Disappointed in people's critics of Paris OG ceremonies

[Letti9]

I have been reading the disgusting comments about the opening and closing ceremony in Paris games and I am shocked but not surprised about the pathetic and ridiculous criticisms!!! British are so arrogant and always think they can do better...very disappointed with members of Mumsnet who I thought where a bit more open minded. I think it was amazing whether you agree or not!!!

I only saw part of the opening ceremony , with the athletes in the boats in the pouring rain (underwhelming - and possibly not a huge amount better even with decent weather) and some drag artists doing some dancing/catwalk stuff on a bridge. We turned off but when I saw the highlights it looked like there were better parts.
We were out for most of the evening, but I wasn't enamoured to put the closing ceremony on.

I watched the 2012 opening and closing ceremonies but tbh I can't really remember many others for comparison - possibly they were at less "prime time" on tv.

But French food is better

You're having a laugh. Frog's legs, snails, foie gras

Disgusting food

twitter has been full of people saying 2012 opening ceremony was better, which was very small minded.
the paris opening ceremony was ruined by rain and the boat idea was disappointing.
but on the back of it i would like now to go to paris, whereas i didnt before

Things they did right.

The above.
The parade of champions.
Opening up some of the road races more to the public (the water in the Seine being a point that shouldn't be ignored though).
Use of venues.

I don't think the opening ceremony worked though. Nice idea on paper but in practice, it didn't quite work.

Xenophobia is the fear or dislike of people from another country. Not race,

You can be as disgusted as you like OP, plenty of people thought it was shite, me included. And that's my opinion whether you like it or not! Works both ways.

If you're that offended this site may not be for you. HTH.

I agree, actually. I adore France, and kept vaguely imagining how it might be possible to shoehorn bits of French culture/history etc into something like the London 2012 opening ceremony. But French.

I think what I liked about the London 2012 ceremony was that it was in some ways quite morally neutral — the Industrial Rev erupting out of the ‘green and pleasant land’ I’d destructive but energetic, and the exact status of the early industrialists looking on approvingly, while grim-faced workers toiled, and Kenneth B as Brunel being given a weirdly exultant version of Caliban’s speech.

If you tried to do something akin on French culture — the court at Versailles erupting into the Fre Rev? The Haussmanisation of Paris and the Commune? French surrealism? The restoration of Notre Dame? Proust’s madeleine giving way to ‘memories’?

I love ‘em all!

🤷‍♀️

I’m a big fan of France and the French, I’ve lived in Paris and was really looking forward to the games, but I found the opening and closing ceremonies were pretty poor. The weather didn’t help with the opening ceremony at all (but I’d have expected a contingency plan!). The closing ceremony was just boring, I gave up. I’m not a fan of opening/closing ceremonies in general though. I didn’t love London’s, and they’re all a disgraceful waste of money imo.

But the outdoors venues under the monuments were fabulous. Versailles for the equestrian events was absolutely beautiful- miles better than London. There was a lot of iffy judgements in a lot of sports, and the technology for checking things was prehistoric in some events.

I do think the OP is coming across very opinionated and judgmental, which isn’t a good look. But hey, I’m glad someone enjoyed it.

Quite.

Instead we got some moralising and some foreigners. A neverending cat walk. Deserted streets. And some very miserable wet competitors and singers high up on tall buildings scaring health and safety to death. Not quite the french cultural journey I'd actually have liked for the opening ceremony.

Oh I liked the bell in the athletics though. I know the idea is the bell will go to Notre Dame but something similar in LA would be cool.

My favourite comment so far.

I enjoyed the opening ceremony, but I studied French so understood a fair a of the references. I found the rainy catwalk bits amusing. It felt a bit Eurovisiony to me, and I enjoy watching that. Can imagine it was harder to enjoy as a spectator than in a stadium. I liked the MN watchalong comments.

