Friday, August 22, 2008

An orgy fit for an Olympian

Every four years, the Olympics happen. But more importantly, every four years there are stories in the press about the notorious orgy-like atmosphere in the Olympic Village. This Olympic season's story (or, at least, the best I've seen) goes to the Times of London. It's long, detailed, has tons of sexual puns and erotic imagery, and even sports a list of hot 2008 Olympians at the end, sorted by medal. But this one also includes an interesting sociological observation:

Before we get to that, however, it is worth noting an intriguing dichotomy between the sexes in respect of all this coupling. The chaps who win gold medals - even those as geeky as Michael Phelps - are the principal objects of desire for many female athletes. There is something about sporting success that makes a certain type of woman go crazy - smiling, flirting and sometimes even grabbing at the chaps who have done the business in the pool or on the track. An Olympic gold medal is not merely a route to fame and fortune; it is also a surefire ticket to writhe.

But - and this is the thing - success does not work both ways. Gold-medal winning female athletes are not looked upon by male athletes with any more desire than those who flunked out in the first round. It is sometimes even considered a defect, as if there is something downright unfeminine about all that striving, fist pumping and incontinent sweating. Sport, in this respect, is a reflection of wider society, where male success is a universal desirable whereas female success is sexually ambiguous. I do not condone this phenomenon, merely note it.

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