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This past summer I had the opportunity to be in Trafalgar Square in London when the winner of the bid for the 2012 summer games was announced. Thousands of people crowded the square in eager anticipation of the announcement. There were speakers, video clips, and musical performances. When it was announced that London won the bid, the crowd erupted into a thunderous roar and a torrent of streamers and confetti poured forth from all sides. It was a thrilling time and I was caught up in Olympic fever. I could see why everybody was so excited. I guess the fever has past because the Winter games have been going on for over a week now and I’ve yet to pick up the remote to check it out.

Why aren’t we watching the Olympics? There are many reasons, but what stands out first and foremost is that aside from the competition itself, the entire event is bizarre. The opening ceremony set the precedent for a bad entertainment experience. The extravaganza consisted of bizarre performances that critics attested had nothing to do with sports, winter, or Italy. As the competitors entered, Correspondent Bob Costas commented that, “for some reason the athletes are marching in to a seemingly random selection of 80’s American pop music.” Taken as a whole such a ceremony leaves viewers confused and at a loss as to what to expect next.

But if past Olympics are any indicator of what’s to come, the events after the opening ceremony are uncompromisingly boring. The competitions are very entertaining; unfortunately, they seem to merely be bookends for the endless featurettes that NBC runs on the lives of the competitors. The formatting of the coverage is all commentary, set up, and recap, but you never get a sense of being in the moment. You’re not caught up in the action, but instead endlessly waiting for it to happen.
Another major fault of the formating is that the Olympics are a sparkling example of poor marketing. The Olympics are clearly targeted to the young and hip, with a heavy emphasis put on sports that overlap with the X-Games. Traditionally, marketers place an emphasis on capturing a young audience. This is because if you gain a viewer, it is likely that they will continue to be a viewer throughout their lives. Where the theory fails is in the fact that the games are about history and tradition, and so the audience is older and more conservative. I expect my parents to have watched the Olympics fairly regularly, but when I ask my friends if they’re watching, the answer is a resounding no. When you market something watched by middle-aged people as hip and X-Treme you’re just going to turn off some of the core audience, instead of gaining a younger viewership.

Finally, the biggest complaint about the Olympics is the postponement of entertainment people actually want to see. Though it may seem unbelievable, there are actually millions of people who watch the shows on NBC. I know, I’m confused as well. But now, it’s that lucky fourth year, and all their favorite programs have been temporarily taken away. This creates a bit of animocity towards the games and fans may tune them out for that reason. When I asked what people thought of the Olympics, other than indifference, the most common response was, “Bring back Scrubs.” But fear not Braff fans, we’ve only got a week to go.