Go Team USA!
July 27, 2012 12:26 PM   Subscribe

 
man Olympic swimmers have like, crazy bodies.
posted by The Whelk at 12:28 PM on July 27, 2012 [16 favorites]


"Good luck in London, guys. We’ll be watching, cheering you on and looking out for the next awesome parody. Maybe something set to, hopefully, 'We Are The Champions,' next time?"*
posted by ericb at 12:29 PM on July 27, 2012 [3 favorites]




I have not gotten tired of these yet. Thanks!
posted by jessamyn at 12:33 PM on July 27, 2012 [4 favorites]


BTW -- that is Greg Louganis in the opening and closing shots.

Greg Louganis Back In US Diving Fold For London Olympics As Athlete Mentor.
posted by ericb at 12:37 PM on July 27, 2012 [7 favorites]


American sports people with a sense of humour? Now I've seen everything.

I hope they do well, just slightly less well than the Dutch swimming team...
posted by MartinWisse at 12:39 PM on July 27, 2012


I vaccilate between being glad and being sad that we didn't have youtube when I was in summer camp. We would have made dozens of lipsync videos, all of them to Backstreet Boys songs.
posted by muddgirl at 12:40 PM on July 27, 2012 [2 favorites]


man Olympic swimmers have like, crazy bodies.

One reason olympians get the sex?
posted by Mojojojo at 12:46 PM on July 27, 2012


"Fray"? What is this "fray"? Is there honestly a controversy there?
posted by boo_radley at 12:48 PM on July 27, 2012


That was adorable.
posted by rtha at 12:51 PM on July 27, 2012 [2 favorites]


The Herald ran photos suggesting that the gold-medalist Leisel Jones’ figure was not up to competition. It caused such outrage that the piece was taken off the paper’s site.

Nice. Any of them are welcome to suit up and have a swim to see.
posted by jquinby at 12:54 PM on July 27, 2012 [3 favorites]


Underwater Robot is my new favorite dance.
posted by kamikazegopher at 1:10 PM on July 27, 2012 [3 favorites]


The best distance swimmer on my high-school team - top ten in the state in the 500 free - was build like a brick shithouse. As in, you know, rectangular. Not a skinny girl. But not someone I ever, ever wanted to race against, and neither did anyone else except the half-dozen or so other girls in Illinois that had a hope in hell of catching her.

That said, this video just reminds me how sad I am that I am no longer surrounded on a daily basis by women with shoulders an axe-handle across.
posted by restless_nomad at 1:12 PM on July 27, 2012 [2 favorites]


Ever since Harvard's Men's baseball team released their version of the lip-dub video this past Spring, many other athletic teams have been attempting to outdo their version. I suspect that's why MTV used the term 'fray.'
posted by ericb at 1:14 PM on July 27, 2012 [1 favorite]


Did I miss Phelps, or was he not in it?

If he in fact was not in it, it is consistent with all reports that he is his own team, and not really part of the larger USA team.
posted by Danf at 1:15 PM on July 27, 2012


In related news:

US swim team detained by TSA for excessive fun having.
posted by orme at 1:17 PM on July 27, 2012 [7 favorites]


It is a sad state of affairs when people with what amounts to an odd hobby, swimming fast, are lionized and people curing cancer are struggling for funding. I never thought I would jump on the "our priorities are fucked up" bandwagon but here I am not approving of olympic swimming. Thanks Metafilter.
posted by Ad hominem at 1:19 PM on July 27, 2012


Phelps was nodding his head in the beginning of it.

+1 underwater robot
posted by jessamyn at 1:19 PM on July 27, 2012 [3 favorites]


Did I miss Phelps, or was he not in it?

If he in fact was not in it, it is consistent with all reports that he is his own team, and not really part of the larger USA team.


I didn't see him either -- I wonder if his endorsement contracts prohibit that sort of thing. Crappy either way, but totally enjoyable video nonetheless. Loved the "dancing down the plane aisle" portion!
posted by FelliniBlank at 1:21 PM on July 27, 2012


I also hear there are kids starving in India!
posted by ericb at 1:21 PM on July 27, 2012 [2 favorites]


Phelps was nodding his head in the beginning of it.

