The Beijing Olympics 'Big Air' Competition Was Held In Front Of A Power Plant, Leading To Wave Of Memes

February 8th, 2022 - 12:46 AM EST by Owen Carry

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Olympics Big Air Skiing Power Plant Meme cooling towers in china.

The 2022 Winter Olympics are officially underway in Beijing, China. People around the world are enjoying their favorite, snow-covered competitions, however, many online this year are talking about the seemingly massive cooling towers looming in the background of the freestyle skiing event. The competition is called "Big Air" and it's placed right in front of a nearby power plant. This boring dystopia is omnipresent and has inspired multiple memes across social media.

Located on the west side of the city in Shougang, the Big Air slope is placed in front of a repurposed steel mill. Whether a creative idea or lack of better location, the setting has only inspired backlash thus far. Twitter users took to posting memes rather quickly after the event was aired. Many labeled it a "hellscape," citing a zoomed-out shot of the entire, monotone city. Others likened the scene to Breezewood, Pennsylvania, photoshopping the ski jump in front of the strip-mall chaos.


Right now, the Winter Olympics aren't as "winter-y" as some anticipated. Beijing is extremely dry this time of year, which many online have likened to climate change and the country's overall pollution rates. Some did reference this tension with a humorous tone but, of course, others offered a fresh rebuttal: that the U.S. is just as much of a capitalist hellscape. Overall, the memes mostly focused on the optics and the optics alone, turning the ski jump into an exploitable and referencing other infamous power plants like Homer's workplace in The Simpson's.


So far, only the women's Big Air competition has taken place with the gold medalist for skiing being China's Eileen Gu. As the rest of the events at the location take place, only more and more obtuse screencaps will offer themselves up.





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