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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:
edam · 28/07/2012 22:46

Grin @ preferably by someone else, how true!

JamieandTheOlympicTorch · 28/07/2012 23:06

There was a backing trck for him, and it got out of synch to begin with, which made it worse.

ExitPursuedByABronzeBear · 28/07/2012 23:11

Well I have just spent the evening watching it again on Sky plus (DD and DH away so recorded it for them) and I enjoyed it just as much the second time round, plus I got to hear the tardis during the Queen clip (not that Queen) and saw her Maj smirking when she greeted Daniel Craig and walked out of the room with him.

Thumbwitch · 28/07/2012 23:30

LRD - I don't think it was you being referred to, it was this snarky post:

OurPlanetNeptune Sat 28-Jul-12 15:44:06
Typical British attitude here bash others in order feel good about themselves: Beijing was spectacular. But there were masses of cultural references in their ceremony that I guess people criticising can't be arsed to look up.

Look it up. Seriously. There were some very beautiful dignified messages

Fair enough if you loved the OC last night but your ignorance is evident when you start bashing Beijing.

Mograt · 28/07/2012 23:33

I love a lot of the British traits but the one i really despise is negativity. We watched the whole thing with friends and everyone loved it. We laughed, we danced, we sang and we shed a tear. It made us feel proud and happy and positive to hail from this wonderfully diverse nation. Hooray for us.

sasamunde · 28/07/2012 23:38

Can't get through all the posts so this may have been said already but I read the NHS tribute n the children's literature things as a dig against China: we have public healthcare and all our children can read! Loved it.

LRDtheFeministDragon · 28/07/2012 23:46

Oh! How did I miss that?! Thanks thumb, and I agree, that is snotty.

I don't believe the ceremony would be a dig against China though - I don't think it came across as that mean-spirited - and besides, it would be absurd for us to try to pretend to China we're better at literature or literacy, surely.

Cremolavelodrome · 28/07/2012 23:57

Two words: Daniel Craig

What's wrong with you OP?Grin

ohsoh · 29/07/2012 01:47

Well, Kate, I am from the UK and have been living in NZ for the last 15 years and think the NHS is miles better than the NZ system.

I get why it's the way it is here but it annoys me that, for example, we get charged through the nose for doctors appointments even for kids from the age of 6.

ohsoh · 29/07/2012 01:48

by the way, YABU, bloody fantastic opening ceremony (apart from Macca)

GladysPugh · 29/07/2012 02:13

Don't get the comparison with Vivienne Westwood. Danny Boyle is a film director, he creates a visual AND aural experience to tell a story, the music supports that - and here the soundtrack supported the story of The UK he wanted to tell.

NZ has more than Crowded House - there was that bloke who sang "How Bizarre" about 15 yrs ago, that was a bit of an ear worm.

Isn't Mary P

GladysPugh · 29/07/2012 02:22

...ahem, stupid phone...

Mary Poppins, she's probably the most positive character in ever to be found in children's literature - and in the ceremony she chases the baddies away.

Expected to be embarrassed by the ceremony but it's exuberance won me over - until the hide-under-the-duvet moment that was Macca... Oh, and Mr Bean, the world may love him but I still think he's shit.

GladysPugh · 29/07/2012 02:23

And we may need to pay taxes to support the NHS but those who don't pay them can still access it

GladysPugh · 29/07/2012 02:39

its I mean...

One final thing, the first hour looked like it had been directed by Peter Jackson! I bet he loved it!

Ormiriathomimus · 29/07/2012 06:33

Loved it. Was proud, moved, thrilled and confused in turns.

Will confess to not knowing who Danny Boyle was until I asked dh. Have spent the last year vaguely aware that the OC was being directed by a r1 DJ Confused Blush

kate2mum · 29/07/2012 10:22

Yes, Ohso, I heard that they charged NZ$50 per visit, about £20 over the age of six. That would drive me crazy; what if you have a child with asthma?? Or just picking up every bug going.

I think it must be the small population and not enough tax payers or the working population have buggered off to Australia. Particularly irritating as I know tax is really high in NZ.

OP posts:
Pendeen · 30/07/2012 16:59

Must admit that whilst I didn't think it was "appalling" I was quite disappointed.

A group of us watched and we were all embarrassed at what was effectively a giant primary school sports day opening.

Can quite see why the event is called ' London 2012 Olympics'.

JamieandTheOlympicTorch · 30/07/2012 17:05

erm, because it's hosted by London?

Pendeen - did you miss all the many and various references to other parts of Britain?

The torch relay
The events being held in Manchester, Scotland, Weymouth, Essex
The stuff in the ceremony - singing from Scotland, Wales, Ireland, the Jarrow marchers, Glastonbury, the Industrial Pat, the rural scenes etc etc

JamieandTheOlympicTorch · 30/07/2012 17:05

Insdustrial Past

Alibabaandthe40nappies · 30/07/2012 17:19

Pendeen it is the London Olympics though Confused

Pendeen · 30/07/2012 17:36

Quite.

Ithinkitsjustme · 30/07/2012 18:03

I loved it, just one thing jarred with me, I don't know if anyone has already explained this, but why were all the links in French followed by English? Is that normal Olympic procedure?

SecretNutellaMedallist · 30/07/2012 18:04

Yes. The founder of the Modern Olympics was a Frenchman, and French is the first language of the IOC.

Kladdkaka · 30/07/2012 18:10

I watched it on iPlayer last night. Expected it to be rubbish after reading about it on MN, but loved it. Even my husband loved it and watched it all and he normally falls asleep 5 minutes into anything on TV.

Alibabaandthe40nappies · 30/07/2012 18:26

Why are you being snippy about it?

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