Culture @ the Olympics issues, trends and perspectives Andy Miah. Argues that there exist relevant and enduring links between the Ancient and Modern Games. Miah says that the closest bond has to do with the social currency of their underpinning values.
Culture @ the Olympics issues, trends and perspectives Andy Miah. Argues that there exist relevant and enduring links between the Ancient and Modern Games. Miah says that the closest bond has to do with the social currency of their underpinning values.
Culture @ the Olympics issues, trends and perspectives Andy Miah. Argues that there exist relevant and enduring links between the Ancient and Modern Games. Miah says that the closest bond has to do with the social currency of their underpinning values.
issues, trends and perspectives www.culturalolympics.org.uk
One great symbol, many vague values
Andy Miah
Numerous approaches it has become a commonplace to
could be used to articulate consider the Olympic Movement ideas about the philosophy – or at least, the Olympic Games – as being in a state of ideological of the Ancient Olympic crisis. Games, the Modern Olympic Games and their The over-emphasis on winning, intimate, though distinct results, records, and the relationship. inextricable logic of professionalism, commercialism, For example, one might consider coupled with the concept of the organising structures implicit Olympism as a brand to be or explicit of these very different marketed, a consumer produced versions of the same event. have provoked a distrust from Though even here one would spectators in the Olympic Games find it particularly difficult to talk as a predominantly value-driven broadly about the Modern Games institution (Coakley, 1998). The as a consistent organisational dominant logic of commercialism model from 1896 to 2000. Thus, it in organised and, particularly, would be my contention that, to elite sport has squeezed the isolate this one characteristic as a Olympic Games of its value, comparison within the modern transforming value into economic Olympic Games and between the viability. modern Olympics and ancient Olympic Games, would be to This tension between the Games present a fairly limiting review of or Movement as an organisation, these enduring and complex brand, or product, and as a social events. movement will be explored later, though serves to identify that the In contrast, I argue that there notion of Olympism is in turmoil, exist relevant and enduring links uncertain quite what kind of between the Ancient and Modern institution it is. I will also discuss Games, and, indeed, their closest the paradoxical implications of bond has to do with the social the main product that Olympism currency of their underpinning has to sell are its values, and that values. It is of considerable value if commerce is the interest then it to elaborate on these values, since must nurture these values –
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which does not seem to be where embrace the broad notions of
the marketing of Olympism is Olympism. Moreover, one can focused. trace the changes that are peripheral to this underlying Given this, at least superficial, value base to demonstrate how crisis with the Olympic image, the games have changed over the the need for reflection, years. articulation, and the promotion of the values of Olympism is in It seems logical to begin by great demand, if it hopes to considering the Ancient Olympic withstand public scrutiny. Games and the Modern Games, Moreover, it would seem relevant though I think it unimportant to base an understanding of the where we start. The main part of links and description between the this review will begin with the Ancient Games and the Modern AOG and then progress to the Games upon their concordant MOG, concluding with an values. articulation of the enduring and contingent links between them. This is not to advocate that the From these discussions, it is modern games should purport or intended that an understanding aspire to the values that have of the value and meaning in the endured through time – despite OG will be clarified. It will be the appeal of such a concept. argued that, without value and Indeed, such ideas would be meaning in the Games and, I fanciful and to treat both versions argue, a rather prescriptive of the Games as entirely similar notion of these two would be to misunderstand their characteristics, that the Games is independent significance devoid of interesting aspects. disastrously. The Ancient Olympic Rather, the value of uniting the Games (AOG) Ancient Games and the Modern Games through their values lies The AOG were characterised by in their continuity, despite the ritual, rather than record vast changes that have ensued – (Guttmann, 1978) and this can be despite professionalism, despite seen from the origins of the commerce, and despite nearly Games. The myth of Pelops 3000 years between the two explains how this Asian outsider versions. This journey might sought to wed the daughter of seem somewhat nostalgic and King Oinomaos, though the King academically irrelevant, though it would not allow it. Subsequently, is intended to restate what is he was to challenge Pelops to a important about the Games; what chariot race where, if Pelops was must be held onto if the games victorious, he would have his are to continue to flourish and
