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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to think that there were far too many cringeworthy moments

78 replies

nittyclitty · 13/08/2012 11:19

last night at the closing ceremony

Who decides who appears at these kind of shows? Why is it the same old crap that seems to churned out?

Aibu to think that it seemed totally disjointed and far too long?

OP posts:
Original poster
nittyclitty · 13/08/2012 16:00

MidgetM

Good to hear an honest response from someone actually there. How did you get to go to both ceremonies?

OP posts:
shrodingerscat · 13/08/2012 16:07

I did also wonder about the athletes having to stand in those little spaces in between the flag lines

That was a demonstration of the great British tradition of kettling Grin

Grin at Naomi's accurate aim

shrodingerscat · 13/08/2012 16:33

They could have had Duran Duran do "Rio", it would have been a nice tie in to 2016. I'd rather have seen them than Jessie J. Was that "It's not about the Money" song, sung atop a Rolls Royce supposed to be irony? Again, not sure why we needed to showcase British cars, fashion etc, with their materialistic/superficial/image conscious/bling/celebrity connotations; all completely against the sentiment of hard work and pain in gain nothing more than a medal, a place in history and probably being forgotten by the vast amount of the viewing public who are not interested in athletics etc except during an Olympics.

madda · 13/08/2012 17:02

agree shrodinger, the 'bling' bit annoyed me somewhat, after 16 days of viewers thinking they could reach their potential, through hard work determination as fostered by the olympic spirit, then we have the ending of bling and getting rich quick sort of thing

bizarre really

Original poster
nittyclitty · 13/08/2012 17:04

I agree too Shrodinger however, it's very true to our bling culture isn't it.

OP posts:
madda · 13/08/2012 17:06

I wouldnt say the bling culture was essentially British, nitty?

jamdonut · 13/08/2012 17:12

On the whole I loved the show.

Worst bits: George Michael made me cringe, as did Jessie J. Hmm

Best bits: MUSE = awesome, as were Elbow and The Who. Brian May was good too.

The Spice Girls were actually good, Eric Idle was funny, and Take That made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside Grin

shrodingerscat · 13/08/2012 17:31

The more I think about it, the crosser I feel, actually. It should all have been more about the athletes. We do have a culture of instant celebrity and worship of people who had their 15 minutes on a reality show and refuse to bugger off. Our recent cultural exports to the world are Big Brother and X Factor.

I have, though, remembered they played Kate Bush's "Running up that Hill" which will make me feel smiley momentarily. Although not sure what they were doing with all those boxes.....

BarredfromhavingStella · 13/08/2012 17:36

Didn't think it was too bad tbh though I'm still wondering why the Kaiser Chiefs sang a Who song when they were actually there Hmm & sorry but the Spice Girls were complete & utter shite.

Original poster
nittyclitty · 13/08/2012 17:38

Madda

I do think overt label showing and bling has been a growing culture amongst British people.
I am often amazed when I see friends bemoan how skint they are only to go out and buy the latest designer label full price.

OP posts:
madda · 13/08/2012 17:51

true nitty

but I wouldnt choose to showcase that particular culture of britishness at an olympics ceremony

maybe they were trying to dispel the cliches of Englishness, the whole stuff upper lip thing, by showing our pop culture to be a million miles away from that

so if that was the plan, then I guess they succeeded!

shrodingerscat · 13/08/2012 17:56

They could have done Queen's "Bicycle"!

Barred, didn't the KCs perform "Pinball Wizard", an Elton John song, I think? (Roger Daltry of the Who played Tommy in the film.) I suppose "I Predict a Riot" would have been a bit off message (although it would have been ace, love that song, and thought the KCs were on of the better acts).

DublinMammy · 13/08/2012 17:59

Was also HUGELY relieved that grim old fart MacCartney wasn't wheeled out. My husband wondered aloud why Brian May was wearing a kimono over his tracksuit (and a haystack on his head). I did enjoy it though (apart from stupid fashion bit and not getting to see how they got the octopus off the stage)

shrodingerscat · 13/08/2012 18:12

More for my preferred song list:

M People "What have you done today to make you feel proud"
Blur's "Song 2" against a montage of BMX, vaulting, jumping.

Read somewhere today that Massive Attack's 'Unfinished Sympathy" was played when the wonderful Mo Farrah ran the 10,000m. A repeat of that song and footage of some of the wonderful running (esp. David Rushida) would have been lovely to behold.

Midgetm · 13/08/2012 18:21

shrodingerscat it was indeed kettling, but by ladies in fake BA uniforms with lights on their heads. And without the batons or if they had them they hid them well, some of those athletes needed a quick bash as they were loosing a run of themselves

Nittyclitty I just applied for tickets but applied for a lot (4 applications all in) so I knew I would get to as many events as possible. Actually not that hard to get into the stadium as it seats so many people. My DP was in the opening ceremony so got rehearsal tickets FOC for that.

Don't get the bling thing - don't think it was bling at all. Think it was just showcasing british cars and it went from buses, lorries, taxis to the other end. Think we read too much into things - this was making no statements at all. It was just supposed to be a party that is why I preferred Danny Boyle because I am dead deep like. Grin

BarredfromhavingStella · 13/08/2012 19:57

No sorry Shrod, Pinball Wizard was written by Pete Townsend & performed by The Who.

shrodingerscat · 13/08/2012 20:08

Apologies, you are right. Elton John did release a version though, which has obviously stuck in my head (big shoes, big glasses)! Anyway, yes, agree, in the circs, it's odd that the Who didn't perform it! I'd have liked to have seen a bit more of them, absolutely baffling that they got less time than Jessie J and co.

BarredfromhavingStella · 13/08/2012 20:45

Quite allright, DH thought someone completely different had sung it originally-The Who, Deep Purple & The Stones etc were basically the soundtrack to my childhood.....

OlympickingMyNose · 13/08/2012 21:02

Ah but seeing Boris Johnson dancing to spice girls was the highlight of the evening for me

Downnotout · 13/08/2012 21:05

Was anyone disappointed with the 8 minutes from Rio?

I kind of expected it to be much more colourful like I imagine the Rio carnival to be.

BarredfromhavingStella · 13/08/2012 21:18

I thought the same Downnotout but I suppose they will be saving that for the real event.

TeWiDoesTheHulaInHawaii · 13/08/2012 21:22

It wasn't great, but then our preview had a spectatcularly tasteless exploding bus so...

BlisdergamesbeginPack · 13/08/2012 21:24

Yes I didn't like the Rio thing too, except for the unveiling of Pele. Thought the thing with the lady in the big dress and voice very Leona-Lewis-at-Beijing-2008.

I read in a foreign paper that there was booing from the audience when the flame was extinguished. Is it true?

Midgetm · 13/08/2012 21:46

I never heard any booing. There was a collective sort of disappointed/sad 'ohhh' but no booing. When the Rio section started I was a bit Envy, but then it tailed off a bit and I felt less threatened. I am saving up for Rio now.

BedHeadTigi · 13/08/2012 23:57

I have noticed that some posters have said liam gallagher sounded awful, but that wasn't even him or the band oasis, it was some lookey-likey tribute band with a dodgy name and it was at that point i turned the TV off!