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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think the Opening Ceremony was truely appalling and here's why

500 replies

kate2mum · 28/07/2012 09:49

Danny Boyle - a cool dad in jeans who thinks of the world through the prism of music of his youth. He sees everything through music.
Had Viv Westwood been in charge, for example, the history of the UK would have been seen through fashion.
But, no, a billion people have to listen to the personal playlist of a Nick Hornbyish (oh, they are friends!) music trainspotter.

Shame if you don't see the world through that sort of music - but I guess you had to be there, and DBoyle probably was.

Tribute to NHS!!! Sorry, but I didn't know everyone who works for the NHS were all angels and volunteered for free instead of working for one of the biggest employers in the country. And just remembered this event is about SPORT and the way it can transform, so why oh why demonstrate 100's of "sick" children - to demonstrate how "caring" the NHS is.

Then children's literature done by the man who bought us Trainspotting - initially I thought the scene was still about the NHS turning into a nightmare, but NO, the best way to illustrate childrens' literature is to show how truely scary it is! Yes, reading can be terrifying and books are a fearful place. Not a place of safety, or unlifting, not inspiring, not poetic, just a nightmare (where were all the positive characters???).

Only people Danny Boyle's age would thing Mary Poppins was appropriate..

My children fell asleep; they could have cut most of it, had David Beckham ride in on a motorbike, light the flame, and then have some fireworks.

Lighting designer was good though.

OP posts:
Debs75 · 28/07/2012 19:24

Just because I found it better than the Beijing opening, which was amazing in itself, doesn't mean i need educating about China's history.
There was no way we could of put on an opening ceremony like that one so we, rightly went in a different direction and celebrated Britain. I am pretty sure some countries will of found it confusing and not fitting in with what they feel the British stereotype is but maybe they should learn some parts of our history

kerala · 28/07/2012 19:37

Were you watching what I was watching OP?! It was fantastic - must say am struggling to understand any negativity. I watched it with a big group and everyone was blown away - the DCs (all under 5s lasted until nearly 11 which said all you need to know about how it held their attention).

My favourite bit was the cyclists with wings and DB on the speedboat. Just amazing.

Lucyellensmum99 · 28/07/2012 19:48

There are folks who just like to complain, no matter what - i am usually quick to criticise and i really didn't want to like it, but i thought it was fucking amazing!

Molehillmountain · 28/07/2012 19:50

It was astonishing. My children went to bed very, very late and I even Blush got one of them up to watch it because I wanted us all to have seen it. The Nhs bit-whether we are world leaders in healthcare is not the point-we are works leaders in healthcare free at the point of access. Luckily they put macca on at the end - a work of subtle genius planned when they knew that if they didn't do something stomach turning at the end the nation wouldn't sleep at all last night Wink

hermionestranger · 28/07/2012 19:50

Well I loved it! So do my six year so Boo sucks to you op.

WillowFae · 28/07/2012 20:00

What with the Shire at the beginning and then Isengard rising up from the hill, I do think they should have had Gandalf lighting the cauldron.

Still loved it all though.

ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 28/07/2012 20:08

Have a Biscuit and Torch

I really liked it. It was quirky and funny, quintessentially British. They had to do something very different from the regimented precision spectacular that was done in Bejing and I think they succeeded.

I thought it was lovely that people like Tim Berners-Lee and Doreen Lawrence were recognised too.

OatyBeatie · 28/07/2012 20:08

THe industrializing bit was very Isengard, wasn't it. I expect G4S had to be specially briefed to keep Ents from coming in and trashing it.

purplepansy · 28/07/2012 20:09

It was AMAZING. I felt very very cynical about the Olympics until I watched. very quirky, very British, I thought the music was a fantastic mix, loved it all, especially the torch being lit by young up and coming athletes -definitely underlined the 'inspire a generation'. The only thing that was rubbish was Macca. Why oh why oh why...

