Olympinonsense

[jayne lee wilson]

JESSIE J WAS BRILLIANT, ONE OF THE STARS OF AN AMAZING CLOSING CEREMONY! DON'T BE SO INSULAR AND JUDGEMENTAL, THIS WAS DESIGNED TO MAKE AN IMPACT ROUND THE WORLD! FROM WHAT I SAW, EVEN HALF-CUT ON PROSECCO, MOST OF THE ATHLETES, GB AND OTHERWISE, WERE SINGING ALONG, THEY ALL KNEW THE WORDS, THAT'S THE POINT!

It's what GB is now, shown in these ethnically-diverse, gender-stereotype blind, utterly modern Games. No displays of power and oh-how-great-we-are, just the mixed blood olympics of the modern world, robust and abundant...

How awful to return to the stuffed shirt, male-dominated economics and politics of Tory-ruled GB and Westminster! They haven't a clue, should learn from the last fortnight... but probably won't.

HOY! PENDLETON! FARAH! RUDISHA! BOLT! ENNIS!....

THE OLYMPICS ARE GONE. LONG LIVE THE PARALYMPICS!!

Classical Music? The still small voice, ever-truthful, always there, the wise gnome in the woods, ready to tell the tale to all who listen...

[Lateralthinking1]

>>There are some children and that's a trombone, some people on cycles and here's some pets..."

Marvellous too that Jimmy Clitheroe was asked along to add weight to the commentary.

Well, I haven't seen the programme, Paul, but I'm looking forward to catching up on the two minute highlight. How did we all survive without the I-Player? It would be the last thing I would leave on a desert island.

My first guess is that the 35 year old kid's sister also turned up to see Fatboy Slim. She was occasionally known as the Octopus and my sources tell me that the ex Mr Zoe Ball performed in an octopus so that all fits. It just goes to show what middle age can do. Last time I believe he was on Brighton beach surrounded by smashed bottles, irked fish and the ecology police.

My second guess, which is my main bet, is that we take a short step from Clitheroe to Nelson, if not on to Colne. There we find DJ Trevor who is also a Nelson and has just spotted his second cousin removed dancing in roller skates. The big question in my mind is which Spice Girl was performing on Mr Higginbottom's taxi. My guess there is it was either Cheryl Cole or Shaznay Lewis.

Anyway, what a splendid occasion this has been. It would be churlish to knock what the fortnight has done for Britain and I wouldn't have missed it for the world. I can't though for the life of me remember whether any other countries took part.

[Pabmusic]

You mean it wa c..p?

Chap? Chop? Chip? Coop (or would that be Co-op)?

Oh, I know... Cheap! But that's five letters - you've missed one out.

(Only...I don't think it was cheap. )

Isn't that Olympic anthem dire!

Also - the extinguishing of the flame, surmounted by that huge phoenix with its wings outstretched had more than a touch of Albert Speer and Leni Riefenstahl about it. Or so it seemed to me.

[scottycelt]

A sad post, Scottie. I didn't realise the athletes were defined at the ceremony by their different faiths; different cultures, maybe, different locations, certainly. But faiths...? I can't think of many more appropriate songs than 'Imagine".

Yes, faiths ... by the simple law of averages, a significant number of athletes will be believers including Jews, Christians and Moslems. The Games are supposed to be inclusive of every race and creed and those of no particular belief. To be scrupulously neutral in such matters is not exactly rocket-science. I would be just as much against the singing of Christian hymns on such an all-embracing occasion. If that is being 'sad', I am perfectly content to have the tag.

A 'North-South Korean flag' moment, I'm afraid ... careless, sloppy and, indeed, quite stunningly amateurish!

[teamsaint]

Impressive. I can't imagine any of them playing football.

It is the major autumn term game at Westminster and Winchester. Eton, not least because of its size, splits about 50/50 between football and rugby.
it is a major sport at plenty of other "top" schools also, FWIW.

[Richard Tarleton]

Yes, faiths ... by the simple claw of averages, a significant number of athletes will be believers including Jews, Christians and Moslems. The Games are supposed to be inclusive of every race and creed and those of no particular belief. To be scrupulously neutral in such matters is not exactly rocket-science. I would be just as much against the singing of Christian hymns on such an all-embracing occasion. If that is being 'sad', I am perfectly content to have the tag.

A 'North-South Korean flag' moment, I'm afraid ... careless, sloppy and, indeed, quite stunningly amateurish!

