Dwarf pitch: neoliberal degeneration in the sports world

As a reflection of the decay and crisis of capitalism, we are increasingly faced with strange cultural and social manifestations. In sports this is no different. Everything is devoid of culture and turned into mere entertainment for the bourgeoisie to earn money from the garbage consumed by the middle class.

Created in Australia around the 1980s and popularized in the United States years later, dwarf throwing is an attraction found in bars, nightclubs and hotels, which consists of throwing dwarfs equipped with protective clothing a long distance, or even in baskets.

As comical as it sounds, it is a very dangerous “sport” and has even been banned in some cities like Chicago and Paris. This is because accidents are recurrent in which the dwarf is thrown out of the damping structure and other forms of violence and humiliation, such as being forced to vomit and/or swallow industrial quantities of food so that everyone has the same weight in world competitions.< /p>

When the sport is fun for some, but cannot be practiced because it is too dangerous, the Brazilian way of adapting comes through. In 2016, the Panic na Band program created a non-violent modality, inspired by the Australian Dwarf Throw, the Dwarf Lift. The game consists of using the dwarf as a bench press and trying to lift him with just one arm, the winner who does the most repetitions. The competitors were BamBam and Léo Stronda, and it ended in a draw, each with 12 reps.

Among so many absurdities, the dwarf throwing is just one example of the highest decadence of the middle class in all its sectors, including the cultural one. These sports are manifestations of the vices and stigmas of modern capitalist society, in its rotting phase.

Dwarf throwing is a sport that is “born” in a scenario where the relations of production – not only in Australia, but around the world ─ were already completely destructive for the working class. With the increasing intensity of exploitation and disenfranchisement that resulted from the “golden years” of capitalism, millions of employees were thrown to the margins of society without any prospect of change and future.

In the absence of opportunities even for non-disabled people, dwarfs, who are unable to work many jobs due to historical prejudices and physical limitations, find themselves obliged to perform vexatious functions, such as “balls of human basketball” and comedy attractions. Some of them see sport as decent work because it is supposed to be very well paid. Some dwarves who make it to the rank of stars earn salaries commensurate with those of senators and do not have to work long hours a day.

“Okay it’s humiliating, but it’s well paid. And because they pay well, it’s easier for you to accept and get used to it. It’s strange, in the early days, for you to allow any big guy to grab you by the seat and throw you as far as he can like a bowling ball,” said a midget working with the sport in a column in the newspaper Itu.

“In addition to the discomfort, there is always a certain degree of risk involved. One day I ended up in the emergency room, because of a guy who, instead of throwing me forward, threw me in the air. After flying about five meters high, I ended up falling off the cushioning mattress and fractured two vertebrae. It hurts, I admit, and landing badly is part of the deal. However, as for the money, I have nothing to complain about”, he added.

One of the characteristics of neoliberalism, even if secondary, is the expansion of the entertainment industry, transforming everything into entertainment – culture, sports, communication, etc. Dwarf toss, therefore, is pure cheap entertainment and has nothing to do with sport or culture. It is garbage produced by neoliberalism that subjects workers to degrading working conditions and is of no use to society. Despite being very funny.

CategoriasSem categoria

Deixe um comentário

O seu endereço de e-mail não será publicado. Campos obrigatórios são marcados com *