For Later

Vuvuzelas
Anybody catch Biden’s earplugs? Or the downright miserable look on the face of the young girl sitting beside him? They were struggling to cope with the cacophony created by tens of thousands of plastic horns. Called vuvuzelas, the horns are either genuine cultural artifacts or obnoxious affectations, depending on whom you ask. And while innocuous looking in isolation, they’re cumulative effect has been the cause of serious conversations for the last year. In particular, FIFA, the Euro-centric governing body of world football, has wrestled with some very Euro-centric urges to tell Africa how to do things, including whether or not to ban the instrument. Ultimately, discretion won out, but the story of the vuvuzelas raises issues of race, identity, agency and paternalism that are relevant, not just in Africa, but all over the world.

Jubulani Ball
You’ll hear plenty of talk about it during the cup. The players don’t like it; some have even suggested it’s possessed (facetiously … I think). They claim the ball doesn’t fly true and that it’s disruptive to the game. I think there might be some truth to the claims. I even think there was some evidence in today’s matches—though not everything about the ball seems detrimental. Still, this debate happens every four years after which the ball in question is widely endorsed; so before I weigh in, I’m going to watch a few more games.