Now, this was originally supposed to be a post dissecting some of the worst ads that came out during the Olympics. And I do still plan to do that next week. But here’s the thing: I’m just not feeling that. That’s not where I am right now. I keep getting stuck on positive stuff — great sportspersonship, heartwarming moments, new voices and progress, upbeat humor. I can barely muster a snide remark where Olympic advertising is concerned. I just feel so… positive.
So if I’m having to deal with that shirt, so are you.
Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles bow to Rebeca Andrade
This display of sportswomanship has already gotten a lot of attention, but whatever, I’m bringing it up here anyway. Perennial GOAT Simone Biles and U.S. teammate Jordan Chiles (hey, that rhymes) both had uncharacteristically issue-smattered floor routines in the individual finals, leaving them relegated to the unfamiliar positions of silver and bronze. And how did they handle their disappointment? By not being disappointed and instead giving well-earned flowers to Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade, the winner of the well-earned gold medal. They showed that being competitive as athletes doesn’t require also being competitive as people.
And because I’d hate for the sportswomanship of Silver and Bronze to overshadow the gymnastic accomplishments of Gold, I want to be sure to recognize Rebeca herself, whose new gold medal makes her the most decorated gymnast in Brazil’s Olympic history. Coming back from three ACL injuries in four years, she still managed to hold her own against Simone forking Biles, so I’ll follow Simone’s and Jordan’s example in giving her a bow.
Zhou Yaqin is adorable
And while we’re on the gymnastics medal stand, Chinese gymnast Zhou Yaqin tentatively nibbling on her silver medal is about as adorable as they come.
It was also sweet how she patiently waited for the Italian gymnasts to finish their hugging so she could hug the gold medalist. I’m really loving artistic gymnastics this Olympic cycle. (We’re not talking about the controversy over Jordan’s bronze medal, because this is a positive-vibes-only post.)
Women come out for Imane Khelif
One of the biggest shadows over the Olympics was the controversy over Algerian boxer Imani Khelif’s gender, including inexcusable attacks, accusations, and insults. But as she stepped up for her gold-medal bout, the stands were full of women — many of whom had no connection to Algeria and, frankly, didn’t give two shirts about boxing — waving Algerian flags and chanting and cheering for her. And at the end, after Imane defeated Chinese boxer Yang Liu, Liu raised Imane’s arm in the air in a celebration of what she’d accomplished. Because recognizing a person’s essential humanity and celebrating their accomplishments is, it turns out, both easy and fun.
Snoop Dogg dances for a horse
Yup, it’s exactly what it sounds like. I’ve been a fan of Snoop Dogg in general, and I absolutely lost it at his extemporaneous commentary on the Olympics equestrian events in Tokyo alongside Kevin Hart. (If the dressage rider in question didn’t immediately get a t-shirt saying, “Gangsta as a Mug,” something is wrong with the world.) This year, Snoops role as an official commentator for NBC took him to a wide variety of events, but equestrian remains one of his favorites, which is how we ended up with this video of Snoop dancing for a horse.
(Also, how do we formally replace “half pass” with “horse crip walking” in future Olympic dressage events? Do I need a petition or something?)
Flavor Flav sponsors U.S. women’s water polo
If you didn’t have “rappers provide some of the most wholesome moments of the 2024 Olympics” on your bingo card, I’m fine with you drawing an extra box and writing it In. That’s because Public Enemy founder and clock enthusiast Flavor Flav sponsored this year’s U.S. women’s water polo team, just because his manager read an article about how hard these women have to work in their regular lives and jobs to be able to play water polo. And he didn’t just throw money at them — he was right there cheering with them, next to and sometimes in the pool.
And Flav also extended a hand to Jordan Chiles in the wake of that controversy I non-mentioned above, offering her a bronze clock necklace to replace her disputed bronze medal. Which, like… better. I am right about this.
Elmo and Flavor Flav are friends
Who else is a huge fan of Team USA? Elmo from Sesame Street. Which is why it’s perfectly natural for Elmo and Flavor Flav to become best friends.
Is Flav Elmo’s only new Olympic bud? He is not. There’s also USA Gymnastics’ star pommel horse specialist, Stephen Nedoroscik, who has advice for Elmo about becoming a giggle specialist.
THE WHOLESOMENESS, IT BURNS.
“Pommel horse guy” is activated and wins bronze
And who is Stephen Nedoroscik? He is, as noted above, Team USA’s pommel horse specialist, which is a thing, and yet another example of heartwarmingness in this year’s gymnastic events. In his regular life, Stephen is a self-described nerd with an engineering degree who can solve a Rubik’s cube in under ten seconds, In his gymnastics life, Stephen is a machine who has min-maxed for pommel horse and only pommel horse to a bronze-medal-winning degree. Seriously, watching him sitting there, meditating, and then getting up like he’d been Manchurian Candidate activated and Clark Kenting off his glasses and ripping out a spectacular pommel horse routine was epic.
Not bad for “just a regular dude who happens to be really good at pommel horse.”
Table tennis winners invent “selfie diplomacy”
On the podium after the mixed-doubles table tennis competition, South Korean bronze medalist Lim Jong-hoon whipped out his phone for a kind of historic group selfie bringing together the winners from South Korea, North Korea, and China, because borders and governments and conflicts and politics notwithstanding, we will always be united by ping-pong.
Ilona Maher steals social media
A new voice for body positivity, sports positivity, and Olympic-level snarkery has emerged in the form of U.S. Olympic women’s rugby player Ilona Maher. She talks about loving her tall, muscular, powerful body that defies traditional beauty standards that demand tiny waifishness. She talks about hard work and dedication. And she talks about the impossibility of a graceful dismount from a beanbag chair.
Paging Simone Bi — oh, wait, she’s there, too.
The IOC generously overlooks a serious logo violation
And I’ll ease you back into my traditional advertising content and traditional snark with this tweet:
That shirt’s just forking funny
Hopefully, next week, all this heartfeltness will have passed and I’ll be able to deliver something more in my traditional style. Watch this space for my usual, grumpy, picky, possibly even petty, advertising-focused content with “Actually Related to Advertising: Two Olympic ads are big losers.” I promise, I’ll do better next time.
(Also, now that the traditional Olympics is done, don’t forget to continue cheering on Team USA in the Paralympics August 28-September 8. Seriously, that is some incredible competition right there — a lot of U.S. athletes train at the Lakeshore Foundation here in Birmingham, and y’all, there’s a reason wheelchair rugby is called “Murderball.”)