Ah, I see -- it's hard to recognize swimmers without their goggles and gold medals.
posted by FelliniBlank at 1:22 PM on July 27, 2012 [3 favorites]


jessamyn is right. Phelps is sitting next to Louganis in the opening shot.
posted by ericb at 1:22 PM on July 27, 2012


@Ad hominem - what an odd stance - olympic swimmers aren't exactly MBA players, nobody gives a hoot in the intervening years about them. Shouldn't we support everyone who manages to become the best at what they've chosen to pursue and not just scientists?
posted by zeoslap at 1:23 PM on July 27, 2012 [2 favorites]


There is also the destruction of the middle class right here at h...... goddamn it .. must not become anti-fun..

Such a struggle.
posted by Ad hominem at 1:24 PM on July 27, 2012


From my perspective, people trying to cure cancer are lionized compared to the people trying to, say, prevent car accidents or gun deaths.

(Also, Olympic athletes don't usually get much taxpayer money, unlike cancer researchers. Maybe a new training facility or two.)
posted by muddgirl at 1:25 PM on July 27, 2012 [2 favorites]


Not so much a parody as a bunch of people dancing and having fun.

Cool.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 1:26 PM on July 27, 2012



goddamn it .. must not become anti-fun..

I must not have fun.
Fun is the time-killer.
Fun is for children, customers, and the help.
I will forget fun. I will take a pass on it.
And while it is going, I will turn a blind eye toward it.
When fun is gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain--I, and my will to win.
Damn, I'm good.

--
Litany Against Fun, "Doon"
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 1:30 PM on July 27, 2012 [10 favorites]


One great thing about competitive swimming is that it encourages people to participate in what may be the world's perfect form of exercise -- as opposed to activities that'll give you head trauma, shin splints, or shredded cartilage. I swim every day, and it's glorious: an hour or two of no impact, lots of resistance, aerobic benefit, joint lubrication, nasal irrigation -- my arthritis, carpal tunnel, and allergies are all MUCH better.

Plus when you get done working out? You're already clean and non-sweaty!
posted by FelliniBlank at 1:31 PM on July 27, 2012 [2 favorites]


You're already clean and non-sweaty!

You do swimming differently from me. I am all covered in chlorine and I wind up sweating for an additional 20 minutes. It's a weird thing because you'd think you were clean but you actually need more of a showering off than if you were just out bike riding. But you are not as overheated.
posted by jessamyn at 1:33 PM on July 27, 2012 [3 favorites]


as opposed to activities that'll give you head trauma, shin splints, or shredded cartilage.

My right rotator cuff would like to have a word with you...
posted by restless_nomad at 1:33 PM on July 27, 2012 [3 favorites]


Man, fuck NBC for not showing or ever STREAMING the opening ceremony.
posted by laconic skeuomorph at 1:35 PM on July 27, 2012 [2 favorites]


(Also, Olympic athletes don't usually get much taxpayer money, unlike cancer researchers. Maybe a new training facility or two.)

The U.S. Olympic team receives no funding from the government.

U.S. Funding of Olympic Athletes a Private and Community Affair -- "Individual citizens and corporations enable America’s Olympic effort."
posted by ericb at 1:36 PM on July 27, 2012 [4 favorites]


You do swimming differently from me. I am all covered in chlorine and I wind up sweating for an additional 20 minutes. It's a weird thing because you'd think you were clean but you actually need more of a showering off than if you were just out bike riding. But you are not as overheated.

Yeah on the rinse-off and residual sweating, but I meant that I climb out of the pool not feeling all smelly and greasy.
posted by FelliniBlank at 1:37 PM on July 27, 2012


But you are not as overheated.

Perhaps, but as I learned the hard way (both times) it is deceptively easy to get heat exhaustion or hypothermia while swimming. You can feel cool (or warm) while your body is rapidly heating (or cooling) due to being surrounded by a warm (or cold) liquid.
posted by BeeDo at 1:40 PM on July 27, 2012


My right rotator cuff would like to have a word with you...

I guess I'm irrationally chipper about having one activity I haven't had to swear off thus far, unlike biking, aerobics, tennis, quilting, kick boxing, weights, and, soon, piano.
posted by FelliniBlank at 1:42 PM on July 27, 2012


Yeah, Michelle!

