To say I loved the opening ceremony?

Agree!

Oh yes, he was good. As was the girl holding the umbrella! Her arm must have been aching!

Tony Estanguet, in charge of the organization of the whole Olympics, I think.

Loved every minute of it!! Cannot understand the negativity on here.

It’s not a need, it’s an observation. Isn’t comparison generally how people measure how much they enjoy a thing or event?

The insistence that our 2012 one was 'better' is so childish.

International press were positive on the whole, apart from the very right wing press who had conniptions over the trans people.

Who's Tony @SwedishEdith ?

I preferred the Paris one last night to our London one. I found the London one so busy in the stadium, I couldn't take it all in, but last night was spot on, and I loved the river element and certain acts on the riverbank or whatever. It was just a bit bonkers and I liked it!

Just my opinion of course

I don’t understand this need we in the UK always seem to have to compare though.

I think there were amazing bits I'd like to watch again - the woman singing the Marseillais was beautiful. Quite a bit of filler (but that's true of all ceremonies. I remember some of the close ups of the dancing on the pitch in London looking really amateurish. I can't remember anything about the Tokyo ceremony). The weather was completely against them and it should have been an hour shorter/started an hour later. But, overall, there was lots that looked magnificent (I loved the Marie Antoinettes) using Paris as the stage. And, of course, Tony 😍

Agreed @SpidersAreShitheads that it isn't reflected in the comments on this thread, on the whole.

Ok, fair enough.

Change my post to “some”. Same point applies.

People were fed up already before the drag queens arrived. It’s not as if they were loving the event, the drag queens arrived, and THEN they decided they hated it and became offended by the “whole event”.

Suggesting that the criticism is because of pearl clutching by “ some “ isn’t reflected at all by the comments here.

What was papa Smurf about?

I said "some people" not "most people".

But most people weren’t “offended by the whole event”?

Lots of people were unimpressed by the drag queens. But even before that there were lots of people saying the lack of crowds meant that the atmosphere was flat.

There was no roar. No atmosphere. It was a great series of performances/displays but nothing that really connected, and the athletes barely visible. It lost the sense of occasion, for the most part.

That’s what most people are objecting to. It’s nothing to do with offence.

I enjoyed it! It was different and somehow brought French history alive with a modern twist.

Overall I enjoyed it. Boats do not work as well as a stadium, but it was something different. The main thing that was lacking was a crowd. They were very thinned out on the approach to the Eiffel Tower. I understand it was for safety reasons but it meant things like the mechanical horse lost the excitement factor, and we were all just watching this horse in near silence for what felt like about ten minutes. And the boat ride with Carl Lewis and Serena was nerve wracking, they all looked so unstable!

I loved the Marie Antoinette segment, also the singer, and the ballet dancer. I didn't really have a problem with the fashion segment except that it went on way too long. The person in the tippy toe heels marching up and down all that time.. Paris has such a strong fashion history that I expected more than a nightclub runway show. Mind you, I'm also glad we didn't see any ancient archived Chanel dissolving in the rain. Honestly, I didn't like that there were kids there. I can only think it tied into the "would you let a drag queen read to your kid" type discourse, like a stamp of family friendly approval. But why? It's O for some things to just be adult friendly. Throwing a kid into the middle doesn't turn it into the Tweenies. It certainly didn't make that performers free hanging bollock disappear.

From the walk towards the Louvre though it was all perfect. The balloon, the light show, and Celine Dion was just magnificent.

It was a mixed bag. A bit dull in places. Too long (they are always too long). But really interesting culturally and artistically. I liked the statues of women particularly. And the Seine being the focal point. Lots of thought had gone into it. London’s was much more fun. But last night was overall engaging and thought provoking.

I thought celebrating the execution of a middle aged woman by cutting her head off was in piss poor taste.

I liked the horse and thought Celine Dion was absolutely astounding.

The rest was just.......cheap Eurotrash

@scottishheather86

I agree with you. I loved it! I found it different, I'm fed up with stadium shows, I just loved everything about it. Shame about the weather though...

Agreed. There were some stunning bits. As I said not everyone is going to like everything but some people are determined to be offended by the whole event.

They had a lot more than just the sweaty nude blue dude though, be fair! The effort and expertise and imagination that went into some things like the horse, the balloon, etc. And Céline’s unbelievably powerful performance of such a meaningful song from the Eiffel Tower, it just took my breath away, and more than made up for the sweaty nude blue dude! Like others,I also loved the way the Paris roofs, bridges, gardens etc, were used as a stage. It is such a beautiful city.

Good bits, liked the boats going past which made a nice change to introducing the teams. The horse on the water was good. Celine dion. can can dancers. the tricolor in smoke.

Bad bits - the heavy metal not a fan, no fireworks, the torch relay going round the louvre, an art gallery (nothing to do with sports) which route was poorly lit. And the cauldron is not lit in the stadium. And the super super long torch relay bit on the boat, with a solitary dancing man dressed in yellow, entertaining thousands of people on a huge stage to fill that bit out.

Weird bits- marie antoinettes heads. Lady gagas piece was strange. The hooded person with the torch, parkour was good, but still strange. And the interupting a possible threesome. like each to their own, but threesomes that common in france to be really a 'french' tradition of sorts?

I mean drag queens are as offensive as any other privileged group taking the mick out of a less socially privileged or down right disadvantaged one. If you find men mocking women (and in this case, religion) to be inoffensive then you do you as the kids say.

I wasn’t bothered by the drag queens

by that time it was just another eye roll to add to the others

it just wasn’t well put together a few parts
were stunning