Episode 18: Jules Boykoff on the Olympics and “Celebration Capitalism”

With the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia just winding down, we sit down with Jules Boykoff – author of Celebration Capitalism and the Olympic Games and Activism and the Olympics – to talk about what’s inspiring and what’s sickening about the Olympics. Chris and Jules discuss the gargantuan (and publicly-funded) cost of the games, the ubiquitous corporate sponsorship of athletes, the politics of Olympic boycotts for both athletes and spectators, and ideas for reclaiming the Olympics from corporate profiteers. Also: Chris and Derek recap the Maple Leafs “Forces Appreciation Night” parody website; reflect on Joshua Oppenheimer’s insane documentary The Act of Killing (brief re-enactment included), and note the recent resurfacing of two of the left’s most controversial activist scholars (excluding your charming hosts of course).Episode LinksToronto Maple Leafs parodyTwo Canadians Made A Fake Toronto Maple Leafs Website To Criticize The Afghan WarJules BoykoffCelebration Capitalism and the Olympic GamesActivism and the Olympics:Dissent at the Games in Vancouver and LondonPapa Palermo Pizza ad featuring Jules BoykoffThe Act of KillingDirector calls for US to acknowledge its role in 1965 killingsElectronic Intifada on Scarlett JohannsonAn Alienated Finkelstein Discusses His Writing, Being Unemployable, And Noam ChomskyIn Search of Ward ChurchillEpisode MusicGreg MacPherson – 1995