VITE International

Jeux Sans Frontières

“None are so hopelessly enslaved as those who falsely believe they are free.”
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

“Poor nations are hungry, and rich nations are proud; and pride and hunger will ever be at variance.”
Jonathan Swift

"See, in my line of work you got to keep repeating things over and over and over again for the truth to sink in, to kind of catapult the propaganda."
George W. Bush

Executive producer Marty Liebermann claims he got the idea for “Europe versus America” watching the culmination of the 1999 Ryder Cup. “The rivalry was invigorating,” he said in a recent interview in Forbes magazine. He went on, “whilst I don’t condone the crude heckling of certain European golfers by American spectators, it was great television”. New Yorker Liebermann and his British co-producers have devised what is possibly the most extravagant and ambitious TV series ever, combining elements of sport, politics, international economics and culture. Its remit was to inform, educate and entertain and if that sounds rather old-fashioned, the production values and the topicality of “Europe versus America” are truly twenty-first century.
I was privileged to gain access to the set prior to the two weeks of shooting. The event represents a combination of conference, carnival and sporting event and took place on the grounds of Michael Jackson’s former Neverland ranch in California. Here are some of the stand-out events and contests viewers will be exposed to when “Europe versus America” is broadcast in Spring 2006.

Paint Ball Propaganda Wars
Michael Moore, award-winning film-maker and author of “Stupid White Men” leads ten young crack shot disciples against a team sponsored by the Cato Institute and headed by Olaf Gersemann, author of “Cowboy Capitalism: European Myths, American Reality”. The winning team will get the chance to give an evening lecture + book promotion. All participants have previous weapons training.

Galleries of Failed Dreams
Dutch photographer Jan Heesink recreates his prize-winning exhibition “Excluded from the Dream”, 50 black and white photos of deprived rural and urban America. In an adjacent gallery, American photographer Jane Hayling shows her exhibition of images of European poverty entitled “Third World Europe”. TV viewers will vote for their favourite show. A follow-up debate will focus on the question of which continent’s dream excludes people from the fruits of prosperity most.

Patent Battles – freedom through belongings versus freedom through belonging (American dreams versus European dreams)
On a hilltop overlooking the ranch, skilled rhetoricians of both continents struggle to assert their right to patent the meaning of “Freedom”. As with all the events staged, polarisation is a given - nuances risk lower viewing figures. Hand-picked international jury selects winning team. Prize: pseudo patent pending.

Snobs mud wrestling
2 teams of entrepreneurs, restaurateurs, aristocrats, intellectuals and linguists show their wrestling skills in a tag team event. Winning continent to lecture a captive audience on the supremacy of their ‘products’. Event sponsored by Tiffany and Company.

Economics Conference / Modelling show
Mini-conference on social market economies versus proprietary capitalism combined with catwalk show. Models wear t-shirts with slogans “Anglo-Saxon Model” or “Rhineland Model”. Patent Battles jury judges the show. Winning team’s t-shirts to be sold in souvenir shop.

Pancake-eating competition
Two opinionated journalists try to out-eat each other in a five-minute pancake-guzzling contest. The winning hack earns the chance to:

1. boast about the glorious things their continent has exported to the other
2. bitch about the poor quality of things imported from the other continent

With ‘things’ might be understood items such as ‘the ideals of the republic’ (Europe to America) and ‘rock and roll’ (America to Europe). The number of exports / imports listed must coincide with the number of pancakes eaten.

Patronising Statues
A randomly picked group of 100 Europeans and Americans are invited to pass in front of wax models of the reigning European monarchs. By patting them on the back in an over-familiar way (reminiscent of George W. Bush’s pat on Queen Beatrix’s shoulder in May 2005) or bowing / curtseying in an obsequious manner, they indicate their stance in the monarchy versus republic debate. This is one of the few events not featuring an obvious Europe versus America theme but Liebermann said he wanted it in the series because it would help “to polarise things.”

Souvenir Shop
This will be 2 separate malls in direct competition. Products to be sold in the USA mall will include white picket fences, canned prairie air and fast bucks. The European shop will stock amongst other things miniature chateaux, models of Robin Hood (pronounced Robin Hood) and bottled class.


There were many more exhibits and events but the reader will have to wait until “Europe versus America” is broadcast. I for one can hardly wait.