With the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia just winding down, we sit down with Jules Boykoff – author of Celebration Capitalism and the Olympic Games and Activism and the Olympics – to talk about what’s inspiring and what’s sickening about the Olympics. Chris and Jules discuss the gargantuan (and publicly-funded) cost of the games, the ubiquitous corporate sponsorship of athletes, the politics of Olympic boycotts for both athletes and spectators, and ideas for reclaiming the Olympics from corporate profiteers. Also: Chris and Derek recap the Maple Leafs “Forces Appreciation Night” parody website; reflect on Joshua Oppenheimer’s insane documentary The Act of Killing (brief re-enactment included), and note the recent resurfacing of two of the left’s most controversial activist scholars (excluding your charming hosts of course).

Episode Links

• Toronto Maple Leafs parody
• Two Canadians Made A Fake Toronto Maple Leafs Website To Criticize The Afghan War
• Jules Boykoff
• Celebration Capitalism and the Olympic Games
• Activism and the Olympics:Dissent at the Games in Vancouver and London
• Papa Palermo Pizza ad featuring Jules Boykoff
• The Act of Killing
• Director calls for US to acknowledge its role in 1965 killings
• Electronic Intifada on Scarlett Johannson
• An Alienated Finkelstein Discusses His Writing, Being Unemployable, And Noam Chomsky
• In Search of Ward Churchill

Episode Music

• Greg MacPherson – 1995