link Sumo Hit By New Match-Fixing Allegations in Japan – WSJ.com.
With all due respect to traditional Sumo fans, the entire sport of Sumo can be summarized by the following sentence. Two semi nude fat guys grapple in a circular ring until the biggest of the fat guys pushes the smaller one down and out of the ring.
That’s it. That’s the sport. Of course that greatly glosses over the history, tradition and protocols observed in preparation for and during the matches. There are people whose entire lives and careers are consumed with the tradition of Sumo. Many ritual elements surrounding the sport are considered sacred and performed much as they were centuries ago when the sport originated. Apart from their R -rated attire contrasted with their massive size, the exquisitely lacquered hairdos are signature elements of the sport. Feeding just one of these massive blobs of humanity could engage the entire breakfast shift at a McDonald’s store. But through the centuries, the sport has endured. As we know, the Japanese are big on tradition and custom, consequently such attributes as honesty and integrity are prized in that society.
While there are and have been foreign participants in the sport, oddly sumo hasn’t really caught on in any other part of the world and remains peculiar only to Japan. This may have something to do with advertising space. You could imprint a logo onto the surface of the grappling ring, but that would offend those with traditional sensibilities. Despite the billboard sized expanses of flesh available on the wrestlers, having logos of McDonald’s or Coca Cola tattooed on their backs would also raise some eyebrows. While I’m sure there are subtleties to the sport, it’s a fair guess that the bigger guy usually wins. You would think then that the smart money is on the fattest guy; how much drama can there be? If the 300 pound guy regularly beats the 400 pound guy, well that could be suspect.
On the other hand, if two equally robust wrestlers went at it and one tripped and fell, is that a fix? If the average match lasts about 3 seconds, about the time it takes to play a round of rock-paper-scissors, how can you tell if there’s a dive happening? I suppose it comes down to the personal honor of the wrestlers, but if someone paid you oodles of money to take a dive in a 3 second match, it’d be tempting. But this is Sumo! A sport rich with history, tradition and honor. This is not baseball with their corked bats or cycling with rampant steroid use. This is not some crass commercial sport! To paraphrase the kid who pleaded with Shoeless Joe Jackson when he was rumored to have been involved in fixing World Series games in 1919, “Say it ain’t so Musashimaru, say it ain’t so!”
link Jersey Shore Italy Trip — Italian Group FURIOUS! | TMZ.com.
Unflattering to be sure. It’s hard enough to dispel all the stereotypical depictions of Italians in film and entertainment through the years as being goombas, guidos and mobsters. Now, on the TV show Jersey Shore, even more cartoonish portrayals of Italian/Americans are served up and consumed by an apparently mesmerized public. With a planned trip to Italy in the works, Italian American groups are now up in arms about the depictions of their culture. I have never seen the show, but based on snippets in the news and pop entertainment pieces, it is obvious that the behavior of such characters as Snooki and The Situation are played up to cartoonish levels for ratings. No self respecting person wants to have their heritage mocked and derided unless it is obvious satire. With that being said, it’s unlikely most rational people would confuse the portrayal of the characters in the show with Italian Americans in real life. There are enough successful Italians out there in all walks of life that Jersey Shore characters are taken for what they are, entertainment.
Following this theme, it is amusing to observe the constant stream of inane blather that passes for comment from the Reverend Al Sharpton. It’s unclear to me how the Reverend can still pretend to fly the banner for the African American population. Is it the fault of the media for allowing him a platform to pontificate on every issue? Do they think that Reverend Al represents any constituency other than his own gang of race baiters? As said here before, he would find white lines on black road to be racist in some way. Recently, conservative personalities Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin made laudatory comments about Dr. Martin Luther King honoring his principles and life’s work. Rather than affirm the comments of the ‘enemy’, Reverend Al decided that they were trying to steal ‘our crown’ referring I suppose to fact that Dr. King was a black person and that his struggles belonged solely to people of color. No one seems to see the irony of Sharpton making divisive claims about people who are trying to be inclusive! Where are the groups representing African Americans disavowing Sharpton for his cartoonish depictions of them?
Why aren’t the views of Bill Cosby, or Allan West or even Oprah sought out on any given topic? The constituency of black people in the U.S. is estimated at 13% of the 300 million plus population, making the total about 39 million people. Why aren’t people more indignant about the obtuse ramblings of Reverend Al, who purportedly represents them? It’s unlikely that African Americans view all issues that affect them through the prism of race as portrayed by Sharpton. It’s a safe bet that Sharpton no more represents the views of black people than the genius Bill Mahar represents the views of whites. Like Italian Americans discussed at the top, most black people probably lead normal lives doing normal things, assimilating with the population in general, successfully or unsuccessfully as the case may be. They don’t need Reverend Al to portray them all as oppressed victims struggling to get a share of the American dream. Does no one find him an embarrassment? At the very least, media outlets should air a disclaimer when he is interviewed indicating that the views are for entertainment only and not to be taken without a responsible adult present.