Rant: Michael Phelps Mom

[maddash]

Props to his dad for basically staying out of the picture. He was in Athens, but not in Beijing. After years of not being there, he hasn't been one of those dads who shows up at the last minute when their kid becomes famous to start seeking fame and money. He's in a tough position being the estranged father, but he seems to be staying back from it all (refusing interviews) and just saying this is Michael's moment.

[clement]

Man, this is one golden thread. This is one human interest story I hope isn't over anytime soon.

I actually think jim has a point with his very misogynistic comment. It's not just women of course, but probably it's true that women appreciate the human interest stories more than the men. I mean, I'm as anti-misogyny as anyone, but what % of the viewership of Grey's Anatomy do you think are women? And what percent of the people who go watch Step Brothers do you think are men?

Of course the comeback about the in-between pitches/plays shots of hot women in the stands is spot on.

But I side with jim in terms of my own personal preference. A human interest story is fine with me if it's not overdone and overkilled (and especially oversentimentalized - though i'm not saying it has been in the Mama Phelps case). I'm not getting the US coverage here so I have no idea what it's like. But I can just imagine Costas doing his best "Kent Brockman's People" job on Mrs. Phelps.

But I'd much rather just watch the event. And there are plenty (and I do mean PLENTY) of other Olympic events that you're not getting on your TV so that you can see the human interest segments. I'm sure they are just maximizing ratings, so they're just giving the people what they want. The majority would rather watch Phelps' mom than another ping pong matchup.

At least jim is consistent though... before this he had been ranting about Brian Barton's human interest "college genius" side story before it was finally given a rest once he went on the DL.

[jim]

Man, this is one golden thread. This is one human interest story I hope isn't over anytime soon.

I actually think jim has a point with his very misogynistic comment. It's not just women of course, but probably it's true that women appreciate the human interest stories more than the men. I mean, I'm as anti-misogyny as anyone, but what % of the viewership of Grey's Anatomy do you think are women? And what percent of the people who go watch Step Brothers do you think are men?

Of course the comeback about the in-between pitches/plays shots of hot women in the stands is spot on.

But I side with jim in terms of my own personal preference. A human interest story is fine with me if it's not overdone and overkilled (and especially oversentimentalized - though i'm not saying it has been in the Mama Phelps case). I'm not getting the US coverage here so I have no idea what it's like. But I can just imagine Costas doing his best "Kent Brockman's People" job on Mrs. Phelps.

But I'd much rather just watch the event. And there are plenty (and I do mean PLENTY) of other Olympic events that you're not getting on your TV so that you can see the human interest segments. I'm sure they are just maximizing ratings, so they're just giving the people what they want. The majority would rather watch Phelps' mom than another ping pong matchup.

At least jim is consistent though... before this he had been ranting about Brian Barton's human interest "college genius" side story before it was finally given a rest once he went on the DL.

He interned at Boeing you know.

[Sutter'sBeard]

I simply have little or no interest in family members or friends of athletes. She, through no fault of her own, is simply getting really old to me.

Amen. I think they do it to keep women interested in sports. It is the broadcasters pretty much determining that the sport is not exciting and interesting enough on it's own, we have to add the reality tv bit. I remember a few years back during the Ohio State vs. Notre Dame game, they showed Brady Quinn's freaking sister 300 times during the game and interviewed her over and over. She was dating AJ Hawk at the time. I have hated that shot ever since.

What kind of a pompus, arrogrant, condescending BS statement is that! As if the only way we small minded women are able to be interested in sports or sporting events is by putting fluffy human interest stories into the mix. Michael Phelps has been a great story to come out of these games. I think there are plenty of men and women who are interested in that side of it. How do you think he got there? Who do you think drove him to those thousands of swim lessons and swim meets all those years? His Mom has to be feeling so much pride for him, there's nothing wrong with telling that story. And it's not only women who are interested in that. Maybe your not interested in it, but that's your deal. As far as what the camera's are showing during a game, that has more to do with the way the person looks. If Brady Quinn's freaking sister was a dog-face, you can bet they wouldn't have shown her more than once. They continue to show pretty girls so that they can keep you guys from changing the station and then you can post "I'd Hit It" on all your favorite sites the next day.

