To say I loved the opening ceremony?

[scottishheather86]

I really enjoyed the show last night! It was bold and ambitious and all
Encompassing! It was a shame about the rain, but I think overall it was really great! But shocked how many utter miserable responses to it there have been!

I'm shocked that people are still complaining that there were trans people performing and a cheeky scene that insinuated a threesome! Love, passion and style are all big French themes! Can we get past the British stiff upper lip and just enjoy it for what it is?

Remember, we had David (not holier than thou) Beckham driving a boat up the Thames and loads of weird and quirky things at our opening ceremony, that would have gone over the heads of most of the rest of the world.

You're absolutely entitled to your opinion.

Mine is that it was shite.

The horse and the disco dancers were great
It was certainly different

Yeah I think this is a fair assessment 😂

It lacked so much heart and soul.

I thought it was awful.
but, I said to DH, I’m sure the French get it and that’s the point.

never watched it…,never do….just put the bbc 5;minute highlights on the morning after…..far too long for me ….I went out the pub like I always do on a Friday night

The cheeky scene with the threesome was unnecessary considering the would have been children watching it.

But yes it was a fantastic opening ceremony.

I saw the first bit, went out for dinner then came back and caught the end and the highlights but I actually loved the concept of using the city as the stage rather than a stadium.

It was a shame about the weather, that clearly affected some of the broadcast with static cameras having water on the lenses but I thought it was bold & creative.

I loved it too. I love Paris and thought it was beautiful piece of performance art. Some scenes were amazing - the Marie Antoinette bit and the gold "workers" dancing in the fountains were my two very favourite bits, but there were also other moments I loved. The mechanical horse was beautiful and Celine Dion - just wow (didn't actually realise it was her until afterwards).

I can imagine it was probably pretty miserable to be a spectator at though, which is a shame. The rain didn't help, but even in perfect weather I can't imagine how anyone there in person could have got much of a sense of the bigger picture. But I was impressed by the scale and ambition of it.

I liked it when the statues emerged from the pillars and of course Celine ! But the rest was awful

I thought that dancing in the gold fountain went on far too long - but I find dance very boring anyway.

Not British, no stiff upper lip, not a “miserable” person, thought it was a pile of shite. You can’t force people to enjoy the same things as you, unfortunately, OP. While it’s fine to say YOU enjoyed it, that doesn’t mean there’s something wrong the mindset or attitude of people not liking it at all.

One view isn’t more reasonable or unreasonable than the other. Given how deliberately provocative it was, it’s surprising that you’d be shocked that some people have voiced their opinion, that they didn’t like it. Maybe just be happy you enjoyed it and accepting of the fact not everyone did?

I did too! All of it, I thought it was brilliant and love the idea of a touch floating over the city in a balloon. I thought the touch bloke was going to climb the Eiffel Tower with is at the end.

I liked it.
I realise we are in a minority
I have been to Paris three times including godawful rain in a grey February.
On that occasion I went on a bateau mouche on the Seine and then went to the Louvre, so yesterday just made me smile in recognition.
I haven't been for years (was very tempted when the Christo project happened 3 years ago: the Arc de Triomphe was wrapped but settled for watching a live feed instead) but I really didn't understand some of the barbs on the thread about the city itself, as for me, it's easy to get around on the metro or the river and see all those wonderful landmarks.
I think they did a great job of promoting the capital.
Did some parts go on too long? Oui
Did the rain spoil some of the performance elements? Un peu
But by and large, it was memorable and creative.

Didnt like it. Trashy, postmodern, superficial. I expected France to have the confidence to promote a greater depth of values and culture. But each to their own. I had no objection to the Last Supper tableau - Christianity has a tradition of depictions of Christ, and this one showed Christ as embracing and valuing everyone, as well as celebrating Christ as subversive.

I thought it was better for the athletes than the traditional march around a stadium.

Loved the horse, the dancers and the lazers. Last segment by the Eiffel tower was incredible. Boats not so good but the weather played a huge part in making that tres miserable unfortunately

Absolutely agree - plus the floating torch and Celine absolutely ended it on a high!

Paris looked beautiful, some fabulous buildings and bridges and the later, especially lit up as the sky darkened.

I think there is a British superior view of ourselves, that nobody is better than us.

In our 2012 OC, there were many cultural references , that we get, but the rest of the world didn't.

That is the same last night, the French get it, some of us didn't.

I admire them for taking risk and trying something different to the usual stadium event. Nothing ever changes if creative people don't try something new.

Well done the French.

I especially liked the minions stealing the Mona Lisa, the beheaded aristocracy figures and the musicians playing in the windows.

No trans people in abundance and threesomes are not ok for a family show in any country not just here. The Americans are going nuts over the depiction of the last supper and all of Asia are raising an eyebrow over the over sexualised show.

Stop with the British stiff upper lip. It’s nonsense.

I love France. It is the only language I have bothered to learn I visit so much. This trash was not Paris. I just don’t know what they were thinking

It was a great concept poorly executed. The mechanical horse was beautiful, but went on for too long, as did the torch relay and most other bits tbh. All too spread out geographically probably.

And I can't believe no one made provision for the fact it might rain!

I think being honest a lot of what many French like as culture passes over the head of most Brits- me included- it is after all the country that lives mine and chanteuse type singers and a lot of dance- and uses sex and passion a lot

I love Paris by the way- I like the idea of using the city -

It was I felt very 'French'

Just finished watching on I - player .

Bonkers, beautiful and what a showcase for the city of Paris.
Agree the torch ceremony and Celine Dion were the absolute highlights , but all in all - MAGNIFIQUE !! 🇫🇷 ❤️ 🍾 🥂

It was tacky, looked cheap, was inappropriate in places and was wholly lacking in quality and atmosphere. It just didn't work outside of a stadium in the way they hoped it would. It was like a bunch of Eurovision intros joined together. But you are of course free to feel differently about it!

It seems to have been contentious!

I didn't watch it as headache last night but I'll catch up on iplayer.