Snoop Dogg has been unexpectedly current at this 12 months’s Olympic video games.
For the reason that video games began, he’s been in every single place: doing press interviews, on the sidelines for each American athlete from Caeleb Dressel to Nyjah Huston – even swimming with Michael Phelps, 28-time Olympic medalist and 2008’s most controversial hashish consumer.
However lots has modified since Michael Phelps hit the pipe seen ‘around the world – and subsequently endured suspensions, scrutiny, and the lack of a serious sponsorship.
Sixteen years and 4 Summer season Olympics later, one of many greatest stoners on the globe is a fixture within the video games. From bearing the torch on the opening ceremonies to lending his commentary throughout a wide range of sports activities, Snoop Dogg’s presence on the Paris 2024 Olympics has been unattainable to overlook.
And whereas DJ Snoopadelic has been on his finest conduct – with no specific references to his herb-related extracurriculars – America’s alternative to permit certainly one of our nation’s most iconic potheads to signify us on a world stage is nothing wanting groundbreaking. In truth, his presence on the Olympics symbolizes not only a private triumph for Snoop, but in addition a cultural shift in direction of a broader acceptance of hashish – and, by extension, hashish customers.
Lengthy earlier than he turned a beloved determine on the Paris Olympics, Snoop was making waves along with his informal, uncensored love of weed. Regardless of debuting on the top of D.A.R.E. programming, Snoop has by no means stored his affinity for the plant a secret. (In truth, his first album “Doggystyle,” typically acts as a love letter to the plant and stands within the intensive corridor of fame of hip-hop albums which have broadly normalized hashish use.)
His candidness has not solely fueled his persona but in addition, over time, has performed a pivotal position in shifting towards a extra open dialogue round hashish. On a person stage, Snoop Dogg has each helped to form the picture of the “typical stoner” – and redefine how each day hashish customers are perceived within the mainstream.
He stands as maybe the very best argument towards the lazy stoner stigma – in any case, Snoop is nearly higher identified now for his aspect quests than his hip-hop catalog. At this level, he’s nearly in every single place: on the display screen with Martha Stewart, as a playable operator in a number of iterations of Name of Obligation, the topic of a whole lot of memes, (allegedly) buying famed soul meals eating places out of chapter.
He’s woven himself into the material of contemporary American tradition in a method that can’t be ripped out. And on a widespread stage, Individuals adore it.
And but, regardless of casting himself in a wide range of roles, lots of which don’t relate to hashish, certainly one of his most up-to-date aspect quests throughout which he claimed he was “giving up the smoke” created the largest waves, launching mass dialog and shock throughout the nation. Whereas this declare was an ingenious promoting marketing campaign for his smokeless hearth pit, his stunt made one factor clear: hashish remains to be an important a part of Snoop’s id and, in flip, his superstar persona. (And — most Snoop followers had been relieved when he revealed it was only a advertising and marketing ploy).
That’s why it’s so significant that America is embracing Snoop Dogg on the Paris Olympics because the nation’s “ambassador of happiness.” Not solely are notable American athletes from Coco Gauff to Simone Biles displaying love for Snoop in all his genuine perma-fried glory, however social media has erupted in healthful assist of his involvement with this summer season’s video games.
Proper now, America is being represented on a world scale by a massively profitable and extremely candid hashish consumer. And proper now, most of America appears content material with that illustration.
Snoop Dogg’s presence on the 2024 Olympics is greater than only a superstar sighting — it’s a cultural milestone. It’s not only a disruption of outdated stereotypes – it’s a normalization and celebration of “typical stoner” attributes. It’s a tangible illustration that whereas change could appear gradual, the stigma will not be what it was. In truth, it’s disproven increasingly every day.
Maybe the 2024 Olympics will probably be remembered not only for its athletic achievements however for this daring shift within the narrative, with Snoop Dogg main the way in which as an envoy of not simply happiness however progress.
