There have been tasteless jokes: If one member of the duet team drowns, does the other one have to drown, too?

And the derision shows no sign of stopping. Disney reportedly has a comedy in development entitled “Synchronicity,” the story of (stop us if you’ve heard this one before) two guys who are synchronized swimmers.

Before every competition, synchro swimmers wet their hair, pull it back in a tight bun using old-fashioned bobby pins, then apply a gel to remove any chance of it getting in their face during the routine. It goes on as a warm, thick paste and hardens while drying, which leaves the hair shining like a car just off the assembly line. They say it can be washed out with very hot water, but a chisel might work better.

There’s no skimping on the makeup, either. Apparently, one must look like a Kabuki performer to attract the notice of the judges; the garish blue eye shadow might be a little excessive even for a lady of the night.

Then there’s the routines. Nott and her duet partner, Christina Jones, went with the theme “metamorphosis,” accompanied by music from Mozart’s “Lacrimosa.” A giant butterfly was emblazoned across their chests.

“We were showing the whole part,” Jones said. “The playful part, the death and then the rebirth at the end. We were trying to show every kind of emotion.”

McGregor, who studied fashion in college, designs most of the suits worn by the Americans.

“It needs to communicate what you’re doing,” she said. “It needs to be visible from very far away. There can’t be a lot of stuff on it. Just one idea that’s really big. It also depends on whether you’re indoors or outdoors. You sparkle a whole lot more outdoors than indoors.”

With the Olympics being held inside, the Spaniards came up with a novel way to stand out. They developed a suit embedded with waterproof lights, figuring it’s just the next step in a sport where sequins are almost mandatory. Alas, the governing body of swimming ruled the luminaries were a violation of the rule against using extra props.

But apparently, there is no rule against invoking rap culture in the pool.

There are other issues. Much like figure skating, the scoring sometimes seems to be preordained, removing much of the drama. The Russians won gold in duet and no one believes they won’t do the same in Saturday’s team final.

“It’s hard not to get upset about things you can’t control,” Nott said.

Another thing. For some reason, every performance begins with the pair or team marching onto the specially built deck with an exaggerated waggle, throwing themselves around as though they were playing a game of Twister, then turning to the judges with a freeze-frame smile before they dive in.

“It’s really just setting you up,” McGregor said. “It’s that first impression. If you didn’t have the most amazing deck pose, I don’t think that would really make a difference. But a lot of times, you’re setting up a theme or a mood, while showing some flexibility or strength. It’s just a bonus deal.”

On the other hand, synchronized swimming should look no more out of place at the Olympics than rhythmic gymnastics, where competitors prance around the mat using clubs, hoops, balls, ribbon and rope. Or race walking, which is sort of like letting those who can’t swim very well compete in the dog paddle.