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Original poster

Olympics Opening Ceremony

31 replies

viques · 23/07/2021 12:21

Did they learn nothing from how to do this from watching the Danny Boyle 2012 Opening? I am being kind and assuming the Rio opening plans were too far gone to be changed to something more entertaining.

Back to self indulgent wafting about and having to have the obscure “symbolism” explained by the poor presenters who have drawn the short straw. Apparently the designer/organiser was sacked yesterday for inappropriate comments ( quite right too) at least it saved him the embarrassment of being connected with the drivel.

I gave up after 10minutes. I hope it improves radically for the stalwarts who are sticking with it.

Cake needed. Too early for Wine

OP posts:
Original poster
viques · 23/07/2021 12:22

Oops, odd opening sentence, blame the heat.

OP posts:
LizzieMacQueen · 23/07/2021 12:51

I had to switch off. The contemporary dance piece was too creepy/scary.

Nothing will compare to London 2012.

Fernie6491 · 23/07/2021 13:28

Probably the most boring and tedious thing I've seen in a loooong time!
No atmosphere at all. I am not having a go at the Japanese nation, but they should never have tried to continue with this.
And the commentators constant droning and jabbering of pointless, useless facts.
We switched off after about 20 minutes.

jay55 · 23/07/2021 13:37

I enjoyed the tap dancing and the wooden rings.

It is so weird with no spectators.
Some journalists are saying when it goes quiet you can hear the protestors outside.

Horehound · 23/07/2021 13:39

Oh what were the comments the organiser made?! Do you mean the organiser of the whole event?!

jay55 · 23/07/2021 13:52

www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-57924885

Mrsjamin · 23/07/2021 14:39

The first section felt very cobbled together. And the guy dancing alone after mentioning the deaths from covid was just plain eerie. Just horrid. Does the procession normally take that long? We all got bored and went on our phones.

Mrsjamin · 23/07/2021 14:40

Was anyone else looking out for Laurel Hubbard in the kiwi team?

Hairybaker · 23/07/2021 14:50

Ooh I did like the globe!

Hairybaker · 23/07/2021 14:54

Big shun to the Brits though not using one of our musicians but choosing a spanish(?) guy for Europe. Unlike the obvious choices of John legend for the Americas and Keith urban for australasia who I have at least heard of!

Mrsjamin · 23/07/2021 14:57

Yes a proper snub, why wouldn't you choose at least a well known European artist? Odd.

mayaknew · 23/07/2021 14:59

@Hairybaker

Big shun to the Brits though not using one of our musicians but choosing a spanish(?) guy for Europe. Unlike the obvious choices of John legend for the Americas and Keith urban for australasia who I have at least heard of!
A shun to britain?

More like an acknowledgement that Europe is not just England.

GalacticDragonfly · 23/07/2021 15:05

Can it really be a big snub to the British, when they’re singing Imagine? It’s in English. John Lennon was English. I think Britain was pretty well represented in that section already, particularly for an event taking place in Japan.
Alejandro Sanz has been hugely famous for decades, and Britain is not the only target audience of an event involving 200+ countries.

Hairybaker · 23/07/2021 15:14

That’s a fair point about the song choice actually! They are forgiven! 🤣

But what I meant was that the US and Australia were the obvious choices to take artists from for their regions. Like the UK would have been for Europe (we have more world “famous” artists than other European counties). As yes I know we are not part of the EU bit we are still part of the European continent!

Horehound · 23/07/2021 15:16

I didn't see it as a snub at all but that comment shows that people think Europe = UK
Eh no!

GalacticDragonfly · 23/07/2021 15:23

Alejandro Sanz has won loads of Latin Grammies too, so could be seen as representing musical tastes in a much wider community than just Spain.

Hairybaker · 23/07/2021 15:24

Just as much as they think Americas=USA and Australasia=Australia. They were the obvious choices, like the UK would have been the obvious European choice IMO as we have more obvious well known names than other counties do in terms of music!

It really was just a passing comment, no big deal!

Anyway apart from the globe I thought the ceremony was very underwhelming. Let’s hope the games themselves are better. I feel for them with no spectators there.

FudgeFlake · 23/07/2021 15:26

The drone display was breathtaking. The rest just the same old guff.

mayaknew · 23/07/2021 15:38

That drone display was out of this world!!!!

The rest has been a bit shit though

Star555 · 23/07/2021 16:43

I set up an Olympics thread yesterday for sports discussions in the Sports category on MN:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/sports/4303644-OLYMPICS-2021

We can start posting there about specific sporting events as they happen!

Mrsjamin · 23/07/2021 18:11

Well that was four hours of my life I am not going to have back. How very disappointing. I kept waiting for something more fun to happen.

SunSeaSurfGin · 23/07/2021 19:53

Not read the full thread but what was the order of the countries parading out? Because it wasn't alphabetical

LizzieMacQueen · 23/07/2021 19:57

@SunSeaSurfGin Japanese alphabet I heard.

GalacticDragonfly · 23/07/2021 20:01

@SunSeaSurfGin

Not read the full thread but what was the order of the countries parading out? Because it wasn't alphabetical
Greece first, as always, then most of the rest in Japanese alphabetical order, then future host nations, then Japan.
SunSeaSurfGin · 23/07/2021 20:01

[quote LizzieMacQueen]@SunSeaSurfGin Japanese alphabet I heard. [/quote]
Ahhh ok that makes sense and according to the highlights order of who is next in line to host also