2012 Olympics - London

[The Gaffer]

I'm not telling you in case you don't forget. You already know everything you need to know about them.

Another good thing about it was that if you didn't like what was going on then you just had to wait a minute and someone else would come on. No hanging around for ages for some bilge to finish.

Agree that Eric Idle was the highlight, Muse were good as well. And Freddy conducting the crowd from beyond the grave was a stroke of genius.

Shame they focused on the worst part of Bowie's output. Should have stuck with "Heroes" of course.

There was a lot going on in both ceremonies that didn't come across in the transmission. e.g. seemingly the crowd could control their pixels somewhat, and were responding to what the crowd on the other side of the stadium were doing.

[Insidious Rex]

Originally Posted by The Gaffer

But it was done with humour and confidence, and some sly little pointers here and there. The bit where Indian dancers interrupted Eric Idle's piece was effectively calling our prime minister a "piece of sh*t".

Loved that they included a Python in this! Although Eric Idle is the only one of them that is willing to do this stuff now. Cleese told them to bugger off. And loved that they didnt censor his song! How cool was that. Only would have been better if he had done Every Sperm Is Sacred instead. You would have lost all the catholic countries. And surprised to see Pink Floyd. Thought they werent going to perform last I heard.

[Rían]

At least we got to see Cleese in the Direct TV commercials during the breaks in the ceremony

(was that just in the U.S.?)

And here is a bit of Olympics and Dr Who trivia.

[inked]

Lovely job, Brits. And, IR, they couldn't have done "Every Sperm is Sacred" since it would have been an incipient challenge to the 6 million abortions done in Britain under the auspices of protecting women's health. The numbers are challenging, though.


http://adrianwarnock.com/2012/08/the...-of-143-women/
"In the UK we have a peculiar form of hypocrisy about abortion. When the law allowing abortion was passed (note to my American readers, this was passed by an act of parliament, not a ruling of unelected judges) it was argued that abortion was needed to save the lives of women. Even the most traditional pro-life Christians would agree that if there is truly a risk to the life of a woman (eg a ruptured ectopic pregnancy) then abortion should be allowed. Really it should probably not even be called abortion in such a case, it is simply a procedure to save at least one of the two lives that are at imminent risk of expiry.

Hard examples make bad law. And, it may surprise you to learn that 6 MILLION aborted babies later, we are gradually learning the truth that we have tried to pretend is not the case. We really do have abortion available for any reason here in the UK. How many of those lives were extinguished to save their mothers life or avoid permanent severe disability? We now know thanks to Lord Alton, who got a reply in parliament: the truth is a shocking 143 cases since 1968 fell into this category. That is less than 0.006 percent!"

Couldn't have that mar Britain as the abortion capital of Europe! Since 2009: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...eap-third.html

So, IR, they would have lost the Brits and not just the Catholic countries!

Alas, they DID NOT include the "always look on the bright side of death" lyrics. Probably too morbid. Or, perhaps, a reminder of the fleetingly ephemeral nature of youth and Olympic triumph?

[GrayMouser]

I could be mistaken about this, but aren't the closing ceremonies supposed to be more for the athletes? Almost all of whom would be in their teens to thirties, so more modern entertainment would be appropriate.

[brownjenkins]

Originally Posted by inked

Lovely job, Brits. And, IR, they couldn't have done "Every Sperm is Sacred" since it would have been an incipient challenge to the 6 million abortions done in Britain under the auspices of protecting women's health. The numbers are challenging, though.


http://adrianwarnock.com/2012/08/the...-of-143-women/
"In the UK we have a peculiar form of hypocrisy about abortion. When the law allowing abortion was passed (note to my American readers, this was passed by an act of parliament, not a ruling of unelected judges) it was argued that abortion was needed to save the lives of women. Even the most traditional pro-life Christians would agree that if there is truly a risk to the life of a woman (eg a ruptured ectopic pregnancy) then abortion should be allowed. Really it should probably not even be called abortion in such a case, it is simply a procedure to save at least one of the two lives that are at imminent risk of expiry.

Hard examples make bad law. And, it may surprise you to learn that 6 MILLION aborted babies later, we are gradually learning the truth that we have tried to pretend is not the case. We really do have abortion available for any reason here in the UK. How many of those lives were extinguished to save their mothers life or avoid permanent severe disability? We now know thanks to Lord Alton, who got a reply in parliament: the truth is a shocking 143 cases since 1968 fell into this category. That is less than 0.006 percent!"

Couldn't have that mar Britain as the abortion capital of Europe! Since 2009: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...eap-third.html

So, IR, they would have lost the Brits and not just the Catholic countries!

Alas, they DID NOT include the "always look on the bright side of death" lyrics. Probably too morbid. Or, perhaps, a reminder of the fleetingly ephemeral nature of youth and Olympic triumph?

It's the selective hypocrisy of simply admitting the fact that certain segments of the population need issues like abortion sugar coated because they can't face the reality of general human hypocrisy.

