Olympics__Opening Ceremonies__Your Impressions

Yes the opening ceremony was a spectacular, expensive, theatrical extravaganza - but what did it actually have to do with the purpose of men and women (who were kept standing for getting on for four hours in a hot, polluted stadium) coming together to compete in a worldwide sporting event?

How much precious energy is being used to maintain acres of plasma screen? How much smoke, fumes and residual chemicals from all those fireworks have now mingled with and clung to the cloud of pollution already hanging over Beijing? How much gas per minute is that OTT flame going to consume and belch into the atmosphere for sixteen nights and day?

Well, aside from the commentary by the NBC announcers who had to skate around any discussion of anything uncomplementary about China --like the symbolism of the children handing off to the soldiers being the idea that the State would look after the children...which I found absolutely creepy, and the China of the present which overlooked little things like Tiamen Square, Tibet and the recent rounding up of dissenters right and left, it was a gorgeous display.

One wondered if there were police waiting to cart them away if they said anything other than "Look at the pretty colors." It was beautiful, no question. It was amazing. No question. It also left me feeling a bit disturbed. Maybe it was just me.

SherryTex said:

Well, aside from the commentary by the NBC announcers who had to skate around any discussion of anything uncomplimentary about China --like the symbolism of the children handing off to the soldiers being the idea that the State would look after the children...which I found absolutely creepy, and the China of the present which overlooked little things like Tiananmen Square, Tibet and the recent rounding up of dissenters right and left, it was a gorgeous display.

One wondered if there were police waiting to cart them away if they said anything other than "Look at the pretty colors." It was beautiful, no question. It was amazing. No question. It also left me feeling a bit disturbed. Maybe it was just me.

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Not just you. It all feels like sham and show to me. I hate saying that, I love the Olympics. But I find myself wishing that the U.S. had stood up and recused from this one.

If there's one thing authoritarian governments do right, it's spectacle. The parade of nations was heartwarming as usual, though.

Yes, to all of the above. The Russia/Georgia happenings were a sad addition to the day as well.

Please don't expect anything like that from London in 2012.

A) I don't think anybody in this country could pull that off.
B) I really don't want my tax money wasted on a load of fireworks on top of the huge waste of building a load of stadiums that will sit unused afterwards.

And if you made it that far, which my son did, not me, Bob Costas said at the sign off, "Well, I don't think Anyone could say Anything negative about China after that."

One envisions a few police standing behind the camera holding up cards for him to read and nodding their heads.

Bob Costas is a jackass.

Always has been.

Man I long for the days of ABC and Jim McKay. NBC has never approached the calibre of ABC's sports and Olympics coverage of those years.

nerds said:

Not just you. It all feels like sham and show to me. I hate saying that, I love the Olympics. But I find myself wishing that the U.S. had stood up and recused from this one.

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I don't love the fact that China is hosting this year, but I think a boycott would have rung hollow given that we as Americans still love to buy our cheap goods from them.

Wow. Can't you all just enjoy the spectacle without the
political/environmental/societal comments?


I thought it was breathtaking.

It was spectacular. Absolutely spectacular.

My favorite bit was the old Olympian running in space around the rim at the top of the stadium, while carrying the Olympic flame.

I did watch, just I wasn't able to purely escape into it because of the unspoken context.

I did enjoy it, despite all the politics behind these games. China is one country with a lot of history and culture to celebrate, regardless of who is in charge. I even liked the PLA's flag-raising squadron. I've never seen flags so expertly raised in my life.

I think it is a shame when politics hijack the Olympics. It should be about athletes, competition, and bringing people in the world together--not pulling them apart with their politics. Maybe that's just a dream.

I thought it was a beautiful, breathtaking spectacle and enjoyed it on that front. But I confess that I was not able to put out of my mind news reports of areas still devestated by the earthquake where the rubble hasn't even been removed, much less anything rebuilt. People are still living in tents from it.

And already the event has been marred by the murder of the volleyball coach.

I stayed up with my 10 year old and the ceremony did spark some interesting discussion with him about the history of China and the current state of affairs in the country. He was enthralled with learning about all the things created and discovered there. He really didn't know much about such an ancient culture and now is interested in reading books and learning about China. So I guess it has also turned into an interesting teaching opportunity.

Soccer Mom said:

I thought it was a beautiful, breathtaking spectacle and enjoyed it on that front. But I confess that I was not able to put out of my mind news reports of areas still devestated by the earthquake where the rubble hasn't even been removed, much less anything rebuilt. People are still living in tents from it.

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DITTO.

The nine-year-old kid qwake hero/survivor accompanying China's flag bearer was a neat touch, but how sincere? The Olympics lasts two weeks every four years and is about sports. The event doesn't need huge amounts of misplaced money to herald it when that money could be used to aleviate human suffering for a lot longer than two weeks.

I thought it was beautiful and impressive, and I'm glad we didn't boycott the Games. The Games, to me, have always been about the athletes, and I'm incredibly disappointed for them when a country decides not to participate for political reasons.

Part of the thing with the modern Olypmics was for it to be an international two week truce, where we lay aside our differences and come together for once. I really wish people could do that.

