep in his sport and is fully deserving of his coverage. If he pulls a Spitz and begins showing up as a guest star on the Hannah Montanna show, some complaints will be in order, but in the meantime lets give the guy his due.
As for his father, he is a Baltimore cop who divorced his wife after a rocky marriage that caused his kids to seek refuge in the pool.
Hobbies, special friends, college major.....could you tell me Tiger's hobbies, special friends, or major?
It's one thing to give someone his or her due, it's another to do it an the expense of all the other athletes who have worked so hard to be at the Olympics. Sure, Michael Phelps is a champion, but the exposure, at least by the American media has diluted the accomplishments of the rest of the team.
He's a 23-year-old guy with little experience in the limelight. One misstep--and you can be sure there will be one--and the media will crush him like an ant. It's not Michael Phelps fault he's been swarmed, but he's being set up to fail.
His father is/was a state trooper who moved out without explanation when Phelps was 8, according to Men's Journal.
First, let me say to bankst and berka, welcome to the blogosphere. You are now both officially considered bloggers (bloggers post, lerkers view).
Now, back to Phelps. Yes, we all agree that Phelps is an amazing, amazing swimmer -- the best ever.
Two points. As great as Phelps singularly is, MZ's point was that he was one of four on a relay TEAM. Ok, if the US relay team had been losing and he pulled them into first place, then technically you could give him the shout out. However, these other relaymates (most of them gold medalists in their own rights) we as good -- or in Lezak's case better at his leg -- than Phelps. Let's spread the love a bit more.
Next, Phelps' portrait in the media. We've been fed oodles of freaky info on him. It's really the "american media" way to go heavy on the personal profiles. Excepting his Mom, I feel his personal life has been withheld a bit. I haven't seen much of the narrative "misunderstood, isolated child of divorce seeks solice of pool" but that may be the story. You know his agents and sponsors are working overtime on this and he will be craftly packaged and sold (more) to the public as a celebrity/spokesman, with a lot of money riding on this pitch (that's what the people on CNBC tell me). I agree with Burka, it's not his fault, at this point he has many handlers.
With regard to Tiger's life -- we know alot, probably too much if you ask Tiger. We know his wife & child, his family lineage, his relationship with his mom and dad, his golf career/friendships at Stamford, computer game hobbies, and even his major at Stamford (business/accounting). But Tiger has been in limelight much longer than Phelps. Maybe I'll next be commenting on how we know too much about Phelps' life. \
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