The Body Doesn't Lie
Speaking of lying, here is an excerpt from Woody Allen’s Annie Hall, in which Alvy sneaks out of a very highbrow cocktail party to catch up the Knicks game in a random bedroom:
Alvy sits on the foot of the bed watching the Knicks game on television.
TV ANNOUNCER
(Off screen)
Cleveland Cavaliers losing to the New
York Knicks.
Robin enters the room, slamming the door.
ROBIN
Here you are. There's people out there.
ALVY
Hey, you wouldn't believe this. Two
minutes ago, the Knicks are ahead fourteen
points, and now ...
(Clears his throat)
they're ahead two points.
ROBIN
Alvy, what is so fascinating about a group
of pituitary cases trying to stuff the
ball through a hoop?
ALVY
(Looking at Robin)
What's fascinating is that it's physical.
You know, it's one thing about intellectuals,
they prove that you can be absolutely brilliant
and have no idea what's going on. But on the
other hand ...
(Clears his throat)
the body doesn't lie, as-as we now know.
That might be precisely why most humans are obsessed with sports and it might also be the reason why we are increasingly looking for physical ways to express ourselves. Parkour offers a great example, we could think of it as the corporeal manifestation of street art. A relatively young discipline, born and raised in the streets of France (where unrest among youths is well known and became evident these past few years), it is considered more than a sport, frequently compared with martial arts and seen as a way to express some kind of acknowledgement of the urban environment at the same time that it has been confused (like street art) with vandalism.
Pop culture has been slowly absorbing Parkour in the past decade, not always with a clear understanding of what it is or what it means, but surprisingly open to include it in anything from mainstream films (Casino Royale being the latest) to advertising.
Here are two examples of Parkour in advertising, no especial effects added.