...said that rather tautological Martini jingle back in the early 1980s. Ah, but I must drag you away from visions of shoulder pads, designer stubble and sipping cocktails by a swimming pool, and bring you back down to earth with a bump. Because the 'anytime, any place, anywhere' I'm referring to is all about how our friends on the messageboards can turn any discussion - anything, anywhere - into a sly dig at Muslims.
You can find it anywhere - including this little discussion lurking on the BBC's 606 board about the Olympics. It kicks off like this:
Funny that there are not many Muslim nations competing in Bejing . The BBC are not showing them if they are.
It cant be a lack of money with the Gulf states.
I wonder why ?
Which appears to be neutral enough. But then, if it is neutral, why ask the question? What's going on here?
I did see a female runner from Bahrian this morning, she was wearing an all in one suit with just her face showing. Not sure if this was a religious or aero dynamic effect
Ah, I think see. It's all about the veil, is it? And yes, there are swimmers who cover themselves while competitively swimming, all in the name of their religion - which I might think is rather potty and impractical, but there you are.
But then how does that explain the Pakistan hockey team? The Algerian runners? The Qatar athletes? The Moroccan athletes? Malaysia? Turkey? Tunisia? There are plenty of 'Muslim nations' competing in Beijing - as there are plenty of others. I don't quite see what people are driving at, but I imagine there has to be some kind of coded talk at work. And as for this:
so long as its not the sack race eh...
I just don't understand that at all. I'm sure someone found it funny, but I just don't even get it. I'm guessing it's not an Islamic in-joke though.
But then there's:
The BBC are covering all sports, either on BBC One, BBC two, and BBCi and don't appear to be ignoring any country. I think they only see athletes and not religion.
As a fan of sport I only see sportsmen and women and don't sit there wondering what their religious beliefs are.
But then a dip into the 606 messageboards is a strange old experience. Here's another thread. Can you see what the poster is trying to say here?
I noticed the Chinese women have won the majority of medals their Olympic team has collected so far. Not only that, but they've won them in sports they're not normally known for. With their culture of dance and acrobatics, you can understand them winning medals in diving and gymnastics.
But weightlifting, rowing, swimming and other power sports? Can't be just good coaching. If the Chinese have improved their swimming, rowing and weightlifting programs so much, why aren't their men winning anything? Make one think.
As another commenter puts it:
Why are the Chinese women doing so well? There is about 850 million of them to choose from???
Well yes, there could be that.
On a similar theme:
One medal for a population of over a billion people is pretty poor showing won't you agree.
India has to be the worst sporting nation when it comes to per population. These guys are just rubbish at sports.
Er, OK. Maybe the crushing poverty among so many of that population might have something to do with it? Who knows.
And finally, for a bit of light relief, can you imagine this comment appearing on a Mail story about the Olympics?
OK, anyone else noticed that, since the Labour Government came to power, we have steadily increased our medal tally?
Pfffffft! You have to admire the audacity of trying to get away with that!
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