Texas Libertarian Posted June 6, 2008 Report Share Posted June 6, 2008 I noticed that in "Atlas Shrugged" there aren't any sports. There is music, culture etc but no competitive sports. funny, huh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mweiss Posted June 6, 2008 Report Share Posted June 6, 2008 I noticed that in "Atlas Shrugged" there aren't any sports. There is music, culture etc but no competitive sports. funny, huh? I don't take this as an indictment of sports by Miss Rand, but rather a decision she made that resulted from her determination that sports was irrelevant to the intended purporse of Atlas Shrugged. It would neither enhance nor detract from the story; it would be vestigial, were it to be included. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-Mac Posted June 6, 2008 Report Share Posted June 6, 2008 Perhaps it's because televised sports weren't really popular/available until sometime in the 50s? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KendallJ Posted June 6, 2008 Report Share Posted June 6, 2008 Ahem, what about that tennis match between Dagny and Fransisco. purrrrrrrr. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chops Posted June 6, 2008 Report Share Posted June 6, 2008 It's possible the original poster is referring only to professional sports, in which case he's correct. But as Kendall said, there's the big tennis match. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruveyn ben yosef Posted June 7, 2008 Report Share Posted June 7, 2008 I noticed that in "Atlas Shrugged" there aren't any sports. There is music, culture etc but no competitive sports. funny, huh? Francisco and Dagny have a tennis match. ruveyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D'kian Posted June 7, 2008 Report Share Posted June 7, 2008 Bowling allies are mentioned in a directive shutting down all places of amusement to conserve oil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mammon Posted June 7, 2008 Report Share Posted June 7, 2008 Yeah, but you don't find any football players in Galt's Gulch. Granted, the sport wasn't even big at the time, I still think it says a lot that we haven't seen a "PRO ATHELETES=GODS AMONG MEN" essay's coming out of Rand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KendallJ Posted June 7, 2008 Report Share Posted June 7, 2008 (edited) I think the real question that has to be answered is why should sports, per se, be necessary to a work like Atlas? There are no Ferrari's in Atlas either. Why should sports be any more relevant? Edited June 7, 2008 by KendallJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
athena glaukopis Posted June 7, 2008 Report Share Posted June 7, 2008 (edited) I think the real question that has to be answered is why should sports, per se, be necessary to a work like Atlas? Beyond everything that has already been said above, my first thought was that in a collapsed world such as that in AS, I think the luxury of million-dollar sport stars had long vanished as the world could barely keep its necessary industries alive, let alone make enough wealth to support such an industry (of "entertainment")... i mean, cmon if there is only enough wealth in the economy to fuel *one* nice hotel in new york, where is the wealth to fuel the yankees or the mets? It sounds to me like most of the world is on the brink of starvation... how many of them would be able to pay for football tickets? i bet at this point, there are more likely to be local cockfight and underground bare-knuckle boxing matches. Yeah, but you don't find any football players in Galt's Gulch. Granted, the sport wasn't even big at the time, I still think it says a lot that we haven't seen a "PRO ATHELETES=GODS AMONG MEN" essay's coming out of Rand. "Heart of a Pagan" is a novel by Andrew Bernstein about how (pro) athletes and athletics reflect heroism and hero-worship Edited June 7, 2008 by athena glaukopis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mammon Posted June 7, 2008 Report Share Posted June 7, 2008 (edited) Beyond everything that has already been said above, my first thought was that in a collapsed world such as that in AS, I think the luxury of million-dollar sport stars had long vanished as the world could barely keep its necessary industries alive, let alone make enough wealth to support such an industry (of "entertainment")... i mean, cmon if there is only enough wealth in the economy to fuel *one* nice hotel in new york, where is the wealth to fuel the yankees or the mets? It sounds to me like most of the world is on the brink of starvation... how many of them would be able to pay for football tickets? i bet at this point, there are more likely to be local cockfight and underground bare-knuckle boxing matches. If we reached a pathethic state of things like that now I can imagine sports still kicking. State and local government would probably fund them as a way to "keep people occupied" and away from crime, and to stimulate the economy through tourism. They already do it now, half-way. Most of the stadiums in the U.S. are paid for by the local government to "boost the economy" "Heart of a Pagan" is a novel by Andrew Bernstein about how (pro) athletes and athletics reflect heroism and hero-worship I already knew that. I threw up a little bit after reading the synposis for the first time.* *Edit: Granted, I'm sure it's a good book, but the plot just makes me go "Ugggh...." Edited June 7, 2008 by Mammon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