I found it slightly embarrassing when the BBC commentator didn't know that it was Quasimodo on Notre Dame. It was also embarrassing that everyone kicked up a fuss about them offending Christians when it was a Greek reference.

I didn't understand what Lady Gaga was doing there.

Come on OP you can’t have thought that either ceremony was good. The OC was so very unprepared and completely unrehearsed. The only person that saved it was Celine Dion. Last night was no better. 3 hours of absolutely nothing. Until Tom Cruise. Even the LA segment was poor.

The sound in both ceremonies was terrible.

I didn't even think the Tom Cruise part was good.

Partly, because, as mentioned above, it lacked the surprise element. Everyone was '"Right. Where's Tom?" Secondly, I didn't really see any point to it. So here's a very famous actor abseiling into the stadium and pretending to bring the flag to California. So what? None of the 'edge' of Daniel Craig's appearance with the Queen.

And yes, the acoustics were dreadful. Maybe understandable in the opening ceremony but not in the closing ceremony in the stadium. It all felt a tad amateur hour.

It was criticised around the world, very long, not enough content, timings were off meaning that one segment was repeated over and over, unfortunately that was the "misinterpreted" Greek god feast / last supper with drag queens.

The concept was innovative but it just didn't work on many levels, and the appalling weather was just the final straw.

I laud them for daring to be different but unfortunately their desire to surprise meant there was no full rehearsal, commentary team didn't even get information sheets saying what was going on leaving them to use their knowledge to work it out, thank goodness Andrew Cotter for the U.K. speaks French!

The closing ceremony was fine, the usual mix of celebration and speeches, just wish the Americans could have kept to the standard 12 minutes that the next host has and had their performances in the stadium rather than in LA as per the normal format (they didn't in Tokyo but that was due to Covid restrictions)

Eh? We are all allowed an opinion, on any other book, film, Show, tv programme. So why not this?

I am a total Francophile, so looked forward to both ceremonies. The opening one was too long, unrehearsed and boring. They even managed to make the lighting of the balloon a bit dull. Apparently it was full of French avant garde references but to me it was just silly, and in places, should I have taken it that way, slightly offensive.

Same for the closing thing as well really. The exploration of the history of the games through the medium of interpretative dance baffled me. I wondered if it was something to do with the ascent of man. My friend had no clue at all. Neither of us is stupid.

No words for the Tom Cruise element.

I love Paris and the French do sone et lumière so well, but I really didn't like this at all.

Felt so sorry for the commentators. Andrew Cotter did a great job in the circumstances

• son et lumière

Didn’t see all of the closing one but I found both very emotional and stunning(yes with odd bits that went on too long😅). Definitely thought it was on par with London and was surprised with people saying it was budget etc!

‘There was a lot of iffy judgements in a lot of sports, and the technology for checking things was prehistoric in some events. ‘

When I lived in France, if someone was buying something like a garment which had a price tag attached, the entire queue would just walk off and go to another till. It just took ages ( if it ever worked). Technology is not their strongest point (they have plenty of others) .

I loved it in France, stayed for fifteen years. French friends I am still in touch with say about the bizarre ceremonies ‘that is Paris, not France’.

There is another disgusting comment hence my OP.....
I bet there are some of the woman who fell on her face while pushing the wellie bin toward police during the riot 🤣🤣

So you are saying that because one person doesn’t like traditionally French food it makes her a racist rioter? That is a disgusting comment.

The opening ceremony was a boring boat parade along a dirty river in the rain. It was a tedious watch and could not have been enjoyable for the athletes.

With the odd sideshow.

NO, I am saying that because I have been reading so many threads about frustated mumsnet members vomiting on Paris OG and French hence me starting this thread...and YES I find this disgusting!!!!
I am going to stop following my own thread because I can't put up with this anymore and it actually feels as if I am dealing with the type of people who were rioting for the past weeks (being vile based on false info)

So bye and enjoy your petty remarks!!!