The Olympics: You Only Put In What You Can Get Out

I watched the Olympic flame downtown at lunch-time. There was a crowd of several tens of thousands. Streets were closed. Barricades were erected. News helicopters hovered overhead. Speeches commemorating the first “truly international” Olympic flame were made.

It would have been exciting, but the sponsorship overpowered the event.

Half the crowd seemed to be holding up blue “Samsung” flags, passed out by cute little PR girlies¹ in blue tights. The fact that the torch bearers’ uniforms, the cavalcade of support vehicles and sundry Olympic decorations were almost exactly the same shade of Samsung blue would have made that company’s marketing people very happy indeed.

I couldn’t help but laugh out loud as a Samsung blue truck carrying ten Samsung blue and Olympic logoed people passed by. The truck’s P.A. system blared forth congratulations to the crowd for showing the world “the true Olympic vibe.” Everybody agreed and waved their Samsung flags.

¹ Yes, that is sexist term, but that is exactly how they were dressed and made up.