When it’s fair to criticize our superhumans
THANK f*** for Oscar Pistorius, the Paralympics fella with “blades” for legs.
He’s finally given people the chance to do what many mutter behind closed doors – that even the disabled can be criticised, too.
The South African’s beef over rival runner Alan Oliveira’s performance came down to the fact he reckoned the Brazilian’s prosthetic limbs are better and so much more effective than his are. It’s pretty hard to argue with that, too. Did you see Olivera suddenly make up 10 metres in about zero seconds? I couldn’t run that fast if I had a f***ing lion chasing after me.
Then again, Pistorious was only getting a taste of the medicine he’s been dishing out to his competitors for years, so his argument has the faint ring of hollow about it.
Worthwhile
The Paralympics marketing team have made a very big – and very worthwhile – deal out of promoting the event not as a celebration of people with disabilities, but of the “superhuman”.
On a promotions level, that’s laudable – but can anyone tell me what the f*** Professor Stephen Hawking has to do with athletics?
I’m aware that he’s pretty hot on The Meaning Of All Things but I can’t ever recall his polevaulting prowess.
When I caught up with the opening ceremony I mistakenly thought I’d tuned in to a BBC4 documentary about physics, rather than the kick-off party for a special sports day.
I actually think the Paralympics are in many ways even more entertaining than their big brother.
But the marketing men and women need to wind their bloody necks in.