intellectualammo Posted June 7, 2008 Report Share Posted June 7, 2008 I noticed that in "Atlas Shrugged" there aren't any sports. Does this count? Dagny and Eddie spent their winters trying to master some new skill, in order to astonish Francisco and beat him, for once. They never succeeded. When they showed him how to hit a ball with a bat, a game he had never played before, he watched them for a few minutes, then said, "I think I get the idea. Let me try." He took the bat and sent the ball flying over a line of oak trees far at the end of the field. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mammon Posted June 7, 2008 Report Share Posted June 7, 2008 Does this count? It shows he can do it. Not that doing it made him a good person. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
intellectualammo Posted June 7, 2008 Report Share Posted June 7, 2008 It shows he can do it. Not that doing it made him a good person. Also it shows in the passage after that baseball one, that he is like this with a speedboat as well. Flying and speeding are also depicted in AS, if that counts at all for the topic starter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kori Posted June 7, 2008 Report Share Posted June 7, 2008 (edited) Dagny and Francisco also race toward each other every Summer, right? I don't know how well I'm remembering that, but I recall them doing it. EDIT: Also, doesn't she describe Rearden's car? Isn't it a luxury car of some kind? Edited June 7, 2008 by Kori Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve D'Ippolito Posted June 8, 2008 Report Share Posted June 8, 2008 I suspect the reason for this is very simple. The author herself probably didn't care much about sports. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonMaci Posted June 8, 2008 Report Share Posted June 8, 2008 I suspect the reason for this is very simple. The author herself probably didn't care much about sports. That was my first thought. I think it is correct. She didn't care for sports on a personal level as far as I can tell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMeganSnow Posted June 8, 2008 Report Share Posted June 8, 2008 Dagny and Francisco also play tennis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mammon Posted June 9, 2008 Report Share Posted June 9, 2008 I suspect the reason for this is very simple. The author herself probably didn't care much about sports. I suspect the same thing as well. However, this fact might be difficult for people to accept. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musenji Posted June 17, 2008 Report Share Posted June 17, 2008 In Branden's biography, I think there was a passage about Rand as a child loving watching a girl in Russia practice tennis...she loved the grace of the girl's motions. I'll check up on that. I don't see why it would be difficult for people to accept that Rand didn't care much for sports, assuming there was a direct statement along those lines by Rand or someone who knew her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
athena glaukopis Posted June 17, 2008 Report Share Posted June 17, 2008 I suspect the same thing as well. However, this fact might be difficult for people to accept. It's hard for people to accept [that Ayn Rand didn't like sports] with no evidence besides some arm-chair speculation by some forum members. There are an infinite amount of things missing from AS. Does that mean that Ayn Rand didn't like knitting, playing scrabble, or going to the beach just because she chose not to include it in a work of fiction? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mammon Posted June 17, 2008 Report Share Posted June 17, 2008 It's hard for people to accept [that Ayn Rand didn't like sports] with no evidence besides some arm-chair speculation by some forum members. There are an infinite amount of things missing from AS. Does that mean that Ayn Rand didn't like knitting, playing scrabble, or going to the beach just because she chose not to include it in a work of fiction? I meant people who have to like or dislike everything Rand liked or disliked. Some of those people might really like sports, finding out she didn't wouldn't be absolutely devasting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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