Saturday, February 13, 2010
The Opening Ceremonies Dud
Posted by John Branston on Sat, Feb 13, 2010 at 10:28 AM
Parts of last night's opening ceremony on NBC looked as forced as Cris Collinsworth's constant smile. A parade of nation's with one athlete, an indoor arena, and worst of all no snow. My favorite part was when Bob Costas noted that some of the "indigenous people" had been dancing so long that they had to "take a knee."
The Chinese may have set the bar too high in the last summer Olympics. The Snoozer in Vancouver reminded me of the 1982 Worlds Fair in Knoxville. Thank goodness for the honey shots of the blond-haired skaters and skiers who are the early favorites for the coveted couch potato's gold medal.
I loved the hats and the hair on Lindsey Vonn, Lindsey Jacobellis, Gretchen Bleiler, and Tanith Belbin. Johnny Weir has something. And so does Apolo. Get ready for a week of constant exposure.
Bring on the short track, the moguls, the downhill, women's hockey and getting some air. And the snow.
Comments (26)
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While I realize that perspective is everything, you are reviewing for those who may not have been able to view the ceremony itself and I find your review pithy and valueless. The city of Vancouver rarely has snow, it is the mountains around the city that do; Vancouver has weather much like that of Seattle, but of course, someone who researches a bit before writing would know that. Thus one would not have expected snow around GM Place, where the ceremony was held.
Perhaps, as to not bore you, we should not allow nations that only have one athlete in the parade? Would that suit you better?
The Chinese cannot be met in budget, they had a $400 million dollar budget and most others in the world look shoestring in comparison. Can you do equally as well on 1/10nth of the budget? The NBC commentators said, (perhaps you missed it) that the ceremony was not meant to top China but to stand on it's own, in it's own merit and glory and in that, did an excellent job.
But I digress, I see at the end of your article the shallowness of your being. Of course hats and hair should be of utmost importance.
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I am a Canadian vacationing in the U.S. and so I watched the Olympic Opening Ceremonies on NBC. I never felt so proud to be a Canadian and that was mainly because of the way we were portrayed by NBC. The opening 10 minutes reminded all of North America of the strong ties; military, economic, political, and geographic which we share and also the close friendship that has existed almost forever. It has always dismayed me to listen/read from the self-righteous minority who would have us believe that no one in Canada likes Americans and that there is some kind of significant difference between Canadians and Americans. On the other hand, I am sometimes equally dismayed when our big friend to the south seems to ignore our friendship and our significant partnership. NBC, I thought you put it all in perspective and I thank you and I congratulate you. I love Canada but I love my American friends to the south just as much.
ozilla: next thing you know they'll be putting some idiotic sport like squash in the Olympics.
Wow, Ozilla, I couldn't see "the shallowness of your (John Branston's) being" from that post. You must have some amazing observational skills to be able to peer into someone's soul from the ending of an editorial.
Vancouver is a wonderful city and the comments in the article about the lack of snow betray the writers lack of knowledge. I expect that these Olympics will be wonderful, but the opening ceremony was BORING. Wow, what a snoozefest. I know it's unfair to expect something like Bejing's $300M show, but still...
The IOC has declared it was not at fault for the young luger's death. I'm shocked!
Didn't anyone consider that centrifugal force on that turn could hurl someone who missed it into those unpadded metal poles? Every speed sport I can think of by now has taken steps to shield participants from being harmed, especially by man-made hazards on the course, whether it's auto racing, bike racing or whatever.
IOC: you got some 'splainin' to do.
john - you are 100% correct. that opening ceremony reminded me of Waiting for Guffman. a poorly executed snore-fest put together with paper mache. to you Canandians, you are a bright and creative country. you are home to Cirque du Soleil for gods sake. you deserved better representation. ps - Wayne Gretzky is your national treasure.. and you stuck him in the back of a pickup truck. seriously now.
I agree with TennesseeDrew's comment. This review of the opening ceremonies reflects immaturity and shallowness.
Chris: No bocce, but if you're like me you enjoy the curling event, in which a rock travels at a snail's pace on ice as people sweep maniacally, apparently because they're hosting a dinner party later in the day, and things have GOT to be spotless, 'cause Hal's's boss is one of the guests - a real stickler for tidiness ("everything in it's place", he says routinely). Plus Hal is actively lobbying for the VP position along with that prick in sales, Don Jacoby. Everybody at the Credit Union hates Don except Mr. Meeks (the boss). Or something like that. Or nothing at all like that. Anyhoo, the ceremony last night made "Fallen Angels" look like "A Chorus Line." The Gretzky torch moment was a real cringer, man. But I love Canada. They have hockey and Rick Moranis and stuff.
