Olympic Opening Ceremony

[TheGreenKnight]

Watching the opening ceremony. AIBU in finding it boringly grim. Especially when compared to London 2012.

Totally!!

I didn’t watch it all but I think they could have done more with it, used signifiers of France which are known around the world eg Asterix , played more french pop music eg Gainsbourg, Francoise Hardy , even Johnny halliday, had french performers, made allusions to french literature and gastronomy etc. They have tried to be “ current”, ramped up the LGBT angle etc which everyone is doing anyway and isn’t particularly french. It’s a bit of a muddle.

The 2012 cauldron was amazing! The wonderful Phoenix - got it in my favourites on YouTube.
this is dire. I was so looking forward to it, but I a. So BORED. FFS Light the bloody thing!!!!

Where's it going?

Ahhh the cauldron is lovely.

Bloody hell that looks dangerous! Hope it’s tethered.

I have to say that the flame is one of the best I have seen.

Celine makes a good Piaf

I thought feline was really sick with a horrible syndrome?

Celine

What the fuck is all this? I really don't get it. I'm watching it on iPlayer from the start. I'm over an hour in, how long is this going on for?

Which I didn’t realise was meant to be James Bond until about two years later…

It's a bit mad and disjointed. Not a patch on London 2012.

Celine was wonderful

Er...four hours I believe. Good luck.

It's just finishing now, so you've got 4 hours.

@Thunder8090 4 hours I heard! Fast forward. Laser light show is quite good.

I’ve been very critical but Celine was astounding

I thought Marie-Antoinette was fun.
I love seeing so much of the Paris rather than just a stadium.

It is such a shame it is so wet but it is still a beautiful city.

The Olympic balloon going up in the sky is amazing.

Celine can still sing.

It is all very different.

Like all the opening ceremonies it goes on too long. ( including 2012).

Yes! Shame about the 4 hours that lead up to it!!

Michael Johnson

"It was different"

4 hours?! I don't really remember London 3012 tbh but my general memory of opening ceremonies is that the athletes parade into the stadium, there's a song or two, some fireworks and job done. Things have changed clearly.

It’s different and brilliant, despite the rain, really enjoying it. Party night.

Maybe the opening ceremony is really for the hosts. I found Lonndon 2012 really parochial- nobody outside the UK gives a shit or knows about the NHS for example - but as a French resident I'm loving the use of the Seine and even in the rain I think Paris looks amazing. I can't imagine how difficult the logistics were.