OPENING CEREMONY SUCKED

boblonsberry.com ^ | 07/30/12 | Bob Lonsberry

[shortstop]

Describing the opening ceremonies as a flop is understating it by a mile. It was like a segment of English History For Dummies except they left out the part about WWII and replaced it with a bunch of hospital beds. That's when I turned the television off.

[cuban leaf]

Wait! You mean the Olympics have already started?!

[sickoflibs]

I honestly have never watched these over the years, a rare exception one year being the women’s volley0ball games just to watch them in those bikini suits jump around. Even then I didnt follow the game.

What is the point?

[weeweed]

One giant black mass.....

[dfwgator]

Not as lame as Atlanta’s, talk about a PC-Fest.

[Doctor 2Brains]

for later

[chessplayer]

It wasn’t good because it wasn’t militaristic??? The opening ceremony was fantastic. China’s opening ceremony consisted of Borg-like drones. And speaking of the Chinese, they seem to have enjoyed it more than they did their own.

China

“Zhou Libo, a leading comedian and a host on “China’s Got Talent”, the Chinese version of the UK TV show, commented that “2008 Beijing was solemn, 2012 London is humour. Solemnity and stateliness tells the world you are strong. Humour lets the world feel you are strong; it’s about confidence.”

“Huang Jianxing, one of the best-known sports commentators in China, also stressed the light-hearted nature of the ceremony. “Its strength was its humour and self-mocking tone. You could see that even the Queen was enjoying it.”

“Ordinary Chinese were positive about the ceremony too, contrasting it to the much more formal Beijing 2008 Olympics ceremony. “I was shocked. I’d never have thought that you could have an opening ceremony like this,” said one Weibo user named Li Lingdang. “There was singing and dancing, JK Rowling, Mr Bean, James Bond , Beckham….The opening ceremony for Beijing was splendid but London’s was more individual.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/london-2012/9434319/London-2012-What-the-world-thought-of-the-opening-ceremony.html

[C19fan]

Except for Kenneth Branagh as Isambard Kingdom Brunel it sucked big time. I was not expecting some repeat of the totalitarian opening of the Chinese games but come on UK you can do better than that. The only analogy I could think of is if Spike Lee was allowed to direct the opening of the next Olympics in the states.

[Red Badger]

The absolute best part was Mr. Bean (Rowan Atkins) in the orchestra!...................

[dfwgator]

The Brits were in a tough spot...they were sensitive that a glorification of British history would be tantamount to praising Colonialism, which on the global stage, might not have been the best thing to do.

So, they focused on their main contributions to the world for the past 50 years, things that are known world-wide, in the areas of entertainment (James Bond, The Beatles, and the other bands that made an impact) and their role in technology, hence the tribute to Tim Berners-Lee.

[dfwgator]

I could think of is if Spike Lee was allowed to direct the opening of the next Olympics in the states.

He might as well have directed the Atlanta OC.

[wardaddy]

Hear Hear...I only liked the Queen being approachable part.

[karnage]

It was grotesque. I turned off the tube and told my kids a little bit about Britain’s great history - something the opening ceremony utterly neglected.

[dfwgator]

The Spanish delegation got upset because they thought they were mocking former PM Zapatero

[greene66]

My sister was watching the opening ceremonies on tv when I walked by and saw all that jumping around hospital-beds. Felt a real embarrassment for England. Which really made me cringe, because I’ve always held out a hopeful confidence that England would be the one European country with a strong enough spine to survive, in the long run. That mess at the Olympics just reeked of cultural decline.

(not that the trajectory here in America looks much better, by the way; if anything, our descent has reached a rapidly quickening pace since Obama was inflicted upon us).

[sarasota]

I’ll say it again: Worst. Opening. Ever.

[Red Badger]

Mr. Bean would probably make a much better Spanish Prime minister.........

[dan on the right]

This article is right on the money. The thing was a lefty's view of the world and was impossible to watch. They really lost a big opportunity. Mitt was more right then even he knew about how unprepared UK was for the games! Even the thing they prepared for was a whiff.

As to the Olympics, if you can suffer through the lousy coverage and constant commercials, it is still very inspirational to watch these mostly young athletes who have been practicing for years, 7 days a week to be here just to compete. I love the interviews by the pool of the athletes, even if they took silver or bronze, are just so excited (as the should be) to have had the experience. Life changing for these kids.

To watch any of our athletes stand on the podium when they play the Star Spangled Banner is worth the pain of watching NBC and putting up with 60 year old, hair dyed, Bob Costas. Remember, it is all about the athletes. Forget the rest and try to enjoy. Nothing else is on anyways!

[dfwgator]

When they did the tribute to WWI, they could have just done the ending to Blackadder Goes Forth.

[BenLurkin]

most of them are obscure sports.

Very true.

But they are entertaining nonetheless

False.

and we look forward to them each four years

No, "we" don't.