mccWhen the youtube video has an intentionally funny thumbnail but you're pretty sure you know what the video's about and they're actually just very straightforwardly describing what happened
For the record, if this wasn't clear: If I ever post a YouTube thumbnail without a link, it's because I only post links when I have actually watched the video and I know it's worth recommending. Like what if it's terrible or poorly researched or racist and I've just linked it to you, like a fool, because of the funny thumbnail. I don't want to post a link unless I can endorse the video.
If you'd like a video I can endorse, here's a good Tim Traveler video about the largest stadium in the world (now abandoned). Things of interest here:
1. I am entirely captivated by the abandoned piano at 2:35, evolved into a sort of permanent planter like the art car that lives in Toronto's Kensington Market
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jF0rGhFf0c4&t=145s
2. The British pronunciation of "Funicular"
3. I am now very curious to see someone do a history of athletic self-improvement orgs being oppressed by governments
The Forgotten Story Of The Largest Stadium Ever Constructed
Consider:
- Sokol, early 20th century, Czechia
- Falun Gong, late 20th century, China
Both organizations that are fundamentally about outdoor calisthenics, their activities expanded and/or the government viewed their sheer size as a threat, and the Nazis/Communist Party of Czechoslovakia/Chinese Communist Party oppresses them.
How this fits into the Boxer Rebellion, where boxing self-improvement clubs *did* try to overthrow the government, you'd have to uncover through research.
It is entirely possible of course that 20th century Communist governments were so touchy about athletic clubs becoming large enough to become a vehicle for anti-government organizing *because* they had studied history and knew about the two (I think) times this happened in Imperial China in the 1800s
Kyle@kyle_pegasus look man there's a 500 character limit and i already had to split this across 2 posts