Asshole of the Week

Has anyone else felt a little dirty watching the Olympics the last couple weeks? I mean, Michael Phelps's Phelpsian (as opposed to Phelpsian) performance was nothing short of stellar, Usain Bolt is the kind of cocky freak of nature athlete that you can't like but can't stop watching, and you literally can't beat Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Trainer. But there's been a big cloud over these Olympics—the kind that hasn't really been there since, oh, I don't know, the 1936 Berlin games. (Notwithstanding the Munich tragedy. That was a whole other kettle of fish.)

We all know the human and civil rights record of the Chinese government, but it always felt safely tucked halfway across the globe. This week, however, the insanity across the globe hit home back in Philadelphia when the Chinese government jailed two local vloggers who had traveled to China to document pro-Tibet protests. To some extent, you've got to know the risk you're taking when you go to China, especially as a documentarian covering a controversial subject over there. (Because you know what the Chinese government thinks of things like "free speech" and "freedom of information.") But on the other hand, Beijing, you signed up for this. When you bid for the Olympic games, you know that part of the deal is that the eyes of the world will be on you, and not just on the sports. There's an argument to be made for, "When in Rome...," but by the same token, don't ask to be the focal point of the whole freakin' world for two weeks and then act indignant, like you've been wronged, when people pay attention to your dark underbelly.

So, China, just like the world isn't wrong for not simply taking your word for it when you claim your gymnasts aren't thirteen—and even if we were going to take your word for it, which word would we take?—Phillyist isn't wrong for calling you our Assholes of the Week for jailing two of our locals for no reason other than you not liking the subject of what they were documenting, when you impliedly invited them in there in the first place by hosting the Olympic Games.

Image Credit: Flickr user sfthqphotos