Today I watched a short film about Olympian Gabby Douglas and her family.
As I've stated, the Olympics aren't really my thing. Just like regular sports, it's not that I don't like them, it's that it never holds my attention for more than five minutes at a time. But I do find certain aspects of it interesting. Gabby Douglas is not someone I knew, but I had heard her name thrown around a lot during this year's games. Seems like she's kicking ass.
So this is about her drive and determination to get to the Olympics, and what her family did to help make it happen. She decided she wanted to be trained by world famous Olympic trainer, so her family let her move across the country as a 16-year old to train. She stayed with a host family and probably trained her ass off. Now she's at the Olympics, where she's kicking ass.
The film is an ongoing series by Proctor and Gamble about Olympian mothers, and how much moms help their kids achieve their dreams, blah blah blah. Whenever large corporations start talking about how much they love and cherish families and how important it is to go after your dreams, my eyes start to glaze over. Companies like P&G don't give a shit about families. They care about money. They are saying nice, saccharine things to put you in a good mood so you'll buy more baby wipes, or whatever it is they sell.
That being said, it was a nice video and it put me in a good mood.
Today I watched a short doc. about the life of Scott Hall, pro-wrestler. Apparently ESPN makes mini-docs that are waaaay different than anything I've ever seen them air before. This was an intimate, well put-together film about the terrible life of a one-time famous wrestler.
Full disclosure here; I was obsessed with pro-wrestling as a kid. The years between 5th and 8th grade were a flurry of wrestling t-shirts, action figures, and being glued to the tv every Monday, Thursday and Sunday evenings. I loved it because it was entertaining- it was like a soap opera with punching and kicking. I cheered for the heroes, booed the villains and laughed along with the clowns like Mankind. Eventually I grew out of it but I still kept a eye out for plot lines and new wrestlers as they appear.
What I learned: The guy is a mess, a total train wreck. Back in the 90's Scott Hall was one of the biggest names in wrestling up there with Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant. He was big, tough, and handsome and one of the biggest 'heels' the WWF had ever seen.
That sneer was painted on, I think.
So he was on top of the world, and of course it went to his head. He started abusing drugs and alcohol and steroids. And...that's it. He went through rehab 10 different times, he got fired from WWF, sunk lower and lower to smaller federations, his wife and kids left him, he received multiple DUI's, and spent some time in jail. Exactly what you'd expect to happen from someone who shot to popularity from relative obscurity in a really short amount of time.
One of his many mugshots.
What I liked: Never have I seen a fall from grace tale as clear cut as this. He goes from sold out arenas of 10,000 fans to school gyms of 40 people. From being in the best shape of his life to a "shell of his former self" as his son describes it. From coke and booze to anti-seizure medication and 10 other meds he's forced to take daily. It's like The Wrestler, but in real life.
So the dude just spends his time going from wrestling gig to gig, not really able to perform anymore but just making appearances I guess? Everyone kinda agrees he's not gonna be around much longer due to his health issues.
You can watch the full documentary here:
Here's one of his more recent 'appearances' at a wrestling event. It's tough to watch, as it's clear he is so out of it he doesn't really know what's going on:
Another day, another celebration of a inspirational black figure. In honor of Muhammad Ali's 70th birthday I watched a pretty goofy documentary detailing the events of his career during the 1960's.
I don't know why, I've always liked Ali. I don't like professional athletes and I really don't like overly bombastic, cocky personalities. So why I've always been drawn to Ali is a mystery to me. I guess I admire his confidence and his bravado. As someone who has always had little discernible confidence in my actions or views, I envy his ability to say "I'm gonna knock this dude out in 4 rounds", then make it happen.
The film documented his start in Kentucky, his earning an Olympic medal, and his rise to the Heavy Weight Champion. The latter half focused on his conversion to the Nation of Islam, his name change, and his opposition to the war in Viet Nam, which resulted in the stripping of his title.
What I learned: A whole bunch. Did you know he sang in a broadway musical? While disbarred from boxing he took any job he could find, one of them was lead in a musical about African Americans in America. I didn't know his views on Viet Nam and the draft were so passionate. I assumed he just didn't want to go (completely understandable) but he really hated the idea of fighting against oppression in far-off lands when it was happening in America at the same time.
What I liked: Him. I could watch this dude talk and joke and jump around all day every day. The guy has a natural aura to him that draws people in. Even when discussing really heavy subjects like race and the war he was able to infuse humor to crack up the audience. I was inspired by his passion and intensity and his unwavering confidence. I don't know how much of his confidence was real and how much was a trick to amp himself up, but it obviously worked. Fake it till you make it, as they say.
What I didn't like: The style of the film was a bit distracting. Made in 1970, it feels so outdated, with it's improv. jazz score and ridiculously dressed narrator. But whatever, not that big a deal.
I also spent some time just thinking about boxing in general, and how I feel about it. It's amazing that it used to be seen as such a regal, gentlmen's sport, as it's just such basic violence; two men punching each other repeatedly. I also like to think about the role of the athlete-celebrity and how it's changed over the decades. What does Ali think about personas like Dennis Rodman/Lebron/Tebow/etc? Does he appreciate their larger than life style, or does he see it as overly narcissistic?
The documentary can be found on Netflix.
Here's an awesome, hilarious set of interviews with his one time manager Cus D'Amato. I could watch these two go back and forth all day. Ultimate odd couple:
And here's an awesome photo of Ali meeting The Beatles. Seems like they'd all share pretty similar sense of humor. Not sure what the story is on why they met. I'll have to look it up!
