Scripting the American Olympic Story-Telling Formula

1. Scripting the American Olympic Story-Telling Formula The 1924 Paris Olympic Games and the American Media

2. I. American Stories in the 1920’s • Charles Lindbergh as cultural symbol • Parallels to the 1924 American Olympic Team • The significance of nationalism • Media interpretation of Olympic exploits -- “ballyhoo” • Translating the Olympics for an American audience

3. II. Pre-Olympic Media Interpretation • Olympism as an antidote to “realpolitik” • Olympic preparations in Paris • A French Olympic Craze • American Try-outs --Charles W. Paddock

4. III. A Winter Interlude • First Winter Olympic games in January of 1924 • Charles Jewtraw wins 500 meter speed skating gold • Media interpretation of the American performance

5. IV. Olympic Sport and American Politics: A Contrast • The Teapot Dome Scandal • Sport as an escape from politics • Public donations for American team expenses sought --$350,000 for a 350-member team

6. V. Setting the Stage: Olympic “Ballyhoo” • American team seen as favorites • Stiff competition expected from Finland • A change in the scoring policy • Special attention given to American sprinters

7. VI. “Sex Appeal” at the Olympic Spectacle • Media focus on American women swimmers • The “ambiguous” role of women at the Olympic games • The sexual appeal of female swimmers • Sportswomanship of female swimmers • Sometimes women endorsed the male-chauvinist views of women’s sport

8. VII. “Unbearable Americans” • United States defeats France in Rugby in May of 1924 • French crowd response • Crowd response denounced by French press • American media interpretation of the “rugby wars”

9. VIII. Defending America’s National Honor • Sport as an instrument of peace • The role of nationalism in the Olympics • American team sails for France • No media reports from American athletes • American Olympic quarters • “Americanizing” the Olympic experience

10. IX. The 1924 Games • The Opening Ceremony • The entrance of the American team • 12 New World Records • U.S. faced tough competitors • American results • Anti-American behavior of the French crowds

11. X. Counting Medals and Confirming American Superiority • U.S. won 45 gold medals, 26 silver medals, and 27 bronze medals • Nation-wide epidemic of patriotic “back-slapping” • Olympic performance as an antidote to the fast living of the 20’s • Theories explaining the American success • The invisibility of Black Olympians • Some criticism of the American Olympic performance

12. XI. Glorifying Finland • Paavo Nurmi, The “Flying Finn” • Proposed Reasons for Finnish excellence in Olympic sports --climate and size --superior moral athletes --long fight with the Russians --diet and training --compulsory physical education • Why did Americans celebrate Finland’s Olympic successes

13. XII. Creating Foreign Enemies • Press created villains along with sidekicks • British Criticism of Olympism itself • American faith in the Olympic spirit • The Olympics as an arena to “Americanize” the world • Sport as a way to spread civilization and American ideals

14. XIII. A Triumphant Return from Paris • Ticker tape parade in New York City • New York City mayor attacks federal government for lack of support of American team • Fact and Fiction in the Olympic Story-Telling Scripts • Traditional and modern society might successfully be merged • “An Ethiopian Takes Notes” • Difficulty of separating fact from fiction

15. Marketing National Identity The Olympic Games of 1932 and American Culture

16. I. Hollywood’s Olympic Village • Means of producing cultural images and myths • Residential pattern of the Olympic Village • The role of Hollywood stars • Special food for each nation • The Tenth Olympiad headquartered in “fantasyland”

17. II. Advertising the Los Angeles Olympics • Marketed as the vacation of 1932 • Advertised as a “Depression-buster” • New American Olympic president Avery Brundage • Olympians as an example of the true American economic ethos

18. III. Underwriting a Wholesome Olympics • Nation-wide campaign to finance the American Olympic Team • State and local support • Enforcement of Prohibition

19. IV. The Winter Games at Lake Placid • Third Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York in February, 1932 • Governor Franklin Roosevelt opens the games • Media Coverage • Stunning American victory • Financial Issues for the Winter Games

21. V. Funding Issues for the Summer Games • Fears that African-American Athletes will be dropped --Ralph Metcalfe and Jesse Owens • German participation in spite of economic woes • AOC funding problems • Local Fundraising Challenges

22. VI. The 1932 Games • The Anticipation of American Victories • Who would open the games? • Visions of Olympic Harmony • An Olympian Publicity Machine—Hollywood Style

23. VI. 1932 Games (cont) • The Opening Ceremonies • An Orgy of Self-Congratulation • Revelations of National Character and Status • The US and Japan at the 1932 Games

24. VII. Women and the 1932 Summer Games • Continuing controversy over the role of women in the Olympic games • A lack of grace among female track and field stars • Still, the female athletes were perceived as “fair” • “The Natural”—Babe Didrikson

25. VIII. Reflections on the 1932 Games • The “Sable Cyclones” • The invisibility of African-American athletes in the 1930’s • The global politics of the Olympic spirit—Olympism as the recipe for world peace • A Dissenting Voice • Appeals to American Athletic Nationalism