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chosen bride and her father’s the Games in comparison to other
kingdom. Before the race, Pelops aspects, such as the festival, knew that he would struggle to ritual, and symbolic value of beat Innomas and so paid for competition. Thus, if one is to some commoners to sabotage the attempt an articulation of the King’s chariot, placing wax pins values of the AOG, then one must into the wheel axel. During the look beyond the physical contest, these pins melted characteristics of the sporting throwing the King’s chariot into competitions beyond modern the air and killing him. Thus, the values of fair play, ritual of the Games was set, in sportsmanship, and so on. part mirroring the myth of Pelops, where contests took place The Modern Olympic between home countries and Games (MOG) outsiders, and ceremonial events took place reflecting the marriage In comparison, the Modern of Pelops and Hippodameia Games appears to be devoid of Indeed, this similar structure can this mythic, super-natural be seen in the Modern Games, ceremony. However, in some although these implicit meanings aspects of the proceedings of the are hardly well understood or Games, one can identify strong known to participants and links to ancient times. For spectators. Thus, one can begin example, the lighting ceremony to appreciate the importance and of the Olympic torch entails a value of symbols within these proclamation to the Gods asking ancient times and how they have for the safe journey of the flame sustained throughout the revival to the host city. Thus, the link of the modern games. between the Games and divinity is far from having been severed. Consisting of a limited number of Yet, it seems plausible to argue sporting events, the primary that the emphasis has shifted interest of the AOG was not to tremendously. record times or measure distances in performance, but to know who Furthermore, one must recognise was the rightful victor. In this the political ambitions of the sense, one might liken the Modern Games. Of particular Ancient Games to the Modern interest to Baron Pierre De Games, though this comparison Coubertin, founder of the requires some caution. Of Modern Games and his course, this is not to refute the compatriots of the European archaeological evidence and Peace Movement, was to further scriptures that tell of the victory world peace, integration, inter- of great athletes and that give cultural education, moral their biographical details. Rather development, health and it is to marginalise this aspect of
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harmony. While these ideals depends upon on which terms it
need not be entirely different is evaluated. from the ancient games, they are explicit throughout the As I have said previously, the constitution of the Modern MOG appears to exist in this Games, where in ancient times, tension between professionalism these values are, at most, and it as a social movement. This expressed implicitly through tension is hardly surprising given myth and story telling. Whereas the enormity of the games and in ancient times, the values could the organisation required to be said to have come from the arrange this global spectacle. enterprise of the games – their Although, if one examines the very experience – they seem more nature of the Games as an dictated in the Modern Games; organisation, it becomes clear that perhaps not imposed but its marketing force – that which it certainly prescribed. can sell – is the characteristics derived from the Movement’s Admittedly, these ambitions are ideological and philosophical fairly ambiguous and deliberately underpinnings. so. If one is to ensure breadth in appeals to value it seems This is documented in the IOC important to select values that are commissioned, Olympic Imagery specific enough to identify a Validation Study (1999) where virtuous concept, though vague respondents documented that enough to ensure that no they found the Games to be practical intentions can be important due to their ability to deduced. Thus, it is much better embody such concepts as multi- to claim - as does the Olympic culturalism, friendship, global Charter – that it strives only for culture, peace, and participation. friendship, rather than give any Thus, paradoxically, if the substance to what or with which Olympic Games (as an kind of people such friendship is Organisation) seek to be sought. successful – to attract people – then it must look to the values of It is important here to return to a Olympism, it must return to its point made very early in this definition as a movement. review, which is to say more about the distinction between the Such ideas are problematic since Olympic Movement, and the they are strongly contrasted with Olympics as a commercial, the values of elitism and the professional and organisation. emphasis on performance. The distinction between these Despite having been conducted two characters is important since by an independent body how one perceives the (Sponsorship Research successfulness of the Olympics International), one might be
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critical of the study and argue social movement, then it must
