Are You Allowed To Criticize Simone Biles?: A Decision Tree
Spoiler alert: the answer is probably no
Before she set foot in Paris, Simone Biles was already the greatest gymnast of all time. Then she won gold medals in the individual all-around, vault, and team all-around events, and won a silver medal on floor.
And yet, people continue to criticize her — everything from making fun of her decision to pull out of the Tokyo Olympics, to derogatory comments about her hair.
So, this week, I’m sharing a piece that was originally published in McSweeney’s in July 2021, for those who still have not gotten the memo.
Oh, and by the way, she now has five skills named after her.
Bonus
You can read not one but TWO breakdowns of this piece. The first was published on the McSweeney’s Patreon page.
Top 21 of '21: Carlos Greaves' "Are You Allowed to Criticize Simone Biles?: A Decision Tree"
The second was published not long ago in Brevity Magazine’s blog, and is soon to be published in the upcoming Open OKState anthology Just YA: Short Poems, Fiction, & Essays.
Crabby Hermits and Simone Biles: Using Satire and Experimental Forms
La Ñapa
You may or may not have noticed, but I started a new series for this newsletter called La Ñapa for paid subscribers. If you want to know more about the origin of the name and what’s in the series, then I guess you’ll just have to become a paid subscriber, won’t you?
As you know, I don’t paywall posts and instead rely on folks who support the newsletter financially so that everyone else can read for free. Still, it’s only fair that paid subscribers get something for supporting my work so that the rest of y’all can keep on reading gratis. La Ñapa is that something.
Comments
I promised I’d be back with a post about the writing life, but I couldn’t help but share this one this week. I hope that’s okay! Feel free to voice your displeasure in the comments. Unlike Simone Biles, I am not beyond reproach.
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Thank you for calling out these sad people Carlos. Reminds me of those sports "fans" who slam their own team while sitting on their butts and drinking beer, while those they criticise are sweating it out on the field, attending training week after week. It's easy to deflect your own inferiority and insecurity rather than do something worthwhile with your life.
I LOVE this one. She is power + grace incarnate and her smile lights up the world. I loved watching her camaraderie not only with her teammates but Andrade (and other competitors). She deserves that necklace she wears! 🐐