DAD:
There are Jews in the world.
There are Buddhists.
There are Hindus and Mormons, and then
There are those that follow Mohammed, but
I've never been one of them.

I'm a Roman Catholic,
And have been since before I was born,
And the one thing they say about Catholics is:
They'll take you as soon as you're warm.

You don't have to be a six-footer.
You don't have to have a great brain.
You don't have to have any clothes on. You're
A Catholic the moment Dad came,

Because

Every sperm is sacred.
Every sperm is great.
If a sperm is wasted,
God gets quite irate.

CHILDREN:
Every sperm is sacred.
Every sperm is great.
If a sperm is wasted,
God gets quite irate.

GIRL:
Let the heathen spill theirs
On the dusty ground.
God shall make them pay for
Each sperm that can't be found.

CHILDREN:
Every sperm is wanted.
Every sperm is good.
Every sperm is needed
In your neighbourhood.

MUM:
Hindu, Taoist, Mormon,
Spill theirs just anywhere,
But God loves those who treat their
Semen with more care.

MEN:
Every sperm is sacred.
Every sperm is great.
WOMEN:
If a sperm is wasted,...
CHILDREN:
...God get quite irate.

PRIEST:
Every sperm is sacred.
BRIDE and GROOM:
Every sperm is good.
NANNIES:
Every sperm is needed...
CARDINALS:
...In your neighbourhood!

CHILDREN:
Every sperm is useful.
Every sperm is fine.
FUNERAL CORTEGE:
God needs everybody's.
MOURNER #1:
Mine!
MOURNER #2:
And mine!
CORPSE:
And mine!

NUN:
Let the Pagan spill theirs
O'er mountain, hill, and plain.
HOLY STATUES:
God shall strike them down for
Each sperm that's spilt in vain.

EVERYONE:
Every sperm is sacred.
Every sperm is good.
Every sperm is needed
In your neighbourhood.

Every sperm is sacred.
Every sperm is great.
If a sperm is wasted,
God gets quite iraaaaaate!

[hectorberlioz]

Wuh.....

[The Gaffer]

I think the skating nuns was probably felt to be about as far as they could go.

[Earniel]

Stay on topic, please. This thread is about the Olympics.

We already have an abortion thread, as you all well know, take that discussion there.

[Insidious Rex]

Originally Posted by The Gaffer

I think the skating nuns was probably felt to be about as far as they could go.

Agreed. Although I certainly got a snort when I saw the dancing roman legioneers. Was waiting for one of them to be called Biggus Dickus. But if you think about it doing the main song from a movie widely seen as mocking the life of christ could almost be said to be more controversial than a song mocking the catholic churches view on conception.

But anyway, if this is what we get from mild mannered stiff upper lip Britain I eagerly anticipate what the racy emotive carnival loving half naked Brazilians will come up with in four years...

[brownjenkins]

Originally Posted by Eärniel

Stay on topic, please. This thread is about the Olympics.

We already have an abortion thread, as you all well know, take that discussion there.

You expect me to start staying on topic now! I think I posted a thread about how silly that was once.

[Earniel]

Yes, shocking, I know. Admins enforcing the rules, tsssk, whatever is the world coming to?

Originally Posted by Insidious Rex

But anyway, if this is what we get from mild mannered stiff upper lip Britain I eagerly anticipate what the racy emotive carnival loving half naked Brazilians will come up with in four years...

I was kind of glad to see some other elements in the Brazillian introduction beside the carnival. The carnival obviously is an important aspect in Rio, but they also have a rich history and ecological treasures that wouldn't be amiss in their openingsceremonie either. I think it'll be interesting indeed.

[The Gaffer]

Nice review article here: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...ain/index.html

I thought that both ceremonies reflected the essence of the Games. Smart, enthusiastic, honest, confident, generous and a bit irreverent.

We have been reminded that, in these respects, ordinary people by and large are hugely superior to the ones we inexplicably put in charge of our affairs - whether politician, businessman or celebrity.

[Draken]

Went to a couple of the football games at St James's Park. Not an interest of mine but the kids really wanted to get to an Olympic event. Was good fun, largely because the crowd atmosphere was so good.

Was on holiday in Germany for most of the Games but saw lots of it as the house had UK Freeview satellite! Plus one of the bars had it on a lot - it was a great place to shout Mo home in the 5,000m! By myself, admittedly, the locals didn't seem quite as engaged...

As to the opening/closing ceremonies, they seem to have baffled/outraged/gone over the head of just the sort of people you want to baffle, outrage or go over the heads of - certain Tory MPs, inked, people who've never heard of Elbow, etc. Job done.

[Earniel]

Saw a part of the Paralympics' Opening Ceremony. Looked good. I loved the star whale and flying books. And was that a very Gandalf-sounding voice I heard? yes it was. AND Stephen Hawking. On stage. Respect.

[Lotesse]

Yeah but I loved Brownjenkin's post. Who cares about how exactly perfectly it may have been "on topic?" Sure was close enough to me. And the more folks get hushed-down around here, the less frequently they, or others who witness such action, will participate in he 'Moot.

I am JUST SAYING.