Nike's Olympic Uniforms: ‘My Hoo Haa Is Gonna Be Out’ & GOP Senator Encourages Vigilantes to Attack Protestors
Nike's Olympic Uniforms: ‘My Hoo Haa Is Gonna Be Out’ & GOP Senator Encourages Vigilantes to Attack Protestors
NCAA Women's Basketball Championship Outdraws Men's, Caitlin Clark's Embarrassing Salary, Shocking Study about Climate and Children's Brains, Tom Hanks' Quote, Ray Charles Sings "You Don't Know Me"
What I’m Discussing Today:
Kareem’s Daily Quote: Tom Hanks has something important to say about heroes, villains, and cowards. I’m listening.
Nike Ripped for Women’s Olympic Uniforms: ‘My Hoo Haa Is Gonna Be Out’: Nike has designed a uniform for Olympic track & field women athletes that emphasizes their sexiness over their athleticism. While that may entice viewers, there are negative long-term results.
NCAA Women’s Championship Game Got More Viewers Than Men’s for First Time: Doesn’t necessarily mean a trend, but it still shows the possibilities for the sport if promoted as much as the men’s.
Caitlin Clark’s staggeringly low starting salary, briefly explained: Clark was the biggest reason for the high number of viewers for the championship that brought in millions of dollars.
‘Everybody has a breaking point’: how the climate crisis affects our brains: This may be one of the most important studies you will read about this year.
What I’m Watching - TV: The post-apocalyptic series Fallout on Prime is one of the most original and creative sci-fi shows in a long time. It’s based on a video game but has a half-life of its own.
Ray Charles sings “You Don’t Know Me”: His voice compels you to stop whatever you’re doing and just listen. Maybe sway a little, too.
Kareem’s Daily Quote
I think by and large a third of people are villains, a third are cowards, and a third are heroes. Now, a villain and a coward can choose to be a hero, but they've got to make that choice.
Tom Hanks
I’m not sure exactly what society thinks a hero is, but I’m going to take a shot at describing what I think one is. What makes it difficult is that people aren’t consistent. The same individual might risk their life to save people but then go home and punch their spouse. One day they might chase an armed robber who’s shooting up a convenience store, then the next day they kneel on the neck of an unarmed Black man killing him. Heroic acts alone don’t always make a hero.
The other problem is deciding exactly what behavior is heroic. Is it running into a burning building to save a child? Absolutely. But isn’t it just as heroic to show up at a job every day, do your best, provide for your family, be supportive of your children, and be kind to your friends, neighbors, and strangers? The burning building scenario is flashy because of the immediate danger to one’s life. But the steady person dedicated to family and community is also giving up their life to an ideal, only they’re doing it, not in a rush of adrenalin, but in a measured commitment to a moral code. It’s a life of a thousand heroic acts.
We have to be so careful about who we call a hero. O.J. Simpson, who died last week, was once considered a hero. He was the Dwayne Johnson of his era, beloved for his athletic accomplishments, his good looks, and his charm. Donald Trump is a hero to millions, despite being a rapist, accused molester, fraudster, liar, racist, antisemite, and so forth. Perhaps those are the characteristics his followers find heroic. Those followers are the cowards Hanks refers to. They are too afraid to step outside the comfort of their small circle of friends. Or maybe they’re the villains because they allow injustice to flourish while hiding behind outdated traditions and phony patriotism.
I like Tom Hanks’ unscientific assessment. Mostly, I like his optimism that the two-thirds who are cowards and villains still have the opportunity to change. Or will they just flex and strut, proclaiming their virtue and bravery, all while knowing that inside they are hollow of both?
These are the days that require that the modest, daily heroes who have lived their lives supporting their families and communities also stand up to the loudmouth bullies and politicians who are true villains tying our country to a railroad track and twirling their mustaches as the locomotive bears down on democracy.