Michelle Obama in Awe Meeting U.S. Olympians.
posted by ericb at 1:44 PM on July 27, 2012 [1 favorite]


Well, to be fair, I jumped in to the JV squad of a very competitive program at 16 never having swum competitively before, and I'm sure I could have avoiding trashing my shoulder if I'd had a lick of self-preservation at that age. (See also: my ankle, my knees, and each separate joint in my fingers.)
posted by restless_nomad at 1:45 PM on July 27, 2012


I climb out of the pool not feeling all smelly and greasy.

I climb out absolutely ravenous. It's so weird - swimming along, everything is fine but as soon as I get back into gravity - nomnomnom.
posted by hydrobatidae at 1:47 PM on July 27, 2012 [4 favorites]


Adorable! I wish them well at the Olympics! (but my favorite version of this remains Jimmy Fallon, Carly Rae and The Roots).
posted by bluesky43 at 2:03 PM on July 27, 2012 [2 favorites]


Not only are they having fun, but man those are some attractive people!
posted by aclevername at 2:23 PM on July 27, 2012 [1 favorite]


It's a weird thing because you'd think you were clean but you actually need more of a showering off than if you were just out bike riding. But you are not as overheated.

And don't get a swimmer started on hair-washing. . .it's a drag to get all of those chemicals out of one's hair.
posted by Danf at 2:24 PM on July 27, 2012


And don't get a swimmer started on hair-washing. . .it's a drag to get all of those chemicals out of one's hair.

Really depends on the pool for me. Indoor campus pool is lightly chlorinated, and it seems to rinse out easily. Local outdoor community pool -- Jesus, I don't know what toxic cocktail they use, but my suits and skin reek like an industrial laundry, and I get a hellish pool rash on my forearms and jaw sides (only there, weird) unless I slather myself in DermaSwim Pro as if I'm greasing up to swim the English Channel.
posted by FelliniBlank at 2:32 PM on July 27, 2012


Light chlorination is not an issue for skin and clothing. The chloramine by products from humans not being adequately dealt with gives the pool the reek and irritation factor.
posted by docpops at 2:51 PM on July 27, 2012


American sports people with a sense of humour? Now I've seen everything.

Clearly not a Mets fan.
posted by thinkpiece at 2:57 PM on July 27, 2012 [1 favorite]


Why isn't this available to view on mobile? Licensing?
posted by Big_B at 2:58 PM on July 27, 2012 [1 favorite]


i can't seem to find any videos of carly rae jepson swimming
posted by camdan at 3:17 PM on July 27, 2012 [1 favorite]


According to twitter the opening ceremonies are like live action tumblr.
posted by The Whelk at 3:21 PM on July 27, 2012 [2 favorites]


They apparently train in bleach.
posted by srboisvert at 3:25 PM on July 27, 2012


According to twitter the opening ceremonies are like live action tumblr.
chortle, snort, chuckle, pause, repeat... people are looking towards my desk now. Nice one.
posted by Lukenlogs at 3:26 PM on July 27, 2012




I can! I need at least 2 more months of it.
posted by muddgirl at 3:41 PM on July 27, 2012 [5 favorites]


Before it came into my life, I missed it so bad.

The song "Call me Maybe", I mean.
posted by muddgirl at 3:42 PM on July 27, 2012 [3 favorites]


+1 underwater robot

Not to mention water slide sprinkler
posted by donajo at 3:43 PM on July 27, 2012


It's the quintessential summer song.
posted by I_Love_Bananas at 3:43 PM on July 27, 2012


It is a sad state of affairs when people with what amounts to an odd hobby, swimming fast, are lionized and people curing cancer are struggling for funding. I never thought I would jump on the "our priorities are fucked up" bandwagon but here I am not approving of olympic swimming.

Did you know...

Jonas Salk was a dedicated roller coaster enthusiast who spent the last decade of his life, in his words, "ridin' them rickety rails" (i.e., traveling from town-to-town all across the continental U.S. with a group of fellow coaster boosters in a souped up VW bus he'd dubbed the "Thrill Mobile")?

Well, it's true*. And it just goes to show, as the Bard wrote, "There are more things in heaven and earth, [Ad hominem], Than are dreamt of in your philosophy."

*It's not true.
posted by Atom Eyes at 3:54 PM on July 27, 2012 [2 favorites]


This is just to say that I'm enjoying the confusion of Americans to the opening ceremony. To borrow a very US idiom, it's pretty inside baseball.

