White Elephant Games

I am focused on the Olympics particularly the white elephant.

What is it?



The games have given me a better glimpse into China and the people seem quite likable and remarkable like all humans. Their government is creepy. They are not straightforward with us or anyone. Remember pet food, kids toys, bootlegged DVDs and the Internet? Oh, yeah, human rights too. As good guests nobody is mentioning those glaring missteps on the world stage. I guess there is a fear that China will call in all it's economic markers and bankrupt the U.S. but then who would buy all that cheap stuff they manufacture?
But that's not the ellie.


At the end of the day our government has it's creepy moments too. The commentators mention the fact that the Chinese Athletes look a little young and that the Chinese Officials have 'birth certificates' verifying their ages. Funny how they are all turning 16 in December... The issue is not China.


The most distracting aspect of the games is that the Chinese keep parading out "15 year old" girls for the women's competitions. These lovely lithe children are not women even if they, in fact, are 15 going on 16.

The issue is that girls are not women and women are not girls. Face it, there have been some curiously childish waifs flying over uneven parallel bars for years. My focus wouldn't be entirely China-centric if redefining womanhood was not so pervasive as it is with their teams across so many disciplines especially gymnastics.

This Olympics has shown me that I would really would like to see women compete in the women's games, not children, even if those women are not as flexible or unbreakable as kids. I want women to have a chance to compete with women. Then we can see what women can do instead of being enchanted by the blissful, amazing power of childhood while the women's competition does not occur. Wasn't the first rule of vaudeville to never follow a kids act? You get nothing for that.

The Olympics recognize that a boys body strengths are not a man's body strengths. When will we recognize the strength of a woman's body? When that attribute is not valued less than the attributes of a girl women can compete against women. We can go to a new level where women's strength, grace and stamina can be displayed along with the wonderment of watching an Olympic athlete.

All women can sit at the Olympic table in that place left by the white elephant.