that it presents a deliberately fulfil a number of conditions. It skewed questionnaire that would must stand for and against almost certainly have guaranteed something – it must have an the Olympic image to appear ideology. Also, there must be very positive, though still the support for this ideology, there point remains. must be a sense of collectivity or solidarity between persons about In response, one might suggest these issues. It is necessary for that the study presents a bias. No these ideas to manifest questions within it asked people themselves in some kind of action about the significance of - it is not sufficient to remain at a excellence in competition. It was conceptual level, people must do not asked how important it something about these beliefs. seemed that world records are broken at the events or that the best athletes in the world take if one considers the part at these events. Yet, it is Olympics as a social difficult to believe that these factors are not important to the movement, then it must spectators’ interest to witness the fulfil a number of games. Moreover, it is unclear conditions. It must stand whether the study documents for and against something – those spectators that can be said it must have an ideology to invest the most into the games or are the most committed or cognisant with the values to Finally, it must be characterised which it really aspires. by some degree of leadership or Intuitively, it seems alarming that vision, though notably this might such a broad audience could be not be apparent and the leaders so in tune with the very specific might not be obvious. If one and somewhat unknown values places these characteristics into that the games embody. the organisational structure of the Olympic Games, it would seem to It might first be asked why this is fulfil a number of them. It seems a tension at all and why it is not without doubt that it is possible with the ideology of the ideological. It is most definitely a Games as a commercial collective event and is also very enterprise to be commensurate in active. However, as far as terms of values associated with leadership is concerned it is a social movements. This may be little ambiguous as to whether explained by examining the this could be called a movement. interests and characteristics of both of these practices. First, if one considers the Olympics as a
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The International Olympic complexities produced by drug-
Committee is highly visible, as is taking and struggles against it, the President of the IOC, the scandals of the IOC, in favour currently Juan Antonio of the widening participation, the Samaranch. In this sense, then, it greater investment into sports could be suggested that the and athletes, and the research Olympic Movement fails and falls that now goes into health and into the guise of commercialism sport science. and branding. Yet, it is entirely these values and ambiguous of Olympism that require re-evaluation at this time. Is the aspiration of widening participation infinitely a good one? Is the investment into athlete providing a prudential career for a large number of prospective athletes? Is research that is directed towards performance enhancement necessarily of value? The Olympic rings at the Sydney Harbour Bridge. One of the iconic Intuitively, the answer to these images of the 2000 Games. questions seems unclear. However, this does not mean that the Olympic Games fail to In conclusion, in this age where contribute anything meaningful the Olympic Movement is of to society or that its negative secondary importance to the impacts outweigh the positive. Games as a spectacle, product, Instead, perhaps greater claims and brand, what is left of value in can be made to shift – once again its enterprise? Though perhaps – the emphasis of the interest of the question is a little unfair. It the Olympics. The cultural and might simply require us to re- arts festivals are, perhaps, very define the games in terms of useful examples. value, to embrace the commercialisation of the As overwhelming as it might be, Olympics and to accept its mixed it is not unimaginable to conceive bag of values that it offers. of the Olympic Games as becoming equally interest in Thus, we must accept the excellence in dance and music as exploitation of athletes by well as sports and the music advertising, the dependence of festival particularly appears to the Games upon television have an enduring appeal. So sponsorship, the insurmountable here, my suggestion appears to
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be an about face, a return to Furthermore, it would most
Ancient times, where such certainly allow a broader, global activities had greater value. participation in the events of the Games, since merit based on While this interest will in no way artistic criteria is less dependent guarantee or even contribute to upon scientific advantage and the lessening the emphasis on ability to finance participants commerce – indeed, it might than elite sports. It is notable in further it - it would certainly re- the Olympic symbol that no affirm the broader values of reference is made to sport and Olympism that are explicit in De this would seem a valuable asset Coubertin’s philosophy, and are to promote diversity and further implicit of the Ancient Games. Olympic ideals.
References
Coakley, J. (1998) Sport in Society:
Issues and Controversies (6th Ed)
International Olympic Committee
(1999) Olympic Imagery Validation Study. Sponsorship Research Council