What you missed:
- a clip of black barbershop sitcom, Desmonds
- the first lesbian kiss on British TV, from the soap Brookside
- a clip of Kes - a very Yorkshire film which I cruelly watched while a South African housemate was in the room (he could NOT parse those accents)
- a clip from the wonderful Gregory's Girl
posted by mippy at 4:17 PM on July 27, 2012 [1 favorite]


it's starting on the east coast on NBC in like ten minutes BTW.

Everyone go watch it, apparently it's like the League Of Extraordinary British InJokes.
posted by The Whelk at 4:21 PM on July 27, 2012 [2 favorites]


It's the quintessential summer song.

Pfft.
posted by adamdschneider at 4:30 PM on July 27, 2012


I vaccilate between being glad and being sad that we didn't have youtube when I was in summer camp. We would have made dozens of lipsync videos, all of them to Backstreet Boys songs.

Giiiiiiiirl, I would have been right there with you. AS LONG AS YOU LOVE ME BAAAABEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY WOOOOOOOOOOOOOoOOOoOoOOOOOOO!
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 4:33 PM on July 27, 2012 [2 favorites]


Well, I expected it to be weird, it's produced by Danny Boyle after all, but that was a whole 'nother level of weird.
posted by Kattullus at 4:56 PM on July 27, 2012


I'm not going to spoil the surprise, but the flag being carried out and the cauldron lighting was amazing.
posted by mippy at 5:01 PM on July 27, 2012


Ladies and Gentlemen: Please give it up for Daenerys Targaryen and the Industrial Revolution Dancers!
posted by Dr. Zira at 5:15 PM on July 27, 2012 [4 favorites]


God, this makes me nostalgic for my competitive swimming days (obviously on a much smaller scale) -- but I miss our easy camaraderie and amazing amounts of eye candy every day.
posted by peacheater at 5:23 PM on July 27, 2012


as said on Twitter, the opening ceremonies are basically fanfiction at this point.
posted by The Whelk at 5:24 PM on July 27, 2012 [2 favorites]


A large number of Mary Poppins clones fly in at one point. I'm pretty sure that's lifted from some Mary Poppins/Harry Potter fanfic.
posted by Kattullus at 5:30 PM on July 27, 2012 [1 favorite]


At some point, will "Hello Guv'nah" be spelled out with TARDISes?
posted by Dr. Zira at 5:32 PM on July 27, 2012 [1 favorite]


Oh man this is adorkable.
posted by running order squabble fest at 5:42 PM on July 27, 2012


Holy shit, London. Fantastic job on the opening ceremony!
posted by ericb at 5:44 PM on July 27, 2012 [2 favorites]


" we'll if he doesn't show up then we know we live in Rose's universe"

" this is literally a kingdom hearts level"
posted by The Whelk at 5:48 PM on July 27, 2012 [1 favorite]


So we're still doing this I see.
posted by Malice at 5:59 PM on July 27, 2012


Lightbulb moment during Olympic opening ceremony: Isengard is real!
posted by New England Cultist at 6:00 PM on July 27, 2012


Needs moar Ziggy Stardust.
posted by Dr. Zira at 6:02 PM on July 27, 2012 [1 favorite]


Isengard built by Isambard... impersonating Caliban from The Tempest... as played by Kenneth Branagh.
posted by Kattullus at 6:05 PM on July 27, 2012 [3 favorites]


Alan Moore what have you done
posted by The Whelk at 6:07 PM on July 27, 2012 [1 favorite]


I approve of masturbatory references in my Olympics opening ceremonies.
posted by dirigibleman at 6:07 PM on July 27, 2012


Did I just see the Taylor/Zira kiss? I can't really tell if I'm awake anymore, as I'm just lying in a fetal position waiting for Beckham to save me.
posted by Dr. Zira at 6:14 PM on July 27, 2012


... they are so beautiful.
posted by peripathetic at 6:19 PM on July 27, 2012


One great thing about competitive swimming is that it encourages people to participate in what may be the world's perfect form of exercise -- as opposed to activities that'll give you head trauma, shin splints, or shredded cartilage. I swim every day, and it's glorious: an hour or two of no impact, lots of resistance, aerobic benefit, joint lubrication, nasal irrigation -- my arthritis, carpal tunnel, and allergies are all MUCH better.

