So farewell to the Olympics.
I enjoyed it tremendously, but this morning I feel like crap (staying up way too late watching an extended karaoke party by a bunch of people I'd mostly never heard of singing songs I either don't know or don't really care to remember didn't help). It was good to see Pele, though.
At least we've got the Paralympics to look forward to. I love that.
My moment of the games remains the same one it was last week: Galen Rupp's reaction as he crossed the finishing line in the 10,000 metres.
The oddest thing about the games for me was the sight of thousands of idiots in the stadium holding iPads up in front of their faces. Sure, it's got a decent camera on it, but you look really dumb watching the race on a miniature TV screen while the real thing is happening in front of you.
I'm baffled.
Anyhoo … How was it for you?
Addendum: General opinion in the office this morning is that the closing ceremony gave us what we had expected from the opening ceremony (but had been denied by the opening ceremony being totally brilliant): a shambolic parade of Z-list celebridees who cannot sing and old crocks who can no longer sing. It was also a timely reminder that England will always hold the gold medal for tragic irony, with poor old Roger Daltrey (who at least was still in reasonably fine voice) and his disgraced pædophile guitar player belting out “Hope I die before I get old;” a great lyric in 1964; a masterclass in tragic irony in 2012. Keith Moon at least had the decency to live fast and disgracefully and die young.
Favourite moments from around the room: John Lennon’s face, the giant octopus, laughing at the Spice Girls, a huge vote from the older guys here for the girl singer in the flesh-coloured leotard, and everyone agrees that George Michael should have stayed in bed and that Brian May’s hair is beyond parody.
The song on everyone’s lips today is “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.” As good a result as we could have hoped for.
10 comments:
The girl singer was Jessie Jay a great voice and figure as no doubt you noticed?
I agree on most of your script… especially the John Lennon piece.
Who dug up George Michael? and singing 2 numbers yuk.
"Take That" I do love them and to think that poor Gary came and sang after the news he had… what a star…
But from an "oldie" some of them maybe should have stayed at home?
Roll on the Paralympics…
Now you can pull my grammar to bits as I am busy ha ha!
After being double-teamed by you and Petrea I dare not risk proof reading your comments for a while. Hee hee.
As for the closing ceremony; I watched most of it with the sound off (listening to Bach).
Apologies for not knowing who "poor Gary" is.
I did raise an eyebrow at Jessie Jay's costume, but it appears to have induced apoplexy in several of our older office members. One guy much older than me even knew some of her songs. Bizarre.
'Take That' Gary was so brave to make sure the show went on as his wife was delivered of their baby Poppy on Saturday and it was stillborn.
So glad you will not put my grammar right for a while I will try harder!
Oh, how awful for them.
Well, I enjoyed it overall. I liked the lighting and stage design. I liked the people. I liked the octopus but was disappointed when it turned into a scratchin' DJ rather than "An Octopus' Garden." Of course, John Lennon projected on a huge screen to sing "Imagine" was totally appropriate to the occasion, but only one member of Queen and Pink Floyd? What was the point? Oh, yeah, "We Are the Champions" for Queen.
The rap thing can just disappear and the world would not miss it. Unfortunately, it's now been around longer than disco, so historians will have to give it a sentence or two. Damn.
But the Spice Girls and fashion? That must have been a nod to David Beckham's work at getting the Games to London. (We now know who's in charge in that marriage). I used to tell Carl I wanted to be one of the Spice Girls just so I could call myself "Yeasty Spice."
Congrats to London and the whole of Great Britain for hosting The Olympic Games. You Lads across the Pond did a spectacular job. I think the best in Olympic history. I watched many, many events and my favorite was watching the rowing events with GB leaving the Aussie team in their wake. The Opening Ceremony was 100% first class. I was disappointed in the Closing event. Too many washed-up performers doing bad songs. Did Yoko "Ohhhhh No" get a check for the Lennon video? Where was Sir Elton? I'm guessing his fee was too steep. London has set a new standard for the Olympics.
Yeasty Spice? Hahahahahahahaha!
Ah, thank you, Speedway; that was the first thing I read after a long and tedious meeting (in hot, humid and icky conditions) and it cheered me right up.
Fully in agreement with the rest of your comments, though as I was watching with the sound off (reading and listening to Bach and occasionally looking up at the TV and grimacing) I didn't suffer so much as people who actually heard it all.
Why thank you, Mark. Your thoughts on the quality of the sports and on the opening and closing ceremonies match my own (with the exception that I have been a huge fan of Yoko's art since the 1960s and will always love and admire her … even when she's singing).
I actually enjoyed Jessie Jay and thought her costumes were rather conservative, given the international audience. She was covered in sequins with a thatch of black ones tossed onto the naughty bits.
And I loved Eric Idle. A lot. I wanted to hear more of him. Asking him to do "Always Look on the Bright Side ..." was totally correct.
Things seemed a bit disconnected over here, probably because NBC interrupted the telecast for commercials. Why do they think the US population is so inane as to want to watch an effed up TV program about a monkey in a lab coat? It suuuucked.
I agree with Mark -- London and Great Britain did a great job with the Olympics. Perfect that Eric Idle performed "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life." Just perfect
Yeasty Spice! Haha! Good one, Speedway.
A monkey in a lab coat, Speedway? Bizarre. Having said that, the closing ceremony was better with the sound off (though I turned it up for Eric Idle).
Thank you, Ms.M. I think 'Always Look on the Bright Side of Life' would make a good English national anthem.
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