The focus of Hogan’s (2003) article, “Staging the Nation: Gendered and Ethnicized Discourses of National Identity in Olympic Opening Ceremonies” was placed upon the misrepresentation of a nation’s culture during the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympic Games, specifically the Nagano, Sydney, and Salt Lake City Games. Hogan (2003) does an excellent job of describing how diversity and gender issues are glossed over in the Opening Ceremonies, often celebrating a mythological idea of the host country’s past and society. For example, the article cites Sydney’s celebration of white history in Australia while marginalizing Aboriginal societies that have long been a main influence on that country’s culture. Likewise, the Ceremonies in Salt Lake City glossed over the many conflicts and wars between Native Americans and white settlers over the course of American history. These historical inaccuracies promote the construction of a “desired history” that sets aside the real history and issues of those societies. In this, the question must be asked- is this acceptable, especially on such a grand stage?
As a former history teacher, I can assure you that many people in the US do not have a thorough understanding of American or world history, especially when it comes to the uglier issues of racial and gender discrimination. For example, I have met many kids who think that overt racial discrimination was designated to the south following the Civil War. Likewise, many people don’t really understand the scope of the women’s suffrage movement, often thinking it was limited to very early 20th century. Clearly, it is important that we do a better job of presenting the whole story of American history to ourselves and our children.
However, it is also to remember that the Olympic Opening Ceremonies are a commercial event- an opportunity to advertise a country to the rest of the world. They give the host nations a chance to present themselves in a positive light, celebrating their rich heritage as well as their place in the international world. While it may be factually accurate, stating that one’s country was founded on the exploitation and slaughter of others is bad PR. Obviously, these ceremonies must present racial and gender diversity, celebrating accomplishments of all members of a nation, without stereotyping or casting any group aside. Still, I feel that, considering the fact that these events are designed to portray a location in a positive light, it is acceptable to tell only a select portion of the story, provided that as a society, we do a better job of understanding the entire history of our world.
Steve as a graduate with a History degree, I 100% agree that most people's basic knowledge of history is pretty bad.
ReplyDeleteI also thought Hogan made many misrepresentations in her article. One part that especially annoyed me was the part of the White Male in connection to the Salt Lake City. She grouped White Males altogether which I found highly offensive and incredibly wrong. Her grouping of White Males clearly represents her lack of historical knowledge that not all White Males had an easy road to success.
Lastly, I think you are correct to say that perhaps we should not read too much into the Opening Ceremonies. They are bottom line commercial ventures and are not intended to provide a proper historical analysis of a country.
I am glad to get the perspectives of two people who have taught and/or taken history courses. Since I teach the Sport History class, I can definitely relate to how sketchy the knowledge of American history is. One of the videos we watch in class is The Patriot, to give some sense of the Revolutionary War. Interestingly, I found several articles that critiqued the movie as to its "authenticity." One article referred to the movie as "historical fiction," adding that the Smithsonian was called in to consult, so as to make some of the scenes more accurate. Perhaps that would be a good way to represent the historical aspects of Opening Ceremonies.
ReplyDeleteSteve, I am sure you have a different perspective than even many of us do. I agree that opening ceremonies are a big commercial to market their country and can you blame them? You know much of the history of these countries, but most of us take a lot of what we think from the ceremony itself which makes for good marketing.
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