I am a sucker for the spectacle. Yep.. every two years the Olympics provide a fix for this spectacle. A multi million dollar presentation is on tap in every one of these that allows the host country to "educate" the world about its culture. What could be better than that? Artistry of visual and cultural art from that country speakeing about that country is displayed. Without the art and the culture, the Olympics could be held in the same place time after time and it would not matter.
The press is always hard pressed to cover such an event. There is the classsic "space shuttle talk" approach which is too much commentary and too little action. There is a lot of "critique" commentary. This approach compares it with previous events. There is the reporting that tries to make sense of it without the press guide.
There was evidence of all of these reporting styles in the latest Vancouver coverage of the opening ceremony. All it misses the mark.
The spectacle of all the nations coming together for a parade with different winter fashions is pretty cool. The projections of Orca whale pods that actually spouted from a flat floor was pretty cool. The story of the country culture from one side of Canada to the other was amazing. The dancing and the art of set design on that scale was amazing. The lighting and projection off the white parkas was a technological beauty. I loved the trees and the prairie, and the "stompers" and even the poetic blogger. The aboriginal Indians were highlighted with amazing clothing. Overall it was an incredible show.
So what did the press report? One of the pillars in the torch did not come up. The NPR reporter reported that he lost the significance of the prairie, but latter picked it up in the press guide he did not read before the event. The NBC commentators tried to compare it to the summer spectacle in Beijing.. different season different world.. really. The reporting about what was going to happen next on the floor was made in a sort of cynical manner that made the spectacle somewhat diminished. On top of this there was a continual reminder of the wired concept of the a medal tote. Who even cares? Its great that we have some wonderful atheletes in these areas that do not get much coverage every year while every four years we get reintroduced to our own homegrown product.
I don't care what others think. The Olympic opening ceremony is a class A spectacle that should not every be lost in the the other parts of the games. Art lives!
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2 comments:
I love Olympic opening ceremonies too, 'trick! Having driven through ALOT of Canada, I found this one particularly cool! I loved the first nation engagement, especially the ice totems that rose out of the floor and then the arms lifting up in a gesture of welcome. I loved the fiddle dancing in the full moon and the slam poet. I thought the boy swimming through Saskatchewan was a little fey, but ok, the rest was pretty darn cool. I love the march of the athletes. I play a game ahead of the official taglines, I try to guess how many athletes from each country. I love to see what the team chooses to wear and how it coordinates with the flag of their country. I was hearted to see Iran's flag carried by it's woman athlete. When you consider that Canada's budget was One-fourth of China's Opening Ceremonies budget... you know it's time to say, "Good time, eh!" and hoist a pbr to the job!
P.S.: We taped it on the big escreen t.v. computer, come watch it all again on the wall of the new house!
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