So listen dude, you may be physically stronger and men in general may get to participate in the sports which are deemed more exciting BUT I will take you on any day in any kind of sports or non-sports mental calisthenics and make you my personal whipping boy.

I think you just proved my point. ...And Brady Quinn's sister looked more like a horse-face than a dog-face.
Wasn't trying to be sexist, just being a realist. One shot per race of Phelps' mommy would've been OK with me but you saw more of her face than you saw the water. Nice story, nice woman, over-done. If you think I'm a sexist, call my wife. I allow her to use the phone for 15 minutes a day.

[TimeForGuinness]

If you think I'm a sexist, call my wife. I allow her to use the phone for 15 minutes a day.

...is the phone in the kitchen?

[Sutter'sBeard]

If you think I'm a sexist, call my wife. I allow her to use the phone for 15 minutes a day.

...is the phone in the kitchen?

No, I got her a wireless so she can talk on the phone when she's bringing me a beer.

[TimeForGuinness]

If you think I'm a sexist, call my wife. I allow her to use the phone for 15 minutes a day.

...is the phone in the kitchen?

No, I got her a wireless so she can talk on the phone when she's bringing me a beer.

...but the beer is in the kitchen, right? you should have her make you a sandwich while she's at it.

[Sutter'sBeard]

If you think I'm a sexist, call my wife. I allow her to use the phone for 15 minutes a day.

...is the phone in the kitchen?

No, I got her a wireless so she can talk on the phone when she's bringing me a beer.

...but the beer is in the kitchen, right? you should have her make you a sandwich while she's at it.

...and some cookies.

[tothebeach08]

If you think I'm a sexist, call my wife. I allow her to use the phone for 15 minutes a day.

...is the phone in the kitchen?

No, I got her a wireless so she can talk on the phone when she's bringing me a beer.

...but the beer is in the kitchen, right? you should have her make you a sandwich while she's at it.

...and some cookies.

Didn't say you were sexist. I said your statement was pompous, arrogant, and condscending. If you want to call yourself sexist, then that's your deal. I'm sure you allow your wife a few minutes each day out of her shackles, but the payoff is that you have to be bored with the ole "being pregnant is the most difficult thing a human being can do" attitude. When my wife is preggo and milking the pregnancy thing, I just remind her that like 20 billion women have done it in the past and that if it was so bad, they wouldn't keep doing it.... -

[Sutter'sBeard]

If you think I'm a sexist, call my wife. I allow her to use the phone for 15 minutes a day.

...is the phone in the kitchen?

No, I got her a wireless so she can talk on the phone when she's bringing me a beer.

...but the beer is in the kitchen, right? you should have her make you a sandwich while she's at it.

...and some cookies.

Didn't say you were sexist. I said your statement was pompous, arrogant, and condscending. If you want to call yourself sexist, then that's your deal. I'm sure you allow your wife a few minutes each day out of her shackles, but the payoff is that you have to be bored with the ole "being pregnant is the most difficult thing a human being can do" attitude. When my wife is preggo and milking the pregnancy thing, I just remind her that like 20 billion women have done it in the past and that if it was so bad, they wouldn't keep doing it....

My wife thinks it's funny when I say stuff like that. Sometimes I say stuff like that when I'm rubbing her feet and taking care of our other two little girls because her legs have swelled twice normal size ( I also do this when she is not pregnant) Or, maybe I say it shortly after she has said the meanest, most cruel, out of character things because the preggo hormones turn her personality completely around.

You didn't have to say that I was sexist, your writing implied it. My statement was, indeed, sexist, but not pompous or arrogant.