To be disgusted at Danny Boyle for using live animals in the Olympic opening ceremony!

[balotelli]

According to reports on todays news live sheep will be used in the Olympic Opening ceremony. Its supposed to depict 'rural' England!

Poor sheep will be scared shitless. I am horrified that these poor sensitive creatures are being exploited for entertainment.

No animals should ever be used as entertainment.

Disgraceful.

I think the whole situation is a bit ridiculous, that we have to try so hard with the opening ceremony and worry about matching up to the Chinese - it's all gone way over the top. But since it has, way to go to give it to Danny Boyle and have it featuring sheep! That is sooooo British and daft and self-deprecating, the way it should be.

Unless you never eat meat or wear wool, I don't think you can really get too upset about the sheeps' feelings. I'm sure they will be well looked after and it will be more fun than the slaughterhouse

rofl at that link :o

Perhaps they could use the sheep like they use the hare in greyhound racing. Make Usain Bolt go even faster

I never eat meat and I never wear wool, Begonia.

But since it has, way to go to give it to Danny Boyle and have it featuring sheep! That is sooooo British and daft and self-deprecating, the way it should be.

Maybe they should have given it to Nick Park. Only plasticine sheep would be used....

ohhhhhhh god it's going to be so shit isn't it - picking right up from where we left off with our pearl kings on a double decker bus lark that we did at the end of the Beijing games

Then Graham according to my dictat you have every right to complain!

If you are saying humans shouldn't use animals at all for anything, and live by that, then that's a v respectable standpoint. (Difficult to do mind.)

Oh yes if only the whole thing could be animated in plasticine by Nick Park! Absolutely genius.

See I think the fact is we can't even begin to compete with the showy Chinese do, so we have to make it a bit bizarre, silly and rubbish, and stand out that way. Makes me proud to be British!

"Then Graham according to my dictat you have every right to complain!"

Which is an ideal opportunity to say it again - it's an asshole of an idea, cruel, unnecessary and bloody ridiculous too.

Apparently Simon Cowell is going to be Chief Sheep Selector.

Maybe Boris will dress up as ye olde worlde shepherd, chewing on a bit of straw and stomping round in a smock.
Or play the scarecrow.

The Chinese broadcast of the fireworks was recorded and the little girl 'singing' was lip-synching. You'll do better than that - why is there so much negativity here?

Oh and Boris already is a scarecrow.

I momentarily confused Danny Boyle and Frankie Boyle, and am actually relieved it's not the latter doing the opening ceremony for the Olympics.

can you IMAGINE?

I would fucking love Frankie Boyle to do a stand up show at the Olympics but I suspect he would be locked in the Tower and beheaded at the closing ceremony.

Is Jerusalem not something to do with slavery?

No, very much not to do with slavery. The words are from a poem by William Blake, whose work stresses notions of universal humanity.

The basic premise of the poem is 'if Jesus returned to earth during the early industrial revolution (hence the reference to dark satanic mills) what would he make of the godawful mess we had made of things?'

The last lines urge us to build a 'new Jerusalem' in England, a paradise on earth.

It is the only English patriotic song I will sing, containing as it does a right on message that we should come together and work in the common interest.

A few of my Scottish friends love it and are amazed it isn't the English national anthem. Loads better than the slow dreary fart of God save the Queen.

I don't think there will be welfare issues but I do think there is a good chance the horses will go bonkers and trample everyone. The equestrian Olympic events are a completely different kettle of fish to having horses participate in the opening ceremony.

So nobody is mentioning the cows elephant in the room?

Slavering, massive, possibly startled 1/2 ton cows who may scour indelicately.
Believe me, there is little you can do if cows decide to do the 200m hurdles and triple jump.

Quite agree compos.

seeker - I agree re: Dow Chemicals and Bhopal. Am boycotting the thing.

I think he should go with zombies

Like Thriller. Would be ace.

As long as they use we will smash Beijing out of the stadium!

That is bloody brilliant HipHop

This shepherds really have too much time on their hands are really creative aren't they.

I agree - it is one of the most marvellous things I've ever seen

Brilliant!