Of course, right now everyone’s attention is focused on the World Cup. It annoys me no end when I walk into a restaurant, a bar or even a club to find that everyone’s attention is on the big screen. No amount of fashionably late entrances will remove any eyes off the ball.
Interesting conversation is out of the question. Gone are the lively debates about our politicians’ latest foot-in-the-mouth moment, about what book we’re reading or which band we’ve discovered.
It’s all about what the Italian team is wearing and which footballer has the best body (that’s the women and the gay crowd) or else it’s just a series of expletives, followed by shrieks of “oh go away ref” or maybe “goooaaaalllll”. That’s the men. And yes, gender division is still very much in evidence when we’re talking football.
As you may have gathered, I don’t like football. Whether it’s the footballers’ toned abs or their formation that’s being discussed, I just couldn’t give a flying, err, football. Which means that my social life is suffering somewhat, but roll on July I say.
As as disclaimer I should confess that I tentatively support the English team. I say tentatively not because of their performance so far (or lack thereof), but simply because if I didn’t I’m pretty sure my father would have a heart attack. So, for the sake of my family’s sanity, I support England. Of course, if you were to ask me the name of the coach you would get a blank look.
So that’s my interest in all things World Cup declared. However, a lack of interest in the sport doesn’t translate into a lack of interest in the political ramifications. Brazil’s unsavoury track record when it comes to human rights has attracted ample criticism, mostly directed at Fifa for opting to hold the games in this country.
And rightly so, of course. However, I’m not sure I agree with a superficial, sudden call for boycott by supposed do-gooders. The call (not that it seems to be leaving any converts) smacks of jumping on the bandwagon. The monster of corruption that has become Fifa needs, of course, to be tackled at a much deeper level. After all, holding the games in South Africa in 2010, and planning to hold them in Russia (2019) and Qatar (2022) in the future, is not exactly the best way of holding a torch to human rights either.
I find that no one has put the whole thing into perspective as effectively as John Oliver did a couple of weeks ago on his HBO show, Last Week Tonight. In the clip, which had the worldwide media in titters, Oliver explained in no diplomatic terms exactly why the Fifa is the Walter White (if you don’t get the Breaking Bad reference, go watch it; I didn’t and am still regretting it) of football.
We’ve all heard about the multi-million stadia being built in the middle of nowhere, about the treatment of those who live in the favelas as Brasil got a facelift for the games, about the way that the country will not actually be making any financial gain from the games (all profits go to Fifa) and about the way the organi-sation masquerades as non-profit while hoarding millions in its account. Just for a rainy day, you understand.
No one has put the whole thing into perspective as effectively as John Oliver did a couple of weeks ago on his HBO show, Last Week Tonight
However, the way Oliver tackles all these issues is nothing short of comic genius. The man makes us laugh while at the same time breaks our heart at the injustice of it all. Quite a feat to pull off.
Crowning glory in the clip is the part showing Fifa secretary general Jerome Valcke justifying the pressure Fifa brought upon Brasil for the country to allow alcohol to be sold in stadiums. The law was enacted simply because too many hotheads were causing too many fights. Valcke’s res-ponse, which was so beauti-fully highlighted by Oliver, was the following:
“I am sorry, and maybe I look a bit arrogant, but that is something that we will not negotiate.”
Oliver paraphrases this in a much more colourful way, of course, which is why my suggestion of the week is that you should go and look up the clip on YouTube.
ramona.depares@timesofmalta.com