I miss swimming so much. I used to swim competitively and I agree it's one of the best forms of exercise, but unfortunately it became clear over time that the chlorine in the pool was triggering my asthma. I hear pools are getting better about lowering chlorine levels though and I'm trying to get into Open Water swimming, but that is a lot more dangerous in other ways.
posted by melissam at 6:32 PM on July 27, 2012


By the way, is the entire US Olympic swimteam Caucasian?
posted by Malice at 7:58 PM on July 27, 2012


No. There are 3 African-American members of the team (a first). Not sure what other race/ethnicities are represented.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 8:04 PM on July 27, 2012








No Elton John and no Dr. Who references?
posted by jessamyn at 9:31 PM on July 27, 2012


There was a Rocket Man reference I think?
posted by LobsterMitten at 9:53 PM on July 27, 2012


Maybe they were in there somewhere, and we were just distracted by the Mary Poppins Army of Darkness Dancers.
posted by Dr. Zira at 9:54 PM on July 27, 2012


Slate: Can You Guess These Athletes’ Nationalities?
Olympians may reveal their origins with just a smile.
posted by the man of twists and turns at 9:58 PM on July 27, 2012


i wonder how many of these swimmers have been not preparing, just sitting on the couch eating bon bons for the last year, and regret it right about now
posted by camdan at 11:03 PM on July 27, 2012






Alas, we USians have to wait for NBC's prime time coverage to watch the swimming finals (I already had the outcome spoiled when I clicked on NPR's homepage earlier). On the flip side, NBC appears to be going all out this year with extended daytime cable coverage on various channels, plus the live web coverage, so I suppose we should be grateful for that. I can wait a few hours to watch finals for the more popular events if I get to watch robust coverage of fencing and handball and rowing and taekwondo, and other events NBC has ignored in previous years.
posted by Dr. Zira at 4:01 PM on July 28, 2012


BTW -- that is Greg Louganis in the opening and closing shots.

He's looking FANTASTIC! Like, delicious. Seriously.

My oldest friend was a diver in high school, and she was totally mad for Louganis. It didn't take long to see why, and he certainly had my attention. I still remember the famous head smack, and I'm still astonished that he didn't end up permanently injured.

He's a phenomenal athlete, and I'm pleased as pie that he's helping out our current crop of divers.
posted by MissySedai at 12:25 AM on July 29, 2012 [1 favorite]


Oh, also, this vid? ADORABLE.

I know the song is earwormy as hell, but I love the cheerfulness of it. It's on my cycling playlist, and I fully expect it to help on next Saturday's 60 mile ride.
posted by MissySedai at 12:28 AM on July 29, 2012 [1 favorite]


On the flip side, NBC appears to be going all out this year with extended daytime cable coverage on various channels, plus the live web coverage, so I suppose we should be grateful for that.

In reaction to complaints over the lack of a live stream from the ceremony, NBC said:
"We are live streaming every sporting event, all 32 sports and all 302 medals … The opening and closing ceremonies, however, are entertainment spectacles.

"Our award-winning production team will present them on a medium that best demonstrates their grandeur and majesty, and at a time when friends and family are able to gather together to watch, which is in primetime."
This is from the Guardian article that talks about NBC editing the opening ceremonies to remove the section that was "widely interpreted" as a tribute to the 7 July 2005 London bombings, in which NBC thought the US would be better suited seeing Ryan Seacrest talk to Phelps.

The video segment may not be streaming (at the moment -- at least, I couldn't find it in a quick video search), but thank goodness for the open access provided by international bittorrent sharing.
posted by filthy light thief at 6:55 AM on July 29, 2012




This is from the Guardian article that talks about NBC editing the opening ceremonies to remove the section that was "widely interpreted" as a tribute to the 7 July 2005 London bombings, in which NBC thought the US would be better suited seeing Ryan Seacrest talk to Phelps.

I'd actually say it's an oversimplification to describe Akram Khan's section as a tribute to the dead of 7.7. His brief was to create a piece about mortality, and I think he was extremely successful in doing so - including but not limited to those victims.

But yes - anyone who thinks watching Ryan Seacrest do anything is a better idea than seeing Akram Khan dance is dead inside.
posted by running order squabble fest at 9:22 AM on July 29, 2012


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