Various polls taken on Monday indicate that approximately 1 billion people, or 15 percent of the world, tuned in to the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Olympic Opening Ceremonies in Beijing. NBC has certainly scored a much-needed ratings gold mine with this (they held off showing the Opening Ceremonies for 12 hours in order to reach a prime-time audience).Admittedly, I was hesitant when I heard the Olympics were in Beijing (I still am). They don't have the best record for human rights. I was worried that the revolution would begin sometime during the track and field events.
Not so surprising to learn is that the majority of viewers were Chinese (842 million of China's 1.3 billion population). After seven years of promotion, the Chinese were so hyped on watching the Olympics that they didn't do anything else. Plus, in a Communist country like China, there isn't much to do.
It could be a sign of things to come. First the Olympics. Then MTV. Then Cartoon Network. Then starts the revolution.















Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
8-11-2008 @ 11:57AM
Galley said...
Does anyone know of any place to view the opening ceremonies online? Thanks
Reply
8-11-2008 @ 2:05PM
Zach said...
it's on nbc.com
8-11-2008 @ 12:49PM
tinkaimc said...
"Plus, in a Communist country like China, there isn't much to do."
Wow. I guess that's the kind of uninformed racism I expected from the internet.
Reply
8-11-2008 @ 1:33PM
Earl said...
Actually, that technically isn't a racist comment. He wasn't putting down Chinese people because of their ethnicity. He was putting down the communist system. There is a difference. With that said, I think bigoted fits. This may seem nitpicky, because it kind of is. I just don't like throwing around the term racist. That should be reserved for the KKK and Neo-Nazis.
8-11-2008 @ 12:50PM
Brandon said...
I am decidedly not watching these "Olympics". Watched every other since I was born, but I'm not watching this farce.
Only two more years 'till Vancouver 2010.
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8-11-2008 @ 1:04PM
Bas said...
Brandon, why would you put Olympics in quotation marks, calling them a farce? Did I somehow not get the memo that says that all of these althetes from around the world are faking it or something? Or should we all spit on all the hard work of these athletes because the games are in China and we're going to get on our high horse and not approve? Your comments go completely against the Olympic ideal. If you want to protest something, do it in a meaningful way. Your refusal to watch television isn't changing the world.
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8-11-2008 @ 1:11PM
Marshall Simmons said...
"Plus, in a Communist country like China, there isn't much to do."
Comments like that really make you sound small minded and bigoted. Maybe you should read up on modern chinese culture a bit more. I'm not saying that they are perfect by any means, but neither are we (the United States.)
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8-11-2008 @ 1:17PM
Marshall Simmons said...
"Plus, in a Communist country like China, there isn't much to do."
Comments like that really make you sound small minded and bigoted.
Maybe you should read up on modern chinese culture a bit more. I'm
not saying that they are perfect by any means, but neither are we
(the United States.)
Reply
8-11-2008 @ 1:40PM
tinkaimc said...
Earl:
I stand corrected. Thanks!
Bas and Marshall:
Well said.
Reply
8-11-2008 @ 1:40PM
Christina said...
I think we can deplore China's government while still appreciating what the Olympics mean to the Chinese people. The fact that the government has pursued this event means that they must know a dialog about their human right violations would occur around the world.
Furthermore, I am told that "human rights" literally translates to "individual empowerment" in Chinese. Since Chinese culture places a huge emphasis on the value of the community over the individual, some apparently find the idea of "human rights" puzzling. (Forgive me if I am misinformed on this; I'm no expert.)
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8-11-2008 @ 4:35PM
Luis said...
Aww come on the Olympics should stay out of politics, an individual boycotting the Olympics is not going to change anything sad to say your not going to make a difference. China has come a long way, we cant just look at their past.
And how free are we when we cant even make a large money transaction with out the government looking into it, their listening to our telephone conversations how free is that, in my mind that is a human rights violation. We should look into how rich their culture is and how disciplined they are, they cheer for every country even their so called enemies (i.e Japan)
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8-11-2008 @ 5:20PM
Benjh said...
What revolution are you exactly talking about? Nothing else to do in a communist country?
My god, how do we allow such ignorant people to post? It's one thing to criticize China for human rights violation, but to have such crass and un-informed ideas about a 1.3 billion strong country. Wow.
FYI, chinese poeple (meaning the citizens, not just the government) are a very proud nation, and these olympics are the event of their lifetime. They're not forced to watch, they're just proud. something you shouldn't be.
Go watch "Koppel's People republic of Capitalism" (it was on discovery a couple of weeks ago) ASAP.
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8-11-2008 @ 5:53PM
Gordon Werner said...
Having been all over China numerous times ... I can assuredly say that there is a lot to do all the time ... and not just in the big cities like Beijing and Shanghai and Hong Kong ...
Reply
8-11-2008 @ 7:03PM
Argus said...
Wow... This is a bit of a lame post... Americans wonder at how the false image of America as this horrible country is able to spread around the world, while at the same time having the same thought process themselves against another country like China. The Chinese people don't have a horrible human rights effort, the government does, there's a difference, painting them all as communists without anything to do other than what Big Red says is absolutely bigoted.
You should apologize in another post.
Reply
8-11-2008 @ 9:51PM
josh said...
"Admittedly, I was hesitant when I heard the Olympics were in Beijing (I still am). They don't have the best record for human rights."
Well thank goodness we live in the grand ole' US of A whose spectacular record on human rights since at least September 12, 2001.... oh wait a minute... never mind.
Reply
8-12-2008 @ 12:47PM
SpenceMasta said...
Huh I'm confused. They do have MTV and Cartoon network available in China. I have an apartment in Shanghai and all I had to do was order a premium cable package. What are you talking about? Did your bosses at AOL order you to include some anti-China remarks, to say something about human rights, and degrade the Chinese people like they're a bunch of robots with nothing better to do, or are you just an idiot?
There's xenophobic propaganda on both sides, in China (as well as in the US) people are completely aware of a lot of the BS the government feeds them, but over there its more hype about their own country and in the US there's a lot of coverage scrutinizing other nations, and people here love it.
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8-20-2008 @ 4:29AM
kapil sharma said...
china is good
Reply
8-20-2008 @ 4:42AM
kapil sharma said...
china is good
Reply
9-02-2008 @ 6:44AM
amy said...
This is a very offensive and racist entry
Reply