The morning papers and the BBC tell me that the Olympic Opening Ceremony was Majestic, Spectacular and Wonderful. Sorry to be a killjoy, but I thought that it was a load of crap!
It opened with William Blake's delusional claim that Jesus paid a visit to England's Green and Pleasant Land (Jesus didn't and Blake made the claim whilst suffering from serious mental health issues). Almost as a whoops moment, the ceremony realised that it was a "British" rather than an English games, so Jerusalem had a brake for Danny Boy, Flower of Scotland and Cwm Rhonddao to be included before reverting to Jerusalem. Almost as if to say that the north of Ireland, Scotland and Wales were included in England's green and pleasant land.
The next scene was another Blakism. England's Green and pleasant land was transformed into the "dark satanic mills". In a form of reverse racism some of the industrialists were black. There is no doubt that black men and women were employed in the mills, mines and docks during the industrial revolution and that their labours added to the wealth of the industrial barons, but suggesting that black men were amongst the top hatted barons of industry was a "politically correct" lie.
The idea that the games were forged in the steel of the industrial revolution was another lie. The first time the Games were held in London in 1908 it was deemed inappropriate for "working class people" to take part in such a gentlemen's event.
I liked the bit where the Queen was escorted to the games by James Bond. It was funny, but was spoiled by the Queen looking so miserable when the cameras shot to the "real live HMQ" – she was not amused!
The singing of God Save Betty was apparently sung by a deaf children's choir, but the BBC didn't show any close up's of them signing the song – which rather defeated the object!
When Team GB entered the stadium HM was picking at her cuticles and looking entirely bored by the whole event, so all in all a very poor show from our so called head of state..
I watched the show on the TV, and I was bored stiff. It was clear that most of the show was "made for tv". Those in the ground couldn't see the half of the production. OK those who paid £2012 to watch the show aren't going to admit that they were ripped off – but they were!
At the end of the show it was interesting to note that the President of the IOC thanked the public servants and the volunteers for their contribution, thanking the plebs hadn't crossed Lord Coe's mind.
After all the hype, and Huw Edwards and the Beeb trying to big it up – I would give the Olympic Opening Ceremony, at best one out of ten. That 1 is for the lighting of the coldron – which was inspiring – but as for the rest it was a coldron full of shit!
Lwcus i mi benderfynu edrych ar gem griced rhwng India'r Gorllewin a Seland newydd a hen raglenni Who Wants to Be a Millionaire felly.
ReplyDeleteMae'n gas gennyf griced a Who Want's to be Millionaire!
ReplyDeleteHi Alwyn,
ReplyDeleteThanx for you honesty, I think a lot of people would agree with you me included.
HMQ is not young anymore try get your gran to go out that time of night when its way past your bed time I felt sorry for her being dragged out to such a poor show.
Hope things r going to get Better.
Colleen
I didn't watch any of it, it's nothing to do with Wales and we get nil benefit at all from it. Token involvement, total patronising and the only gold there is taken already by corporate sponsors. A complete display of GREED.
ReplyDeleteRather agree, I too was very disappointed with the whole opening ceremony.
ReplyDeleteIt seems I am in a minority of 1, I enjoyed it as a welcome to everyone who might participate or just sit back and enjoy the best of the world's sportsmen and women.
ReplyDeleteAs for having nothing to do with Wales, MM 28/07/2012 11:28, it has everything to do with Britain, UK if you wish, as Wales is part of Britain, no more - no less.
And as for Alwyn's one out of ten .....
Love the irony John, the whole thing was a corporate joke on the UK. It is all about London and nothing about Britain. I can quote the Conservative think Tank who called Cardiff 'Fort Apache' and Wales, somewhere only good for dumping failing ministers. Wales is just a name on the map to these people. The Europeans simply left us off the map and inserted the Irish sea starting on a line from Liverpool to Gloucester...
Delete204 nations were represented in the stadium. 204 nations had their flags in the stadium. 204 nations had a copper cup in the olympic cauldron. 204 nations had their '15 minutes' in the ceremony watched by billions including those with populations of a couple of tens of thousands. 204 nations in the stadium for a 'British' olympics opening ceremony except for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
ReplyDeleteAnd is Cwm Rhondda now our national anthem?
Think the average man and woman, up and down the country, dont give a damn about any of it.
ReplyDeleteNow Mc'burgers have been officially approved, we can eat ourselves to a slow death, with the approval of Cameron and co.
excellent and honest review.. i tried.. it just escalated into a tirade.
ReplyDeletecoming from a long line of people oppressed and murdered by the vision of industrialists i found it quite offensive.
Ceri.
What must surely have struck any objective and honest Unionist/British nationalist who sat through it all was the truly monstrous lie that Wales and Scotland are TOO SMALL to be independent sovereign nations. The roll-call of the "proper countries" that proudly marched into the stadium included Andorra, Aruba, Bahamas, Bermuda, Cayman Islands.....no need to elaborate is there?!
ReplyDeleteAr y cyfan, llwyth o drons Eingl-Prydeinig gyda Jac Yr Undeb arnynt (a rheini'n hen barod i gael eu golchi hefyd). Ych a fi!
Neilyn, it isn't the Unionists that are holding you back, it is your failure to persuade the majority of your fellow countrymen.
ReplyDeleteNo-one else is to blame!
Anon 08:36
ReplyDeleteI partly agree, because you're partly correct. However, there's far more to it than that as I'm sure you know. The content and tone of the opening ceremony was yet another example of the latter!
Amusing to see there was a black 'captain of industry' complete with top hat, I wonder how he managed to escape his chains and manacles?
ReplyDeleteI wasn't that keen on the ceremony, but the above blog is absurd. The silliest comment surely has to be the question mark over the validity of Blake's work due to mental health issues. There are thousands of pieces of work of great substance (and truth) created by people who suffered some sort of mental health condition.
ReplyDeleteThat may be so – but the answer to the question "And did those feet in ancient time walk upon England's mountain green? And was the holy Lamb of God on England's pleasant pastures seen?" Is NO – and only a person who is completely deluded could ask such a bloody stupid question.
DeleteYou're quite right about Jerusalem - in fact, my criticism would be that you don't go nearly far enough. One clergyman friend of mine refuses to allow it in his church - when asked why he simply states: "It asks four questions in its first verse. The answer to all of them is no." Not saying it's a bad tune, but oh, the words...
DeleteAs far as the opening ceremony goes, I didn't watch it. I don't think I missed much.
Nick,
ReplyDeleteCan we just get one thing straight guys. It is not the fault of England that we have a GB team.
We would love to compete on our own merrit against Scotland, Ireland and Wales. At least that would get you guys singing.
So why didn't ENGLAND object to 'team UK' ? Because they knew THEY were OK ? and because they know the UJ is about England ?
ReplyDeleteIt might have been very Londoncentric but I'd chill out about Blake's 'Jerusalem'.Blake did have visions. If that means he was mentally ill, at least he channeled it creatively. What's really awful is when plausible mad people become paranoid and persuade powerful people that you're persecuting them.
ReplyDeleteThere's so much mythical stuff in the gospels that it's hard to see if there was a real person behind the stories. Assuming that Jesus was real, we don't know what he did betwen the ages of twelve and thirty. There's no evidence that he was in Britain or India as some say. It seems unlikely but it is not impossible.
The tradition Blake references is fiction. Dan Brown is fiction. But then the gospels are largely or wholly fiction too. Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy think they were never intended tobe taken literally.
Marianne Y Fenni
I can assure you Marianne that I am completely "chilled" by Blake's works poetic, artistic and theological – they all leave me cold.
ReplyDelete