I disagree with the British Press and all the accolades they're throwing at Danny Boyle for his opening of the Olympics last night. For disclosure, I really don't enjoy these events although I have been impressed by some, particularly Beijing four years ago and Barcelona before that. I thought Boyle's opening was discombobulated at best, ridiculous and boring at worst. And if it were a celebration of British history, it certainly left out most of the important bits. I did find his celebration of the National Health Service amusing but mainly for its political statement, to Americans, but hardly entertaining, which is what I think an opening should be: entertaining. The only piece I enjoyed was watching Elizabeth II supposedly jumping out of a helicopter. If it had really happened, Wow!
I thought the opening so awful, that I've decided it had a deeper purpose for Boyle, perhaps an unconscious one, to make the Brits look ridiculous. Danny Boyle, I should note, does not have s single drop of English blood in his veins. His mother was born in Ireland and his father, although born in England, had Irish parents, Republicans and Catholics all. It reminds me of Philip Treacy, also Irish and hat maker to the stars and to British royalty. He's actually a wonderful designer, except for the hats he made for the royals for the wedding. They looked outrageous and my single thought was "Philip, you clever bastard. Not only did you make the royals look ridiculous, you made a bundle while doing it." The irony the British press is celebrating is certainly there, just not quite they way they mean. Congratulations, Danny Boyle. You haven't forgotten your Irish roots.
No comment on the Irish issue, but apart I agree 100%. The ceremony as I watched on TV was just SO BORING and CONFUSING, that after seeing the endless milling crowds of non-actors, then the NHS antics, then Mr. Bean, I just turned it off. Maybe missed some of the later highlights, but just couldn´t stand any more. Certainly seems like some kind of black joke, that has caused an "emperor has no clothes" type of adulatory criticism. With the distance of time and sanity, I believe it will be laughed about.
ReplyDeletePS: I´m an Anglo-boy, with every reason to be proud, but in fact I felt ashamed to see this pompous and vacuous fiasco. May good sense prevail for a future light.
Well, I'm British and myself and all of my friends, really enjoyed the opening ceremony! Big time!!! I do concede there may have been references some foreign nationals wouldn't understand?! Danny Boyle is English whether his mother was Irish or not!! That's like saying no one is American because their routes and heritage come from other countries! Apart, from of course the native Indians!
ReplyDeleteYou say don't agree with the British Press? Well put the press aside and take it from me that the British people the length and width of Britain were amazed and well happy with the event! There will always be a fringe element who do nothing but just moan!
Excellent job by Mr Danny Boyle and what an amazing effort by all the Team GB athletes!!! Bloody good show!!!! :-) Peace!!!
Correction "roots"
ReplyDeleteThe Irish in me demands I answer the second comment--we're a very argumentative people. (1) I didn't say Danny Boyle wasn't English--said he did not have a single drop of English blood, which is true, and I don't have a single drop of native American blood. (2) The Irish bit was meant to be ironic, which is obvious I believe by my reference to Philip Tracy and his "royal" hats and my reference to irony at the end of my blog. (3) The Olympic opening is not just mean for the natives of the Olympic venue (i.e., the English people). Just the opposite in fact. It's an international event and should be designed for an international audience. I have not met a single person who enjoyed the opening, and I have friends and acquaintances from every possible country--all agree with me; it was awful. (3) I missed no cultural references perhaps because I have been to England many times, staying with family, and my field of study was the English novel, 19th & 20th Centuries. I'd lay odds I know more about English history than the majority of English citizens. The above being said, I thought the games themselves and the venues came off very well as did the English athletes, but with one caveat on the latter. I hate the nationalism that takes over at the Olympics and if I hear one more time that Americans won more medals than anyone else, I'll puke!
ReplyDeleteSo you have every right to be proud of the games (and, of course, you can like the opening--we all have different tastes). That you liked the opening doesn't mean it was good, however; it wasn't. I know nothing of Chinese history or Chinese culture but loved the Beijing opening as well as the Barcelona opening. Both were beautiful, with an underlying thesis that any child or adult could appreciate. So, yes England, good show, but most definitely not that awful opening. Time will tell as the other comment suggests.
One last comment. On the national health care bit, I enjoyed it but only because it stuck a finger in the eye of America, which has a horrible health care system. But entertainment it was not!
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2012/jul/27/olympic-opening-ceremony-danny-boyle-father
ReplyDeleteI was born in England, my father was born in England and my mother was born in Ireland! I have mixed blood or dual heritage if you prefer? I'm not stuck in no mans land, I have the benefit of two cultures! I'm afraid that you are wrong because Danny Boyle has enough English Blood and Irish blood, in him to have validity of position to tell the story of either nation!! I don't know what sort of commentary you had, when you watched the opening ceremony? Whether they were Enlish commentators or some benign American? Whatever the case a lot more people enjoyed the games than did not!
ReplyDeleteI'm not arguing with your opinion because we all have the right to one but I will do when you portray your opinion as fact!
Even the Ameican Press and American litery practioners have positives to say!
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/28/sports/olympics/in-olympic-opening-ceremony-britain-asserts-its-eccentric-identity.html?_r=1
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/lauren-collins/2012/07/olympics-opening-ceremony.html
Australian Press:
http://www.australiantimes.co.uk/news/australians-in-the-uk/opening-ceremony-a-night-to-remember-for-olympic-aussies.htm
Australian journalist Karen Tighe said that Radcliffe-born Boyle had 'hit the nail on the head' with the opening ceremony.
The Perth-based ABC Sports presenter told the BBC: "It was a fantastic start to the Games. I'm so glad there was no temptation to be better and bigger than Beijing - it was wonderful in its own way and it all came across so well."
She added: "Visually it looked spectacular, there was humour and the overall picture - I think he (Boyle) hit the nail on the head."
So basically what can draw from this? Well I would like to suggest the following! That the opening Olympic ceremony was in the OPINION of you and some of your friends and some others dotted across the globe as poor! However to a bigger majority the ceremony was extremely enjoyable!!
So on an ending point and a reversal of a comment you made to me! You disliked the games that doesn't mean to say they were bad, for they were not!
However, I will add, that I will fight till my dying breath for you or anyone to have the right to voice their opinion! I am passionate about said subject matter being enthused by the wonderful show of our athletes!So to avoid being taken out of context none of my comments are meant to come across nasty or mean!
I know you agree with the performances of our atheletes and my bit to add to that is. Ok the Americans did get the most medals but when you weigh up the size of the pool of talent that the Americans and Chinese can draw upon due to the bigger population then there's no getting away from the fact Team GB did an excellent job!!
Before I go can we share a thought for some of the Chinese atheletes to do not come up to mustard or do not win, can then be met with being disguarded and facing a life of living on the streets and looking in skips/dumpsters for food! So sad and so wrong!!
So, Gracey babes, you take care!!!