RE: Worst opening ceremony for anything I've ever seen in my life.

Speaking as a Brit, I thought it was fantastic, as did everyone I know. The media are also raving about how brilliant it was, so the vibe over here is hugely positive. I was shocked when I came on to see how badly it's been received by the Yanks. Then again, how shocked can you be that LR is the first place you read negative things on...

The only thing I can think really is that it was perhaps too subtle for yo, causing a lack of understanding whether that is Danny's fault or your own, I'm unsure.

But yeah, It's been very well received over here, well done Danny Boyle.

noce wrote:

The London olympic organizers said they weren't going to try to outdo Beijing, and boy, they weren't kidding.

Looks like Phelps and the LOC are on the same page.

yayayayzya wrote:

Speaking as a Brit, I thought it was fantastic, as did everyone I know. The media are also raving about how brilliant it was, so the vibe over here is hugely positive. I was shocked when I came on to see how badly it's been received by the Yanks. Then again, how shocked can you be that LR is the first place you read negative things on...

The only thing I can think really is that it was perhaps too subtle for yo, causing a lack of understanding whether that is Danny's fault or your own, I'm unsure.

But yeah, It's been very well received over here, well done Danny Boyle.

It isn' that I didn't understand - and it wasn't subtle -it was just bad. I had looked forward to it - but come on - the National Healthcare System and a huge creepy baby, dancing nurses, "Sick" kids bouncing on beds - strange.

Anyone notice the one athlete who managed to get around the no advertising rule?

Bolt

"Never drink the milk until the milking is finished."

It was awful, just plain awful.

What were they trying to sell? That mess of a national healthcare system? The wonders of force-fed multiculturalism/youth dynamics? I just didn't get it.

They should have had a bunch of "infected" chasing survivors around the track per 28 Days Later, that would have been cheeky. And/or the Pythons doing the "Twit Olympics", that would have worked on the big stage.

Rowan Atkinson's bit was the best part.

Running on Empathy wrote:

It was awful, just plain awful.

What were they trying to sell? That mess of a national healthcare system? The wonders of force-fed multiculturalism/youth dynamics? I just didn't get it.

They should have had a bunch of "infected" chasing survivors around the track per 28 Days Later, that would have been cheeky. And/or the Pythons doing the "Twit Olympics", that would have worked on the big stage.

Rowan Atkinson's bit was the best part.

It was geared toward teenagers, not adults. The missing cell phone bit and the make out scene made it look like a high school play.

Boyle makes such interesting films. I guess he had a desire to make "High School musical 4". What a shame.

The fact that Sir Roger Bannister was passed over for a bunch of teens was shameful.

They tried so hard to make the opening ceremonies about "the children." Dancing children, deaf children, Harry Potter, Peter Pan, yada, yada, yada. Hell, even children in f'ing hospital beds.

The Olympics are about working hard, committing yourself to a goal, learning from failure and then, finally, having it all pay off by EARNING a slot in the most prestigious sports arena in the world. Most of the athletes in the parade of nations got where they are after YEARS of patience and hard work.

You want to do my kids a favor??? Use the opening ceremonies to honor the achievements of those who had to earn their success. Like Roger Bannister. Don't hand the spotlight to the British version of Hannah Montana (or whoever that June chick was).

The choice, or lack of choice, of a notable person to light the flame was as real missed opportunity. I know what Boyle was going on about, but he was wrong.

It's hilarious to see Brits on here chiding Americans for somehow not "getting" the opening ceremony. We "got" it alright and what we got was that it was dogmatic and unsuited for that kind of venue, that it was not telegenic and that it was, above all else, tedious.

What you Brits don't get is that your country is insignificant.

Unfortunately, too many LR type posters lack any semblance of knowledge of culture, history or art. What do we expect, intelligent viewers/posters from a bunch of pimple faced, one-dimensional adolescents? The negative postings from those who "didn't get it" is embarassing, but understandable. Great job, Great Britain....it was an incredible opening ceremony.

This thread is a study in Anglo-American relations.

I had hoped for a bit more from the opening ceremony. It wasn't terrible, but it certainly could have been a lot better. Had I not been watching with friends I would certainly have switched off. I'm forced to questiom the taste of those people who said they loved it.