You guys are being unfair to immaturity, Fallen Angels, and Waiting for Guffman. There is nothing the matter with this opener that could not be fixed by football, NASCAR, Palin (Canadian, isn't she?) and bass fishing. USA, USA!
Dame Sarah can see Canada from her house, maybe, but if she's Canadian, Brother McCain violated the Constitution by having her nominated for veep. (But, of course, Brother John, you jest; ask Davis: Irony goes over my head. I beseech you, keep it at a minimum for all subsequent posts.)
Seriously (ahem): The most embarrassing aspect of the opening was the non-stop aboroginal dancing, which looked to be about as artful and authentic and tribal and interesting as the non-stop nervous jiggling of high-school wallflowers watching from the sidelines at their first prom.
JB: are you trying to tell me you didn't know that the pony, mashed potato and watusi were originated by Canadian abORIGINies? Those dancers did James Brown proud!
A.E., I'd as soon watch Ellen DeGeneres pointlessly bopping around a stage. (In fact, wasn't she one of the "aboroginal" dancers out there last night?)
I know Marty the Humbug got his 'hater of all things minority' credentials the old fashioned way, but when did John join the Citizen's Council?
Would you at least post your rules for minorities on the front page of the Flyer?
I think you're misreading my comment, P.G. If it's the quotes around "aboloriginal" that you mean, that was my skepticism that all the folks out there were truly members of a native population. They looked to me like ringers, like wallflowers at a "Going Native" frat party; the "dancing" was not even a good third cousin to anything I would regard as tribal, native, or genuinely aboriginal -- unless today's frat boys are their true linear descendants.
And Ellen DeGeneres? She's cool with me, so long as (1) she stops "dancing" on stage; and (2) she holds down her shaggy-down ad-libbing on "American Idol."
Can I get official clearance now?
I think the question is why the dancers would needed clearance from anyone in Memphis, to be considered 'real' aboriginals.
It really is a shame that so many still embrace that sort of chauvinism.
"...You see that not all Aboriginals of the Western Hemisphere have "strange" sounding names or are called Betty Walks in the Clouds or He Who Sings With the Robin, or something similar.
Some First Nations peoples intermarried with Europeans and accepted Western names with their marriages.
In the 2010 Opening Ceremonies, I was surpised and happy to see the Metis Nation presented as an official nation of people. With a heritage of mixed Aboriginal and European ancestry from the 17th Century forward, Metis had been looked down upon in previous decades in Canada and more so in the USA."
http://hubpages.com/hub/First-Nations-and-…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3Y1PRB3S1k
*Powergamz*
"my skepticism that all the folks out there were truly members of a native population."
Leave the skepticism at the door,and try bringing some proof!...Questioning 'aboriginal status' of those you don't know is hotter than boiling water my friend,lol...
Er, boys...The skepticism had more to do with the distinctly flat "dancing" than with any look or nomenclature. And, sorry, I've given out all the Certificates of Righteousness that I had on me. You'll have to make do with my very deep bow in your direction.
Your criticism and mockery of the opening ceremonies in Vancouver is truly sad. Let's get it established right off here. All the world is not measured against the USA. All the world does not admire and strive to be just like the USA. Canada is a country that is unique, just like you. We are different from you. Same mother, but different. Accept it.
The ceremonies celebrated our nation and our people and it was not done with paper mache as a previous ignorant poster stated. The ceremony was a beautiful event that shoud be appreciated for what it was.
Last time I was in Memphis, oh never mind, no sense playing this game.
Have any of you shallow pricks ever travelled outside your own borders? You would get a sense that the world really is getting tired of your crap.
@Rory29 re: "My skepticism..."
I never said any such thing, and in fact my post was criticizing the bigotry of Alias the Humbug, who IS the one that claimed the First Nations dancers weren't real 'aboriginies' (a term exactly on a par with 'darkies' or 'redskins').
Those rushing to his defense made the sad misstep of claiming that because the choreogrpahy didn't resemble that with which they were familiar it didn't seem real to them.
Fact is it was very real work from very real First Nations people, some of whom incorporate modern elements in with traditional ones... a stylistic choice that the Flyer staff wouldn't dream of questioning from artists of a different ethnicity.
Denial may make the Flyer go round, but calling it anything but what it is, simply perpetuates the harm.
There is no hope for the Humbug, but I'd like to think that Jackson could spend a moment reflecting on the arrogance of power.
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