A phenomenon named Małysz

While the British keep starting their everyday conversations with a phrase “nice weather, isn’t it?” a reply to which is obvious – “yes, it is”, Poles usually start this way: “did you watch Małysz?”, a reply to which is even more obvious – “sure, was first, again”. Lineker once said that football is the game in which 22 players kick a ball and the winner is Germany. Here, several dozen ski-jumpers jump and the winner is Małysz. If our dear Adam was second he would be called a loser (!). Great expectations. Oh yes.

Every phenomenon has its appropriate surroundings. Małysz being a kernel of the phenomenon is the starting point for many aspects that have recently sprung out. One of them is a commercial aspect. Every free market economy tries to adjust its products to the demand. The demand is represented by everything one might associate with Małysz himself, e.g. earrings, hairdo, moustache, family diaries, photos and the list goes on.
Another aspect is related to our national pride. Our national pride has become vivid again as many Poles started to watch their national hero with great passion. Breathtaking jumps and their loud shrieking consequences make some of our neighbours believe that yet another mortal combat is coming to an end, with yet another dead body lying on the floor upstairs. Of course the majority of our neighbours yell as well so they can’t hear us yelling; those who do hear us must have their TV-sets under repair. Too much watching? Maybe.

Although keeping pace with the phenomenon is not so difficult, it comes out naturally, we should remember not to overtake the phenomenon itself. How to exaggerate? It’s simple, just ask somebody to write a 500-word essay whose topic will be: “The definition of success. Małysz versus Pokemon.” Yes, Pokemon, but that’s a different story.