I think Boyle was trying to create an ensemble to show the world what the current identity and character of the UK is and how that idenity and character has come about. He was trying both to entertain his audience and also educate them. He wanted to mix comedy with sadness, with hope with magic with mysticism with pagentry with literature with democracy with drama with war music and somehow come out with a coherent whole. Ultimately Boyle failed in his aims. Most of the world watching that show will neither have been particularly educated or entertained.

I did personally enjoy some of it. I loved the music in the opening sequence and the demonstation of British countryside, the Shakespearian quotations, some of the children's literature, the urbanisation and industialisation of the UK and so forth, but only because those things are particular interests of mine. I also thought that the emphasis on pop music was good and the bit in Buckingham Palace with James Bond and QE2 was pretty amusing. The bit about those that died in WW1 was moving.

I did not like the bit with Mr Bean. I did not like the way that Danny Boyle, the presenter, in his review of British cinema, managed to mention so many Danny Boyle films: that was very embarrassing. I thought that the camera work which focused on the disabled and ethnic minorities was a bit excessive. If we were really relaxed about ethnic minorities and people with disabilities, they would have appeared in an incidental and unceremonious and unnoteworthy way. Instead it looked like we went to excessive and deliberate lengths to show the world how integrated minorities are. I thought the celebration of the NHS was a bit misguided. Maybe we did lead the world in health in the 1920s, we clearly don't have a good national health service any more.

The way my fellow Brits on this thread are so insecure about criticisms of the opening ceremony is a bit depressing. Some of the criticism is deserved. The opening ceremomy was aimed at a global audience not just a local one. The fact that that global audience didm't enjoy it means that the opening ceremony was by definition a failure. Brits used to be much more relaxed about criticicism.

Running on Empathy wrote:

It was awful, just plain awful.

What were they trying to sell? That mess of a national healthcare system? The wonders of force-fed multiculturalism/youth dynamics? I just didn't get it.

They should have had a bunch of "infected" chasing survivors around the track per 28 Days Later, that would have been cheeky. And/or the Pythons doing the "Twit Olympics", that would have worked on the big stage.

Rowan Atkinson's bit was the best part.

I guarantee you that if this opening ceremonies was in the USA and it was praising the wonders of Obamacare- all you liberals would be saying "wow, great show."

Congratulations on your superiority, Dusty. I'm actually about 40 years past the pimple-faced stage. And I understand plenty. I also understand that what Boyle chose to stress was rather odd for this occasion and wasn't at all telegenic.

my take on this wrote:

I guarantee you that if this opening ceremonies was in the USA and it was praising the wonders of Obamacare- all you liberals would be saying "wow, great show."

and the GOP would gather and spell out "Hell NO" in marching band style, with Eric Cantor there to dot the "I".

ukathleticscoach wrote:

TOOOOO wrote:

Beijing felt like a party.

This feels like history class on a rainy day.

We gave you what you wanted.. not to like it

They should have had a it like last time- exactly the same a big dumb party. They parachuted the Queen in what more do you want?

For someone who is English, you sure write in English poorly. Try mastering punctuation first, then move on to actually writing better. You are embarrassing other English people who are old enough to know better and DO BETTER.

Did you guys watch the Salt Lake City Opening Ceremony? I thought that was the worst. I don't remember Atlanta. I may have missed that one, because everyone remembers it as being horrible.

To be honest, the only one I ever thought was good was Beijing. There were parts last night that I liked, but my expectations were pretty low. Opening Ceremonies usually suck. In isolation, I would give last nice a C. In comparison to all other opening ceremonies, I would give last night a B+.

1st Olympic Gold: NBC - Worst Olympic Commentators Ever! It might have been bearable if the two Morons just had been told to STFU. It was like going to the movies and having two jerks incessantly talking behind you about the movie non-stop. Two complete liberal idiots!

What's "liberal" about Bob Costas? Or you just everything as an opportunity to blast "liberals?"

It was her comment that "The British love their Healthcare system so much that they decided to feature it in their Olympics Opening ceremony" and "that it was in stark contrast to the bickering politicians in the US who are constantly arguing about the U.S. National Healthcare". You're right there's "NO" liberal bias at NBC. I would have just loved to have watched it without any "running commentary" from either the Right or the Left......