Scripting the American Olympic Story-Telling Formula: Scripting the American Olympic Story-Telling Formula The 1924 Paris Olympic Games and the American Media
I. American Stories in the 1920’s: I. American Stories in the 1920’s Charles Lindbergh as cultural symbol
Parallels to the 1924 American Olympic Team
The significance of nationalism
Media interpretation of Olympic exploits
-- “ballyhoo”
Translating the Olympics for an American audience
II. Pre-Olympic Media Interpretation: II. Pre-Olympic Media Interpretation Olympism as an antidote to “realpolitik”
Olympic preparations in Paris
A French Olympic Craze
American Try-outs
--Charles W. Paddock
III. A Winter Interlude: III. A Winter Interlude First Winter Olympic games in January of 1924
Charles Jewtraw wins 500 meter speed skating gold
Media interpretation of the American performance
IV. Olympic Sport and American Politics: A Contrast: IV. Olympic Sport and American Politics: A Contrast The Teapot Dome Scandal
Sport as an escape from politics
Public donations for American team expenses sought
--$350,000 for a 350-member team
V. Setting the Stage: Olympic “Ballyhoo”: V. Setting the Stage: Olympic “Ballyhoo” American team seen as favorites
Stiff competition expected from Finland
A change in the scoring policy
Special attention given to American sprinters
VI. “Sex Appeal” at the Olympic Spectacle: VI. “Sex Appeal” at the Olympic Spectacle Media focus on American women swimmers
The “ambiguous” role of women at the Olympic games
The sexual appeal of female swimmers
Sportswomanship of female swimmers
Sometimes women endorsed the male-chauvinist views of women’s sport
VII. “Unbearable Americans”: VII. “Unbearable Americans” United States defeats France in Rugby in May of 1924
French crowd response
Crowd response denounced by French press
American media interpretation of the “rugby wars”
VIII. Defending America’s National Honor: VIII. Defending America’s National Honor Sport as an instrument of peace
The role of nationalism in the Olympics
American team sails for France
No media reports from American athletes
American Olympic quarters
“Americanizing” the Olympic experience
IX. The 1924 Games: IX. The 1924 Games The Opening Ceremony
The entrance of the American team
12 New World Records
U.S. faced tough competitors
American results
Anti-American behavior of the French crowds
X. Counting Medals and Confirming American Superiority: X. Counting Medals and Confirming American Superiority U.S. won 45 gold medals, 26 silver medals, and 27 bronze medals
Nation-wide epidemic of patriotic “back-slapping”
Olympic performance as an antidote to the fast living of the 20’s
Theories explaining the American success
The invisibility of Black Olympians
Some criticism of the American Olympic performance
XI. Glorifying Finland: XI. Glorifying Finland Paavo Nurmi, The “Flying Finn”
Proposed Reasons for Finnish excellence in Olympic sports
--climate and size
--superior moral athletes
--long fight with the Russians
--diet and training
--compulsory physical education
Why did Americans celebrate Finland’s Olympic successes
XII. Creating Foreign Enemies: XII. Creating Foreign Enemies Press created villains along with sidekicks
British Criticism of Olympism itself
American faith in the Olympic spirit
The Olympics as an arena to “Americanize” the world
Sport as a way to spread civilization and American ideals
XIII. A Triumphant Return from Paris: XIII. A Triumphant Return from Paris Ticker tape parade in New York City
New York City mayor attacks federal government for lack of support of American team
Fact and Fiction in the Olympic Story-Telling Scripts
Traditional and modern society might successfully be merged
“An Ethiopian Takes Notes”
Difficulty of separating fact from fiction
Marketing National Identity: Marketing National Identity The Olympic Games of 1932 and American Culture
I. Hollywood’s Olympic Village: I. Hollywood’s Olympic Village Means of producing cultural images and myths
Residential pattern of the Olympic Village
The role of Hollywood stars
Special food for each nation
The Tenth Olympiad headquartered in “fantasyland”
II. Advertising the Los Angeles Olympics: II. Advertising the Los Angeles Olympics Marketed as the vacation of 1932
Advertised as a “Depression-buster”
New American Olympic president Avery Brundage
Olympians as an example of the true American economic ethos
III. Underwriting a Wholesome Olympics: III. Underwriting a Wholesome Olympics Nation-wide campaign to finance the American Olympic Team
State and local support
Enforcement of Prohibition
IV. The Winter Games at Lake Placid: IV. The Winter Games at Lake Placid Third Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York in February, 1932
Governor Franklin Roosevelt opens the games
Media Coverage
Stunning American victory
Financial Issues for the Winter Games
V. Funding Issues for the Summer Games: V. Funding Issues for the Summer Games Fears that African-American Athletes will be dropped
--Ralph Metcalfe and Jesse Owens
German participation in spite of economic woes
AOC funding problems
Local Fundraising Challenges
VI. The 1932 Games: VI. The 1932 Games The Anticipation of American Victories
Who would open the games?
Visions of Olympic Harmony
An Olympian Publicity Machine—Hollywood Style
VI. 1932 Games (cont): VI. 1932 Games (cont) The Opening Ceremonies
An Orgy of Self-Congratulation
Revelations of National Character and Status
The US and Japan at the 1932 Games
VII. Women and the 1932 Summer Games: VII. Women and the 1932 Summer Games Continuing controversy over the role of women in the Olympic games
A lack of grace among female track and field stars
Still, the female athletes were perceived as “fair”
“The Natural”—Babe Didrikson
VIII. Reflections on the 1932 Games: VIII. Reflections on the 1932 Games The “Sable Cyclones”
The invisibility of African-American athletes in the 1930’s
The global politics of the Olympic spirit—Olympism as the recipe for world peace
A Dissenting Voice
Appeals to American Athletic Nationalism