SherryTex said:

Well, aside from the commentary by the NBC announcers who had to skate around any discussion of anything uncomplementary about China --like the symbolism of the children handing off to the soldiers being the idea that the State would look after the children...which I found absolutely creepy, and the China of the present which overlooked little things like Tiamen Square, Tibet and the recent rounding up of dissenters right and left, it was a gorgeous display.

One wondered if there were police waiting to cart them away if they said anything other than "Look at the pretty colors." It was beautiful, no question. It was amazing. No question. It also left me feeling a bit disturbed. Maybe it was just me.

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Nope, I used that exact term (Creepy) to describe my feelings to hubs. I did like the centerfield scroll idea, but kept wondering if I was supposed to view it horizontally or veritically. I was not that impressed by the opening "drum" sequence, but I really liked the "moveable type" portion. I was waiting for GW to strip down to his skivvys, tho. 85 degrees and 85% humidity would have been too much for me. I'd have to go sit in my AC'd car!!! Yes there were lots of pretty colors and very imaginative use of China's most impressive and abundant commodity, ie people. Definitely the most memorable Opening Ceremonies I've ever seen, but as others have mentioned, at what cost? (to the environment and to those who were "displaced" from their homes in Bejing to make room for all the "improvements") I did like the contrasts(loud/quiet, soft/hard, big/little) and the overall tone was really quite joyous, tho (who knows what lurks in their hearts???). I enjoyed the parade of nations (found opportunities for geography lessons, etc as did SoccerMom) and although the commentators refrained from comments about China, did anyone else catch that extended comment on Saudi women?

Lasting image from it all (besides the fireworks which would've been really cool to see live): Yao Ming and the little earthquake survivor leading the Chinese team. They were so cute!!!!

qwerty said:

Yes the opening ceremony was a spectacular, expensive, theatrical extravaganza - but what did it actually have to do with the purpose of men and women (who were kept standing for getting on for four hours in a hot, polluted stadium) coming together to compete in a worldwide sporting event?

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What did you expect to hold the opening ceremony? In an open field or Tienanman Square?

How much precious energy is being used to maintain acres of plasma screen?

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It's LED, which consumes far less energy than your own TV (comparatively speaking, of course, since that thing was 500 feet long).

How much smoke, fumes and residual chemicals from all those fireworks have now mingled with and clung to the cloud of pollution already hanging over Beijing? How much gas per minute is that OTT flame going to consume and belch into the atmosphere for sixteen nights and day?

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At least they do it once every four years. What about our Super Bowl? How much smoke, fumes, chemicals, and wastes are we talking about?

And no one complained about Atlanta or Sydney. Why China? Are the fireworks in China so much worse than that in Atlanta? If anything, they use mostly man-power in the ceremony instead of some heavy machineries and pyrotechnics and monster trucks so common on the American stages. I think your tirade about environmental issues, etc. in a thread about the Olympics opening ceremony (which is about spectacles, not "feed the world") is somewhat misplaced.


Anyway, I'm proud of the Chinese and thought the opening ceremony was impressive, spectacular and very tasteful. It usually made me cringe when the Chinese tried to put on a show because they were usually loud and obnoxious and tacky, but I think Zhang Yimou really did a great job. Plus the messages are good: first it was to showcase China's accomplishments (they have the right to do so -- it's a long time coming!) and then all the peace and environmental stuff at the end, and looking to a global future (with all the faces of children around the world) -- I think that's a very positive message and simply awe-inspiring images, sights and sounds.

The LED screen was beautiful, and the dance/ink painting is wonderful. The 2008 Tai chi masters who form perfect circles were impressive. And just the number of people involved reminds us China's strength: its people -- the sheer amount and the physical/brain power they have.

Soccer Mom said:

And already the event has been marred by the murder of the volleyball coach.

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It's not the coach. It's his father-in-law.

absolutely beautiful.

didn't think a whit about politics or anything else - which sort of was the point.

a wonderful exhibition from the oldest civilization in the world - breathtaking and beautiful.

I daresay you wouldn't get anything that good from Hollywood. Well, not without exploding cars or some sort of silliness like that...

No, maestrowork, I didn't expect Tianamen Square. That would hardly have been appropriate given that the Olympics is meant to celebrate youth and excellence, and the Chinese mowed down their own students - who one would suppose were representative of youth and excellence - in TS.

YOUR Super Bowl - not mine - is, as you say, a good example of smoke, fumes, chemicals, and waste. Are you saying it's excusable?

When there is already concern about polution affecting healthy athletes in Beijing, not to mention full-time inhabitants, are we to condone further unnecessary polution for the sake of an ostentatious display which, I repeat, is not about the true spirit of the Olympics.

It's the OLYMPICS opening ceremony -- the world's stage. Seriously, I don't know what you expect.

And the Chinese invented the fireworks, after all. I think it's very appropriate.

Maybe a quiet little poetry reading in one of the museums.

There's always people who will turn anything into some platform for politics and issues. Can't we just enjoy the show and forget about our differences for a second -- wouldn't that be MORE of an Olympics spirit than trying to bash China whichever way we can?