@Adam

I think you're absolutely on the money when you accuse me of not considering the broader cultural context in which the posters – especially those from the 1920s and the 1930s – were produced, and you're right to take me to task. I was aware that this was lacking even when I typed, but the exigencies of time meant that I skipped over the issue, for which I apologise. In short, I think that both Olympism and *elements* of fascism were products of philhellenism, body worship, sprinkled with a bit of Nietzche and washed down with a wary embracing of technology and modernity.

As regards some of my other comments, I was being somewhat tongue in cheek. But the Olympics does seem to attract an enormous amount of ritual and pageantry, and yes, I am somewhat suspicious of both, whether set in a religious context or not.

There's no doubt that Olympism and fascism made comfortable bedfellows between the wars, and the Olympic movement's acceptance of Samaranch (and others) after the war, is indicative of blackshirty tendencies.

Best

Guy

P.S. Someone on twitter recommended this to me...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W,_or_the_Memory_of_Childhood
Do you know it?

@Devon Aiderdale

I think it is you that has reduced the article to Nazism and Hitler. Though of course the article references the Nazis quite heavily (and in my opinion often without much care) it does so recognising Nazism as a phenomenon within fascism rather than the embodiment of fascism. If one is willing to broaden the definition of fascism, and here I follow the works of Roger Griffin, Stanley Payne and George Mosse then the article is poignant. It might be relevant here to quote Michel Foucault: 'The non-analysis of fascism is one of the important political facts of the past thirty years. It enables fascism to be used as a floating signifier, whose function is essentially that of denunciation.'

@Guy Walters

Thanks for the reply.
"the exigencies of time meant that I skipped over the issue"
Fair enough, you can't cover everything, it is a blog post and not a full-length piece after all! Glad you mentioned philhellenism in connection with the cult of the (male) body in your reply- this came to mind when reading what you originally wrote.

I'm interested that you are "suspicious" of ritual and pageantry. Is your concern related to their true purpose and the end results they can produce? Or simply that they are always empty of real value as MJH seems to feel?

I had not heard of the book, it sounds interesting, thanks for mentioning it.

@Devon Aiderdale

I would read the piece again. Admittedly, I thought myself that some of the individual points made overstated the connection to fascism but don't let that colour your perception of what is being said. There really are a lot more points raised here (and interesting ones at that) than a simple "Olympics=Nazis" therefore "Olympics=bad".

@Adam

"Would you use the same language to deprecate other ceremonial occasions? The national anthem at the start of a football match, the opening of parliament, or a royal wedding for example?"

Yes.

It's all funny hat territory. You can't get a cigarette paper between the private rituals of the insane & the public rituals of the crowd.

Why are we listening to that hack anyway?

Further, Walters wrote:
"The Olympians and the fascists also regarded the success of a nation as the result of the physical health of its people. Admiring Hitler's programme of enforced physical education, Brundage observed that countries that performed well at the Olympics, such as Finland, did well in other arenas."

...Physical health is good. Is caring about physical health too 'fascist' for you?

"What pleases those of us who are interested in sports is that the Finns carry the ideals from the playing field into other relations," Brundage wrote. "At least little Finland is the only country that recognises its obligations to pay war debts." The idea that athletic prowess is linked to sound financial management was a curious one to say the least, but such views were taken seriously at the time, not least by the Nazis.

The linkage of athletic prowess to good financial management is made by you, Guy Walters, seemingly to be cute, or clever, and anti-Nazi to boot. But for the facists and National Socialists, physical fitness was linked to better ethics and morals (healthy body - healthy mind), which is linked to carrying out your obligations such as paying your bills.

Have you lost that?

Are The Olympic Games really nothing more than "a few running races and some women's beach volleyball"? I think many millions would disagree with you on that but okay, it seems you're not a sports fan.

I would disagree with the blanket statement that the posters for previous Games "look a bit fascist". This naivety and failure to consider the artistic and cultural contexts in which the posters were produced reminds me of people who read too deeply into the connection (if there ever was one) between Indian religions and Nazism due to the common use of the swastika.

I would love to know how the posters for the last five Games look in any way "fascist".

And I really don't think you're serious with: "the Olympic movement still carries on with its funny rituals at its opening and closing ceremonies". Would you use the same language to deprecate other ceremonial occasions? The national anthem at the start of a football match, the opening of parliament, or a royal wedding for example? What has that got to do with fascism?

The parallel with the cultish value assigned to athleticism is an interesting one but I wouldn't read too much into it. I know it's your professional focus Guy but not everything is solely to do with fascism and nazism! Ain't hindsight a pain!?