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Olympians turn to OnlyFans to fund dreams due to 'broken' finance system (2024)

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Re: Olympians turn to OnlyFans to fund dreams due to 'broken' finance system (2024)

#141
post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wasn't "people with really intense hobbies" how modern olympics started though, going as far as banning professionals in early days?

„Early days“ is until 1990 in that case, which is surprisingly late. Some nations got around the ban by employing the athletes as soldiers and allowing them to prepare almost full time though. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_Games#Amateurism_and...

The US Army still does that through the World Class Athletic Program. It's an effective recruiting and morale program.

https://www.armywcap.com/

Re: Olympians turn to OnlyFans to fund dreams due to 'broken' finance system (2024)

#142

System working as designed? Like, if your hobby is throwing a disc as far as you can, have fun. But don't expect many people to pay to watch right? But people pay a whole lot to see nice bodies doing sexual stuff. So since money comes from what other people value, no need for a surprised Pikachu face.

> But don't expect many people to pay to watch right?

Why did you ignore the fact from the article that people do pay to watch (it's one of the most watched events in the world) it's just that that money doesn't reach the athletes? Not sure which pokemon represents that

Re: Olympians turn to OnlyFans to fund dreams due to 'broken' finance system (2024)

#143
post #136

System working as designed? Like, if your hobby is throwing a disc as far as you can, have fun. But don't expect many people to pay to watch right? But people pay a whole lot to see nice bodies doing sexual stuff. So since money comes from what other people value, no need for a surprised Pikachu face.

I mean... Yes okay. But is this the world you prefer? Wouldn't it be nice if we could both tell children to be the best they could be at something, to strive for greatness... And then also supported them when they did? Or would you rather reduce humanity to the cold calculus of capitalism?

Yes, I prefer it this way. Children can be the best they can be at something, and have that thing generate no value to anybody else around them. No need to subsidize it.

Re: Olympians turn to OnlyFans to fund dreams due to 'broken' finance system (2024)

#144
post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Then you see the Australian breakdancer and you see they are all in it for the fun.

Nah, she's grifting now too. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c938l80ekejo

Breakdancing should never had made it into the Olympics. Breakdancing is art or it's not. It's certainly not sport.

Cf. Rhythmic gymnastics free routine is borderline but there's a whole bunch more set pieces the young women do with balls and hoops which are sport. Figure skating is also borderline but does have figures and set moves and a high physical danger factor (you try leaping high, at speed on the ice, or being lifted). Freestyle skiing doesn't belong in the Olympics.

Re: Olympians turn to OnlyFans to fund dreams due to 'broken' finance system (2024)

#145
It's fine when Sports Illustrated does it- that's a legitimate publication that will subtly hide the most interesting bits and retain all the money from advertising and sales.

When an athlete does it directly and retains the money themselves, that's a disgrace.

Re: Olympians turn to OnlyFans to fund dreams due to 'broken' finance system (2024)

#146

In the early 1990s a paddler named Eric Jackson was fast enough to make the U.S. Olympic team in whitewater slalom kayak. But he lacked funds to go. So he dressed up in his full paddling outfit and brought his boat (4m long in those days) and paddle to a street corner in downtown DC. He set up a “meet an Olympian” sign and charged people cash to have their picture taken with him. Much hustle, very entrepreneurial of…

"You're on the team, but you have to fund your own trip to the Olympics to compete." ... "No not like that!" Never knew if it was real but I've seen on reddit several times that letter someone got from their employer chastising them for not owning a newer, nicer vehicle, since they were making good money at their job and it was "hurting the reputation of the business" that they were driving effectively a poor person'…

Have a family member who works as an assistant at a dealership and they are often pressured into buying a newer car for this reason.

Re: Olympians turn to OnlyFans to fund dreams due to 'broken' finance system (2024)

#147
post #136

System working as designed? Like, if your hobby is throwing a disc as far as you can, have fun. But don't expect many people to pay to watch right? But people pay a whole lot to see nice bodies doing sexual stuff. So since money comes from what other people value, no need for a surprised Pikachu face.

I mean... Yes okay. But is this the world you prefer? Wouldn't it be nice if we could both tell children to be the best they could be at something, to strive for greatness... And then also supported them when they did? Or would you rather reduce humanity to the cold calculus of capitalism?

You're correct. But throwing a disc may be fun activity, but by no means is it a mark of "greatness." If a pro sport can't entertain, IMO it's a waste of time and contributes little to humanity. I would be happier if people celebrate wins in science.

Re: Olympians turn to OnlyFans to fund dreams due to 'broken' finance system (2024)

#148
post #9

Sensationalistic headline aside, this is a very thorny issue. On one hand you want to provide livable wages to your athletes, but Canada just registered a deficit of 62 billions. Cuts are coming and more money to Olympians will be put up against funding for healthcare, education, etc... At some point you have to make hard decisions.

Lots of money for bombs for Gaza, bombs for Ukraine, bombs all over the world. Very little motivation it seems to settle foreign policy issues diplomatically. Which would save trillions of dollars (for us) and millions of lives (for them). Lots of money for war.

Talk about hard decisions and belt-tightening is ludicrous until North America changes it's all-war, all-the-time politics.

Re: Olympians turn to OnlyFans to fund dreams due to 'broken' finance system (2024)

#149
post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nah, she's grifting now too. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c938l80ekejo

Breakdancing should never had made it into the Olympics. Breakdancing is art or it's not. It's certainly not sport. Cf. Rhythmic gymnastics free routine is borderline but there's a whole bunch more set pieces the young women do with balls and hoops which are sport. Figure skating is also borderline but does have figures and set moves and a high physical danger factor (you try leaping high, at speed on the ice, or bei…

The ancient Greeks separated arts into the Pythian Games at Delphi, which celebrated Apollo and featured competitions in music, poetry and drama ... plus athletics. Rather than including the arts in the Olympics perhaps an international quadrennial Pythian Games should be established.

Re: Olympians turn to OnlyFans to fund dreams due to 'broken' finance system (2024)

#150
post #136

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I mean... Yes okay. But is this the world you prefer? Wouldn't it be nice if we could both tell children to be the best they could be at something, to strive for greatness... And then also supported them when they did? Or would you rather reduce humanity to the cold calculus of capitalism?

Yes, I prefer it this way. Children can be the best they can be at something, and have that thing generate no value to anybody else around them. No need to subsidize it.

People very much do care about the olympics… once every 4 years. There is clearly value generated by throwing a disk around, and it’s not being distributed well.
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