The Vancouver Olympics -- Opening Night
The hype on Canadian television, for weeks and weeks now, and seemingly everywhere across the country, has been ubiquitous, over-the-top, and sickening.
Enough with the flag-waving.
Enough with the American-style "we're the best country in the world" jingoism.
Enough with the "we're all about winning gold" obsession.
It's just not who we are. It all seems phony, and forced.
I'm as proud as the next Canadian, perhaps prouder, and I want the Vancouver Games to reflect well on my country, and I want my country to do well, but the "Believe" theme is just icky.
I just can't take it.
**********
We remember that the Olympics are run by the IOC, a disgustingly corrupt and greedy organization, right?
So, please, let's not define ourselves as a country by this event, or by how many medals we win.
We're better than that. Right?
We remember that the Olympics are run by the IOC, a disgustingly corrupt and greedy organization, right?
So, please, let's not define ourselves as a country by this event, or by how many medals we win.
We're better than that. Right?
**********
9:11 pm -- What an awful rendition of our national anthem. I'm embarrassed.
No, I'm not live-blogging, but I will comment occasionally.
10:24 pm -- Bryan Adams and Nelly Furtado? Really? I'd have preferred Geddy Lee and... uh... how about Sarah McLachlan? I mean, if you want some good Canadian music...
By the way, I switched over to NBC from Canadian TV (CTV/TSN). The Canadian commentators, including Brian Williams (formerly of CBC, our Bob Costas in terms of Olympic hosting), are just awful, adding nothing at all of substance, nothing at all of anything. Their comments during the introduction of the participating countries/athletes were generally shallow and stupid (e.g., "Greece deserves a gold medal for its contributions to civilization").
And I've had enough of Donald Sutherland, a fine actor who has become the voice of the Olympics. So much forced gravitas.
10:29 pm -- What was up with those German outfits? Talk about awful...
10:30 pm -- $30-40 million for these opening ceremonies? Oh, look, a bear.
10:31 pm -- Okay, fine, it's sort of cool, and the focus on Canada's Aboriginal peoples is nice.
10:34 pm -- Orca whales. Very well done. Nice tribute to Vancouver, British Columbia, and Canada. Okay, this is really, really good now.
Totem poles. Quite impressive, I must say.
10:36 pm -- And here's Sarah. She used to be amazing, but she lost her edge and her last few albums have been, well, not so amazing. I met her after a concert in Somerville, Mass., way back when -- '94 or '95. I can't remember. I flew in from England, my friend Naif picked me up at Logan and drove at high speed to Davis Square, and I got there just in time for one of the best concerts I've ever seen, on her Fumbling Towards Ecstasy tour. And I had a backstage pass as a media member (for The Tufts Daily). Honestly, I thought she was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen, and I was totally speechless and could barely say anything at all. But she was really nice and lovely and signed my ticket, which I still have somewhere.
10:42 pm -- Wait... is that some Olympic spirit I'm feeling?
10:43 pm -- Yes, I think it is. What I had enough of was all the hype. Now, with the events starting tomorrow, I'm finally into it, and looking forward to the next couple of weeks.
Costas is great.
10:46 pm -- One problem here. The tribute to Quebec, which is fine, features music by, and the voice of, Loreena McKennitt, an Ontario songwriter and musician. She's actually quite amazing, but her music doesn't fit here. Although now they're on to fiddling, so maybe it does. I guess it fits anywhere. Okay, I give in. It's all really entertaining.
10:50 pm -- Bring on some Rush! "Tom Sawyer"!
12:54 am -- Okay, well, that was all pretty awesome. That YouTube guy with the poem about Canada was, to me, the highlight. But even the malfunctioning climax was handled well, and I thought the idea of having four people light the Olympic cauldron was distinctively Canadian and very well done.
All in all, a fantastic Opening Ceremony, and I say that as one who generally dislikes such overblown spectacles.
UPDATE: Here's the poem from the Opening Ceremony. It's by Shane Koyczan. I'll post the clip when I can find it. Honestly, I'm pretty proud to be a Canadian tonight.
12:56 am -- It's just a shame that it's raining in Vancouver -- and that Gretzky had to make his journey to the outdoor lighting in the rain. But that's Vancouver. It's not a winter city and really never should have gotten the Winter Olympics in the first place.
But I must say, I'm into it now. I've been converted. I realize that there's a darker side to the Olympics (see the comments section to this post), but it's nice to see Canada celebrated in this way, to see Canada celebrate itself in this way, given our tendency for humility, and, where I was sick and tired of the Olympics before they even started, I'm now into them and really looking forward to the next 16 days.
And that's it for me. Good night, everyone.
10:24 pm -- Bryan Adams and Nelly Furtado? Really? I'd have preferred Geddy Lee and... uh... how about Sarah McLachlan? I mean, if you want some good Canadian music...
By the way, I switched over to NBC from Canadian TV (CTV/TSN). The Canadian commentators, including Brian Williams (formerly of CBC, our Bob Costas in terms of Olympic hosting), are just awful, adding nothing at all of substance, nothing at all of anything. Their comments during the introduction of the participating countries/athletes were generally shallow and stupid (e.g., "Greece deserves a gold medal for its contributions to civilization").
And I've had enough of Donald Sutherland, a fine actor who has become the voice of the Olympics. So much forced gravitas.
10:29 pm -- What was up with those German outfits? Talk about awful...
10:30 pm -- $30-40 million for these opening ceremonies? Oh, look, a bear.
10:31 pm -- Okay, fine, it's sort of cool, and the focus on Canada's Aboriginal peoples is nice.
10:34 pm -- Orca whales. Very well done. Nice tribute to Vancouver, British Columbia, and Canada. Okay, this is really, really good now.