My problem with "Imagine" was chiefly the sudden plunge into purest kitsch - up till then I could take everything at face value, it was what it was, the entry of the athletes was tremendous, and then this piece of cloying faux sentiment, Christ-like face of Lennon appearing on the screen, white-clad angelic choir singing those naff words....and I was baffled by Annie Lennox's number, what on earth was that about? But it recovered, the light show was amazing on TV, Spice Girls were great (never thought I'd hear myself saying that), Brian May looking like Simon Rattle's embarrassing dad, and it's the first time I'd ever heard Jessie J (seen her name in print) but thought she fitted the bill perfectly....I'm sure it played brilliantly on TV around the world, which is what it was supposed to do.

[vinteuil]

I understand that there was a television showing of the olympic tamasha last night.

I enjoyed Gurrelieder immensely.

[Flosshilde]

Oh no, now it's "look on the bright side of life."

The high point of the evening

Roller-skating nuns, bangra, & high-kicking centurions & all

[Flosshilde]

Well, I guess you're right. But if you are going to make the closing ceremony a gigantic historical pop concert - giant disco, even - it would be hard not to include the acts we've seen. It's just that it doesn't have the flair of the opening ceremony.

Absolutely agree - it's basically a big party for the athletes to let their hair down (even if some had been doing that in London after the first week) - they don't gather in national groups, but just a bix mix - perhps symbolising the ideal (if there is one) of the Olympics, & certainly reflecting the connections & relationships developed during the competitions.

& if the opening was subversive, wasn't the closing so as well? Acts that many of the people there wouldn't have been allowed to see or hear, belting out 'Freedom', singing along to 'Imagine'? & Scotty, that was absolutely the most appropriate song for the event? Imagine, if there were no religion, the Saudi female athletes wouldn't have had any problems attending. What did you expect - a few hymns, a mass led by the Cardinal (or the Arch-Bishop)?

[amateur51]

Yes, faiths ... by the simple law of averages, a significant number of athletes will be believers including Jews, Christians and Moslems. The Games are supposed to be inclusive of every race and creed and those of no particular belief. To be scrupulously neutral in such matters is not exactly rocket-science. I would be just as much against the singing of Christian hymns on such an all-embracing occasion. If that is being 'sad', I am perfectly content to have the tag.

A 'North-South Korean flag' moment, I'm afraid ... careless, sloppy and, indeed, quite stunningly amateurish!

What has the law of averages got to do with an elite (i.e., not 'normal') group of people like Olympic athletes?

I thought it was a brilliant choice and the fact that it's got up scotty's hooter ... I'll stop now

[amateur51]

The high point of the evening

Roller-skating nuns, bangra, & high-kicking centurions & all

[Flosshilde]

I was baffled by Annie Lennox's number, what on earth was that about?

Surprising, yes - not whet one would expect of the usually minimalist Lennox, but a fabulous piece of high camp theatre. Better than the exceedingly naff dance bit with Darcy Bussel at the end.

[amateur51]

JESSIE J WAS BRILLIANT, ONE OF THE STARS OF AN AMAZING CLOSING CEREMONY! DON'T BE SO INSULAR AND JUDGEMENTAL, THIS WAS DESIGNED TO MAKE AN IMPACT ROUND THE WORLD! FROM WHAT I SAW, EVEN HALF-CUT ON PROSECCO, MOST OF THE ATHLETES, GB AND OTHERWISE, WERE SINGING ALONG, THEY ALL KNEW THE WORDS, THAT'S THE POINT!

It's what GB is now, shown in these ethnically-diverse, gender-stereotype blind, utterly modern Games. No displays of power and oh-how-great-we-are, just the mixed blood olympics of the modern world, robust and abundant...

How awful to return to the stuffed shirt, male-dominated economics and politics of Tory-ruled GB and Westminster! They haven't a clue, should learn from the last fortnight... but probably won't.

HOY! PENDLETON! FARAH! RUDISHA! BOLT! ENNIS!....

THE OLYMPICS ARE GONE. LONG LIVE THE PARALYMPICS!!

Classical Music? The still small voice, ever-truthful, always there, the wise gnome in the woods, ready to tell the tale to all who listen...

Excellent post, jlw! Proscecco was a good choice, clearly

[JohnSkelton]

I thought it was a brilliant choice and the fact that it's got up scotty's hooter ... I'll stop now

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djkkuBCR3Io would have been better (IMVHO).

[scottycelt]

I thought it was a brilliant choice ...

Spooky .. I had this unusual premonition that you might ...

... I'll stop now ...

Another brilliant choice, amsey ... but one can't help but wonder why you ever started ... ?