The 2008 Olympics Controversy


The 2008 Summer Olympics, that took place in Beijing, China, brought
about many controversies and concerns before, during, and even after the games
were completed. The debate about the age of a few of the Chinese women’s
gymnastics team members was under major scrutiny after accusations that these
athletes were too young to compete. This particular controversy is captured in
the cartoon by Mike Peters who portrays the Chinese gymnasts as characters of a
popular adolescent television show. Peters uses both visual and textual rhetoric in
this comic to make the argument that some members of the 2008 Chinese
women’s gymnastics team were too young and therefore not eligible to compete
in the games. Through the cartoon he attempts to show the dishonesty of the
Chinese and what he believes the American public’s reaction to viewing these
athletes should have been based on skepticism of their eligibility.