Totem poles. Quite impressive, I must say.
10:36 pm -- And here's Sarah. She used to be amazing, but she lost her edge and her last few albums have been, well, not so amazing. I met her after a concert in Somerville, Mass., way back when -- '94 or '95. I can't remember. I flew in from England, my friend Naif picked me up at Logan and drove at high speed to Davis Square, and I got there just in time for one of the best concerts I've ever seen, on her Fumbling Towards Ecstasy tour. And I had a backstage pass as a media member (for The Tufts Daily). Honestly, I thought she was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen, and I was totally speechless and could barely say anything at all. But she was really nice and lovely and signed my ticket, which I still have somewhere.
10:42 pm -- Wait... is that some Olympic spirit I'm feeling?
10:43 pm -- Yes, I think it is. What I had enough of was all the hype. Now, with the events starting tomorrow, I'm finally into it, and looking forward to the next couple of weeks.
Costas is great.
10:46 pm -- One problem here. The tribute to Quebec, which is fine, features music by, and the voice of, Loreena McKennitt, an Ontario songwriter and musician. She's actually quite amazing, but her music doesn't fit here. Although now they're on to fiddling, so maybe it does. I guess it fits anywhere. Okay, I give in. It's all really entertaining.
10:50 pm -- Bring on some Rush! "Tom Sawyer"!
12:54 am -- Okay, well, that was all pretty awesome. That YouTube guy with the poem about Canada was, to me, the highlight. But even the malfunctioning climax was handled well, and I thought the idea of having four people light the Olympic cauldron was distinctively Canadian and very well done.
All in all, a fantastic Opening Ceremony, and I say that as one who generally dislikes such overblown spectacles.
UPDATE: Here's the poem from the Opening Ceremony. It's by Shane Koyczan. I'll post the clip when I can find it. Honestly, I'm pretty proud to be a Canadian tonight.
12:56 am -- It's just a shame that it's raining in Vancouver -- and that Gretzky had to make his journey to the outdoor lighting in the rain. But that's Vancouver. It's not a winter city and really never should have gotten the Winter Olympics in the first place.
But I must say, I'm into it now. I've been converted. I realize that there's a darker side to the Olympics (see the comments section to this post), but it's nice to see Canada celebrated in this way, to see Canada celebrate itself in this way, given our tendency for humility, and, where I was sick and tired of the Olympics before they even started, I'm now into them and really looking forward to the next 16 days.
And that's it for me. Good night, everyone.
Labels: Canada, Vancouver Olympics
posted by Michael J.W. Stickings at
9:13 PM
7 Comments:
How could crowd sing to that version of O Canada.....who composes this?
By
Anonymous, at 9:25 PM
I know. We have a great anthem. That was just appalling.
By
Michael J.W. Stickings, at 10:34 PM
You really ought to talk about the underbelly of the event. The first thing to note is that we're under hostile occupation.
The police have banned deliveries of heating and cooking fuel for six weeks, primarily in areas that rely on fuel deliveries because they have have no access to municipal natural gas.
People who live 'too close' to event venues are under virtual house arrest and have had their houses boarded up at gunpoint.
You need a travel permit to leave Vancouver on the only road north.
Businesses beyond the north checkpoint expect to suffer hundreds of millions of dollars in losses.
At least half of the city's vital road network has been closed to the public.
Military helicopters circle over 'critical' security areas every ten minutes at altitudes of 500' or less. Even over residential areas.
People have been arrested for crossing unmarked, unannounced exclusion boundaries in back country areas near the event venues.
Ten percent of Greater Vancouver's population has fled the area.
2010 is not a celebration of sport. It is a celebration of authoritarianism.
By
Vncvr Resident, at 11:10 PM
Yes, I know. And it isn't good. I've written about what will likely happen in Rio in 2016, and I realize that there is another side to the celebration in Vancouver. All I can say is, I sympathize, and, honestly, there's a part of me that's happy we didn't get the Games here in Toronto.
The problem is, the Olympics just can't be put on without a good deal of authoritarianism, and I do with the media would report it honestly.
By
Michael J.W. Stickings, at 12:55 AM
Wow - I didn't think that kind of thing could go on in Canada. I'm not being facetious, I really didn't, but then it never has had much to do with athletics or sportsmanship or international good will.
At least the winter Olympics will never come to south Florida.
By
Capt. Fogg, at 11:20 AM
@MS: If the world is so dangerous and unpredictable that the Olympics can't be held without imposing enough authoritarianism to drive 250,000 people out of their homes, then the Olympics shouldn't be held at all.
Perhaps the IOC should use their billions in TV revenues to build a permanent hosting facility far away from people who have the gall to want to heat their homes in winter.
@CF: Yes, but the parasite occupation is expected to leave Vancouver in March. South Florida, on the other hand, is under permanent occupation by ICE and the DEA.
By
Vncvr Resident, at 5:49 PM
Hey...you all remember that it is athletes who do this..athletes who can't sleep at night thinking about how they will do this..athlete's whose families spend all they have for the dream as much as you embittered and skeptical people can't believe in that kind of ambition and motivation...that kind of dream. Bob Costas sucks...yes, even for us Americans too because he too, doesn't GET it. They are great, they are olympians just because they worked so hard that they GET TO COMPETE in these games. Let's not lose sight of that in our bitterness over all the rest. I'd love to have even 1/10th of the drive that I see in the athletes I watch competing in these games. GO...for your country, GO for your family but mostly..GO for yourself and we will all, all of us who watch from our living rooms...we will applaud you because we know you have something that most of us can only dream of...personal drive.
By
Anonymous, at 12:37 AM
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