Icarus
“Icarus” is a documentary about doping . Bryan Fogel, an amateur cyclist, is devastated by Lance Armstrong’s confession that he took banned substances yet never failed a drug test. He decided to design a doping program for himself similar to Armstrong’s that would prove that drug-testing systems were inept. Fogel began using performance enhancing drugs. The film vividly portrays his everyday use of the drugs and how he administered them to himself. This made me feel very anxious. The way that he injected the drug into his skin daily made me uneasy. I could imagine injecting the serum into my own skin, and I could feel the pain. When he started injecting the drug into his butt and it bled, I felt afraid. The whole concept of injecting foreign substances into a body gave me a very uncomfortable feeling. It felt very unsafe. Then, when he would cycle like crazy to see if the drugs were working, it felt exhausting and maybe even dangerous.
I was surprised when I saw how he administered the drugs, for I have never seen this done before. I know it happens, but I guess that I have been fortunate that I have never seen or put myself in this positionI was also overwhelmed by the number of bottles of urine he had on his counter. This reinforced the seriousness of this experiment and how determined he was to complete this project.
I question why Fogel was so determined to examine the drug-testing system. I wonder why he would want to put himself through this regimen to try to find solutions to the drug testing protocols. I ask: Was this trial he put himself through that important?
Research may make us not look at the topic objectively. While watching the documentary, we form our own opinions. Another person’s point of view could sway our thoughts.
The first time I watched Icarus, I was surprised with the way the Russians had their athletes doped. It shocked me how much effort they put into cheating. At first, I didn't see why Fogel was doing this experiment either, but after after finishing the documentary, I would argue that his experiment turned out to be absolutely necessary. His experiment brought him down paths that eventually led to the uncovering of maybe the largest doping scandal in history, by chance or not.
ReplyDeleteOriginally I wanted to watch Icarus but defaulted to watching Chasing Ice to get the documentary assignment done. However, with this short summary of Icarus, it had made me interested to watch it. I originally thought that people use performance enhancing drugs for the sole purpose to be the best by any means. Though if I were to watch this film, my views might change.
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