© Copyright – 2024 – Athletics Illustrated
Music critic Ted Gioia wrote about in extremis of culture, where changes arrive only after a trend gets to the point of absurdity, then a reversal happens — perhaps chaos theory in action. If we examine the hair band era of the 1980s, the advent of grunge music in 1990 was the polar opposite. A correlation can be tied to the influencer culture. It perhaps should die so that traditional media, the fourth pillar of democracy, can get on with its role — within its convention to do so.
One sign of change in the influencer era is that of one arrogant modestly-able marathon runner Matt Choi.
A running influencer who ran the New York City Marathon in under three hours has been banned for life from the event. He was followed on Sunday by two cameramen on e-bikes, who were said to have obstructed other runners. https://t.co/Z9PNMje2I8
— The New York Times (@nytimes) November 5, 2024
The Texas-based loudmouth was disqualified from the 2024 New York City Marathon and all editions of the race in the future. The decision was made by the marathon organizers after Choi violated the race event’s code of conduct in last Sunday’s running of the event.
Choi, who should be unfollowed on Instagram and TikTok by all, brought an unauthorized film crew who rode e-bikes on the course. Choi had already faced a harsh backlash for doing the same in the Austin Marathon. Let this be the end.
New York Road Runners stated that Choi has the right to appeal.
“I made my bed, so I’m gonna lay in it,” Choi said.
At the very least, the clown adulted enough to accept his fate. Now, he should fade into the sunset, never to be heard from again. At least not by the running community.
The rules state: “No unofficial companions or unregistered participants are allowed on the course, nor are they allowed to provide assistance. A participant receiving aid during the event from anyone other than official medical personnel may be disqualified.”
As for chaos theory in popular culture, consider Jeff Goldblum’s character in the original Jurrasic Park. He played Dr. Ian Malcom, a mathematician who specialized in chaos theory. In an early scene, when the water in the roadside puddle rippled, Malcolm saw a foreshadowing of chaos in a theme park of supposed order and control. The slow pounding footsteps of the tyrannosaurus rex shook the ground.
Then all hell broke loose.
Perhaps a metaphorical tyrannous rex will arrive, rip the roof off the john, eat the proverbial lawyer hiding on the toilet and end this charade known as the influencer era.
