We live in Riem.
A huge sporting festival, and the largest commercial enterprise with a direct marketing reach of several billion people. Olympic Games. Already Hitler understood their reach, and in 1936, the director Leni Riefenstahl, supported by him, filmed breathtaking footage of the finest and fittest representatives of the human species in sporting action. The Germans took it from the floor and not only were they the most successful country from a medal perspective, but they also extracted maximum propaganda effect. As a product, the Olympics is truly extraordinary, and anyone who connects marketing with the five differently coloured rings has a lot to gain.
Leaving aside the political significance of the Games and the structured regional impact, the media and its approach to presentation obviously play a significant role in the overall impression of this monstrous event. It is not only the television coverage, radio reports, newspaper articles, online information, live streams, but also the billboards, posters and flyers, along with the faces of the athletes on beer cans that create an image that lingers.
Of course, I'm still fascinated by the fact that we can watch our representatives fight for medals on the other side of the globe in real time and HD resolution. And apart from the lack of atmosphere perceived at the venue, we have the details, replays and stats. But this is where my minor embarrassment begins. In many cases, the message of the discipline in the program does not meet what is actually being transmitted. Often there is a lack of ongoing information about the competitions of Czech athletes and the timings of their events. Too often, sports experts present in Rio are called upon to comment on situations and results that stand outside their home discipline. This is especially true of the otherwise likeable Hradilek and Komrskova. The messages are often contentless, flat and sound like forced padding. Some of the other experts are too overwhelmed by their expertise and, from the point of view of the viewer, are unnecessarily critical of the performances. This applies for example to diving or aquabelles. Personally, I admire the technicality and the tremendous effort invested in the performances, but when I hear for the eighth time that something went terribly wrong, that most of the competitors are not doing well, and that they are splashing around in a weird way, I feel sad. It's hard to know why CT chose a paraphrase of Michael Jackson's Thriller as the soundtrack to the Olympic bid. Could it be that the main target audience is today's 60-somethings? Radiožurnál decided that in the most tense moments, when the Czechs were fightinglive for two bronze medals simultaneously, it would diversify the coverage with a sensitively chosen musical insert in the form of a song by Depeche Mode. Whoever was dependent on the radio at that moment bit his fingernails and toes off. The Rio Lipno project, disproportionately supported by the media, sounds embarrassing, despite the obvious efforts of Petr Vichnar and Darina Vymětalíková. This is mainly due to unclear dramaturgy and a diluted programme concept.
But we still "Live Riem", and even minor presentation flaws won't get us away from the TV, monitor or tablet. We want to cheer and count medals.