LZ Sunday Paper Newsletter: The "North/South" Edition
LZ Sunday Paper Newsletter: The "North/South" Edition
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Readers,
The Olympics. I haven't watched a minute of it but I have been thinking about them quite a bit.
I had the privilege-- and sometimes the obligation-- to go to many Olympics. Each had a mix of work-fun and actual-fun. The variables for me were whether or not there was time to go anywhere else in the country before/after the multi-day "wave" that the official part of the trip covered; whether or not we got to have a single taste or sip of any food or beverage outside of the Olympic stadium complex which served horrible versions of stadium food, vaguely American-ized and/or NBC compound, which served Budweiser, Cheerios, and other American delights, no matter where in the world we were; and yes--what events we saw.
Biggest Olympic regret: not going to the summer Olympics in Athens, when I was invited right at the close of the NBC Universal merger in May, 2004. Few would remember that the threat of terrorism dominated that Olympic news cycle. So it was decided that the NBC sales folks and their clients would go to Bermuda and watch the Olympics on big TVs in between playing rounds of golf. I did not end up attending that.
Biggest satisfaction: actually working -- not as an executive but as a crew person -- for the lead producer/director of the Gymnastics events in Beijing. Here he is leading the crew guys (literally) in some sort of tai kwon do-themed pre-shoot warm up/team-building exercise. I was sort of like an executive intern for the entire duration of the Games. Like all production experiences, it was way less glamorous than it sounds, as I was basically stuck in a trailer in a 120-degree parking lot pretty far from the Stadium where the events were held. But it was way fun and I learned a ton.
Of course, gymnastics is now tainted by the Nassar abuse scandal which would have to have been in full swing at that time. Again, it might be the taint of restrospective knowledge, but the girls all looked extraordinarily vulnerable even as they commanded their routines.
Best perk of going to the Olympics as part of a VIP package: pulling up at a Newark Airport terminal, and being ushered straight through literally from curbside to a seat on a chartered commercial plane with only Olympics-bound plane-mates aboard. Okay that is actually the second-best perk in terms of airline travel. The first was "getting a lift" back from London on a very nice, generous (rich, connected) person's corporate jet. Yes, I have pictures of that too, but I have to save something for The Book.
Best "worst" experience: almost passing out at the Beijing Opening Ceremonies in 100-degree+ (at night) heat. After we actually did have to leave the ceremony in Beijing due to massive pass-out-itis, we then got caught in a swirl of thousands of Opening Ceremony "extras" who were being released from their duties as drummers, flag wavers, and geometric box carriers who made waves inside the stadium. Scan the video and then imagine thousands of them with their drums, flags, and giant cardboard boxes coursing down a very narrow street outside a venue in total lockdown carrying this stuff on their backs--and it's 100 degrees and we're ill-advisedly making our way back to the hotel compound through this streaming sea of workers with their props. I wish I had been at Friday night's Pyeong Chang frigid event so I could have attended both the hottest and coldest Opening Ceremonies on record, to achieve my own attendance/temperature personal bests.
Best witnessing of live sporting event/Oly record: Yes Usain Bolt probably the best thing I ever witnessed, winning the 100Meter dash in London. But Michael Phelps' record(s) were incredible to see in both Beijing and London, and we have tons of crappy video and pictures from great seats to prove it. But I can't seem to find any of them. Instead, however, we seem to have hundreds of pictures of every Olympic Mascot doing their thing, like Mr. Met at Shea, inches from where the athletes made history.
Lots of times, sports that don't get too much coverage on prime time tv, like Chinese National hero Ding Ning winning the Gold, absolutely takes the cake for once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Intense, dripping with sweat, riveting.
Enjoy your V-Day. Keep celebrating Black History Month. And please keep sending me stuff you think is interesting here. Anything from anywhere that helps me present the most interesting takes on women in business, politics, digital, tech, media, the arts, and pop culture, that is.
Check out my Insta @LZSundayPaper and @LZFloors
Under construction/coming soon-- Finally, an LZ Sunday Paper Facebook page!
More on that in the coming weeks.
Olympically yours,
LZ
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THE PIC(K) OF THE WEEK:
Ditching Andrew Jackson For Mary Jackson via The Atlantic
POLITICS:
Capital Offenses: Eight Essays On Sexual Discrimination and Harassment In D.C., Across Politics, Policy, and The Media via The New Republic
Why The Awe Over Pelosi's Stilettos? Let Me Tell You via The Washington Post
Half Of Iranians Are Against Compulsory Hijabs via The Cut
Rob Porter, and Mormonism's #MeToo Moment via CNN
CAMPUS CLIMATE:
Is There A Smarter Way To Think Of Sexual Assault On Campus? via The New Yorker
ARTS, SPORTS & POP CULTURE:
'Star Wars': 96% Of Its Film Universe Writers and Directors Are White Men via Variety
Sports Illustrated's Spectacularly Silly #MeToo Swimsuit Issue via The New Yorker
Player or Pawn? Women's Hockey, The Olympics, and The Korean Dynamic via The Conversation
11 New Non-Fiction Books For Black History Month That Are All Written By Women via Bustle
Glass Ceiling For Dogs? Males Win Westminster Almost Twice As Often via Reuters
The Shock Collar That Is Misogyny via Guernica
Introducing Myself, by Ursula K. LeGuin via ScholarsOnline
…AND WHAT'S NOT TO LOVE ABOUT:
Honey, Hush!: An Anthology Of African American Women's Humor
Honey, Hush!: An Anthology Of African American Women's Humor via University of Richmond Scholarlship Repository
The LZ Sunday Paperâ„¢ launched at the dawn of 2014. We expose and recirculate interesting content that is about, and frequently by, women in business, with a dose of ultra-relevant culture. We think that culture comes high and low, not much in between. Our audience is vast and not gender-driven. Every week we expect to deliver at least one good laugh. Send suggestions, clips, or names of people you think might enjoy this to LZSundayPaper@gmail.com.
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