Controversial Opinions (For Everything Other Than DC Comics)

[Zauriel]

There was a Japanese athlete who carried the hopes and dreams of his country at the Olympic Games. But the responsibility pushed him too far. The burden was too much for him, so he killed himself. What is so important about a medal that he would throw his life away for it?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kōkichi_Tsuburaya

[Zelena]

There was a Japanese athlete who carried the hopes and dreams of his country at the Olympic Games. But the responsibility pushed him too far. The burden was too much for him, so he killed himself. What is so important about a medal that he would throw his life away for it?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kōkichi_Tsuburaya

It isn’t just sport about this Japanese athlete:

His suicide was an emotional reaction to the marriage of his longtime girlfriend, Eiko, to another man. Tsuburaya had wanted to marry Eiko, but his military bosses refused to consent to a marriage until after the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, and Eiko's parents had been unwilling to have her wait to marry until after the Games.

More, the notion of honor isn’t limited to sport in Japan…

[PwrdOn]

It isn’t just sport about this Japanese athlete:

More, the notion of honor isn’t limited to sport in Japan…

Most of the ideas about honor and the samurai code or whatever don't date back any further than the late 19th century, when Japanese nationalists rewrote the historical narrative to give a romanticized view of the past, and Japanese people have been trying and failing to live up this impossible standard ever since. Thankfully, this is finally starting to change now that the people in power realize that with the declining birthrates they can hardly afford to have talented young people offing themselves left and right over transgressions to some imaginary code of honor.

[Zelena]

Most of the ideas about honor and the samurai code or whatever don't date back any further than the late 19th century, when Japanese nationalists rewrote the historical narrative to give a romanticized view of the past, and Japanese people have been trying and failing to live up this impossible standard ever since. Thankfully, this is finally starting to change now that the people in power realize that with the declining birthrates they can hardly afford to have talented young people offing themselves left and right over transgressions to some imaginary code of honor.

Without going to these lengths, the pressure of social conventions on the individual is still stronger than in Western countries: Amélie Nothomb described it in her novel “Fear and Trembling”.

[Zauriel]

Without going to these lengths, the pressure of social conventions on the individual is still stronger than in Western countries: Amélie Nothomb described it in her novel “Fear and Trembling”.

Then perhaps the athletes should tell their countrymen, "Je ne suis pas un robot. Je suis un humain".

[PwrdOn]

Then perhaps the athletes should tell their countrymen, "Je ne suis pas un robot. Je suis un humain".

That's a lot easier said than done. Most of these athletes have been training full time since they were young children and have very few job prospects outside of their sport, and so are very keen not to burn any bridges on their way out. The only reason Simone Biles was able to get away with what she did is because she is one of the very few Olympians with a prominent enough public profile to be able to do something like this without being blackballed for life. For every Olympian who manages to qualify, never mind win gold, there are thousands of kids who worked just as hard but just didn't have what it took to make it, and unlike the big team sports there are very few opportunities for Olympic athletes to turn pro and enjoy long careers that way. So most of them only have this one opportunity to make an impact, and hopefully perform well enough to be able to live off of the fame and endorsements from their moment of Olympic glory for the rest of their lives, and if the pressure gets to be too much, it's all too easy to just find someone else who will step up to take that spot.

[OopsIdiditagain]

Didn't get to watch Japan's opening ceremony and decided to rewatch a few. Beijing has the best Olympic ceremony.

[Zauriel]

Tsuburaya made an appearance in a manga called Olympic Circles (Olympia Kyklos) that tells us the story from the marathoner's Olympic race to his suicide. The manga author/artist Mari Yamazaki was a brilliant storyteller.

[TheRay]

Marvel’s answer to Wonder Woman is The Wasp.

[DrNewGod]

Marvel’s answer to Wonder Woman is The Wasp.

Okay, that's got to just be fight-pickin' right there.

[TheRay]

Okay okay. Maybe you've got me.

[Ghost Rider TheHellfireDemon]

Persons hating the band Nickelback because their songs are formulaic is a utterly ridiculous and a hugely hypocritical reason if they aren’t hating other bands for the exact same reason which is those persons wanting to have a cake and eat it too.

Nickelbback is 1 of my favorite bands which is the main reason I am stating that irrefutable hugely flawed reason to justify hating the band Nickelback.

[TheRay]

Certain movies should be cut down so much because people can just skip a lot of it anyway. For example, you could cut so much unnecessary crap from the Grown Ups movies.

[Kirby101]

Certain movies should be cut down so much because people can just skip a lot of it anyway. For example, you could cut so much unnecessary crap from the Grown Ups movies.

All of Grown Ups was unnecessary crap.

[DrNewGod]

Certain movies should be cut down so much because people can just skip a lot of it anyway. For example, you could cut so much unnecessary crap from the Grown Ups movies.

Yah. If you do a minute count of Golden Age Hollywood's epics against today's films (even ignoring credit scrolls), the old guys did a lot more with a lot less.