Straight to the Point: Their ABC Baptises Olympic Mediocrity

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We could not be prouder of our olympians, at this Olympics and at past ones. The same cannot be said for the Gruen Transfer.

Don’t EVER do anything special or outstanding – and especially don’t make huge sacrifices in order to push yourself and achieve something phenomenal.

The Pitch by Mr MumblesThe Pitch: a campaign to convince us that bronze medals are better than gold by Mr Mumbles.

Posted by Gruen on Wednesday, August 17, 2016

This seems to be the argument advocated by their ABC, who today released a Gruen advertisement (where advertising specialists are asked to spruik an unpopular idea) arguing that we should “go for Bronze” at the Rio Olympics. Ironically, it is now being shared in earnest by many in social media – apparently the idea isn’t so ‘unpopular’ among the left after all.

Effectively the idea is to guilt supporters of Australia at Rio into feeling personally responsible for poverty. Women could have been comforted, and war veterans housed and cared for – if only we drop our sporting aims and give up trying to actually win anything.

So forget seeking evidence-based practical solutions for helping others, and just let the emotional tones playing in the background of this ad lull you into keeping your head down and never raising your eyes above your peers.

The argument makes perfect sense of course, it is essentially: Your excitement about the Olympics is keeping people homeless, you heartless reprobate, and stop daring to be amazing – because if society can’t raise everyone else up, the moral action is to pull those at the top down.

Photo by marcopako 

Photo by kingArthur_aus