OatyBeatie · 28/07/2012 20:12

I thought the whole thing was brilliant. It was amazing to be confronted with something that at least temporarily gave me a patriotism that I didn't have to cringe away from. It made me realise how crabbing and demoralising it is to feel depressed about our country and ashamed of its government so much of the time. Just for a little while I was able to think Ah, so this is what it is like to feel really proud of your country.

emmieging · 28/07/2012 20:20

Just as an aside, does anyway know if any of the musical items in the stadium were pre recorded? I mean obviously macca was as he was shit and ballsed up) but I couldn't tell with the others. Abide with me seemed live but I got the feeling the soloist in Jerusalem was recorded.

(NB this is not a criticism at all- I loved the whole thing, just wondering )

MissBetseyTrotwood · 28/07/2012 20:30

The Arctic Monkeys were live. I knows that.

I have a feeling that most of the rest might have been pre recorded. Doesn't lessen the enjoyment for me though, given the context.

loopyluna · 28/07/2012 20:33

We all loved it. As an ex pat watching from abroad I felt strangely patriotic and quite emotional at times. Can't think of a single bit I didn't love!
OP YABVVVVU!!

muddyjumpers · 28/07/2012 20:33

DD/DS2 stayed up and watched it all.

DD was very upset as Dr Who wasn't there.Sad

we all loved the Mr Bean best bit. Grin

Oh, and the team with wellis & brollies. Grin

DD very absorbed in the swimming at the moment! Grin Torch

maythe4thbewithyou · 28/07/2012 20:49

Another expat abroad here, I watched it with a group of locals and another British friend. We had to explain a lot of it to our local friends, but I thought it was amazing. I was also left feeling emotional and patriotic. And my seven year old ds has at last been introduced to Mr. Bean, so he's been watching old episodes of that on YouTube (been laughing his socks off tonight!)

LRDtheFeministDragon · 28/07/2012 20:52

emmie - it's a way back but if you're referring to my post about 'looking up cultural references' to China, please re-read and knock it off. I asked because I don't know if there was anything more to it than spectacle, because a couple of people mentioned that there wasn't, and I didn't see the damn thing.

That is not the same as suggesting other people need to look up cultural references.

As narky says, don't see why we are comparing ourselves to a country that performs forced late-term abortions anyway - we already have the moral high ground and then some.

NigellasGuest · 28/07/2012 21:19

I thought it was quirky and fabulous and spine-tingling.
It would bear up well to a re-watch ... I wonder if there will be a DVD of it?
Macca was defo put there at the end to get everyone to go home.....

Happiestinwellybobs · 28/07/2012 21:25

Even my ever cynical DH was blown away by it all - says a lot really!! Amazing - think we did ourselves proud !

MyinnergoddessisatLidl · 28/07/2012 21:28

Why are people saying that Wales wasn't represented? There were a group of kids on a beach looking over Rhossili bay, singing Bread of Heaven?

Apart from singing in Welsh, how much more Welsh does it get?

Maccabee should have sung Live and Let Die, with a younger rock band, while all the Bonds made an appearance....especially Roger Moore in a safari suit...Grin

Growlithe · 28/07/2012 21:29

Don't know if it's been said upthread at all but poor Queen getting caught out picking her nails. Did anyone see her actually filling up at the children signing the national anthem? I've never seen her showing such emotion before

SinisterBuggyMonth · 28/07/2012 21:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Midgetm · 28/07/2012 21:50

It wasn't pre recorded. Except the obvious film clips etc.

Himalaya · 28/07/2012 22:06

I thought it was fab, right up to the Macca bit. But ive still found my self going" na-na-na na,nananana" at odd points through the day though.

Barney10 · 28/07/2012 22:18

Interesting to read this thread and then' Olympics Ceremony What Did It Mean To You' thread ( apologies- not technical enough to link).

Poor OP getting slammed on this thread; all your supporters are over there!

P.S. See you there...

emmieging · 28/07/2012 22:36

Well that's interesting ... Have just googled and apparently almost all the music was pre recorded; apparently the complexities and scale of it meant this was the best way to do it. I was pretty certain bits like Jerusalem were, but emile sande seemed live. So my question now is.. Why on earth did they let macca loose? Surely that should have been pre recorded? Preferably by someone else Smile

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