I hate to say it, for fear of sounding unpatriotic, but Canada’s opening ceremonies for the Olympics was kinda, well, sucky. Starting with the snowboarder entry that was cheesy and far too long. In fact, most of it just seemed like it went on too long for its own good.
So much so that when K.D. Lang launched into crooning her melancholy lyrics:
Your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
She tied you
To a kitchen chair
She broke your throne, and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah
Stella broke out in frustrated, over-tired tears: “MORE singing?!! Why are they doing more singing! Isn’t this a sporting event!”
Technical errors can happen to even the most well-planned event, but meticulously planning to bore the world with a series of extended songs by artists most people don’t recognize is inexcusable. (Oh, and scaring them to death with the demonic, over-tatooed fiddlers — that was a special touch.)
By the time poor, embarrassed Gretzy finished the lightening ceremony, I don’t think I was alone in sighing my own Hallelujah!
I’m only sharing this because you started it — and your Canadian and all … At one point during the ceremony, my daughter screamed “Agh! This is torture!”
That should have been “you’re Canadian.” Sorry…
I actually loved certain parts like the fiddling and the W.O Mitchell prairies part. And K.D. Lang for me was phenomenal.
But the pivotal moment of the opening ceremonies is the lighting of the torch, and I was embarrassed for us that we blew it. That part should have been flawless.
I am with Finola. We should be proud of the opening ceremonies. In an interview with Gretzky today he mentioned that the rehearsal (which they rose the torch 4 times in trial) went flawlessly. Sh** happens I guess. Its just too bad that it happened at that moment.
KD Lang was absolutely flawless…not sure I understand completely the choice of song but beautiful nonetheless.
Lets not forget the incredible lighting techniques, especially at the beginning with the ice breaking and the orcas. I can only imagine what that looked like on a fancy plasma tv.
For me the introduction of the first nations (which took roughly an hour) could have been cut to 10 min. Although an very important part of our culture it is certainly not the only thing that defines us. This part left me a bit frustrated, especially considering the ambassadors were freak’n late for the start of the show! The media should have a field day on that one!
Have I shared too much of my thoughts? Julie there must have been some moments where you were proud to be a Canadian….you managed to stay up to midnight and that doesn’t just happen every day!
Thanks for getting the posting out!
i have to agree with you partly julie. it was too low key. the only up beat part was the fiddling, which was great. i couldn’t watch nelly and brian lip syncing sooo very badly. it was beautiful in some parts but long in the tooth and so so so crappy that the torch lighting didn’t work. sh!t happens. still pretty cool idea to have a whole bunch of iconic canadians to do it. and the long drive to the outside torch was pretty anti-climatic. at least i managed to get a little cat nap during the speeches. did anyone see the opening bit on canada that nbc did? supposedly it was incredible and enough to make several of my friends cry with pride. unfortunately the nbc site is blocking viewing of their videos from to non usa residents. bummer.
always so great to hear what people think — i really liked some parts (agree that there was too much singing but loved the projector work) … but really didn’t like the fiddling – as a very proud Maritimer I felt it didn’t speak to our region At All.
Karen – so funny that your daughter had the EXACT same reaction!
Finola – Wow, the parts you liked best were the ones I didn’t … wierd. It’s not that I didn’t love K.D. Lang, I just didn’t think the song was right for the event (it’s kind of melancholy).
Jacqueline – I think you’re really just writing all those comments to rub in the fact that I was watching it all on an old 1970s television! Hey, I liked the whales … happy now?
smothermother – Yes, everything just seemed too long. If each section had been shortened, it might have quickenly the pace and seemed less “low key.” I didn’t get to see the NBC thing. Let me know if you find it anywhere, k?
Cath in Ottawa – hello! Thanks for visiting! Thank goodness I was not the only one who wasn’t a big fan of the fiddling. Sure, fiddling is great but I seriously thing that the international audience must have been wondering what the heck goes on out east, what with all the devil hair and tattoos!
I agree parts of the ceremony dragged – it was too long in parts. However, I thought it was creative, thoughtful and well done. Loved the fiddling, dancing, the techno imagery with the whales and fish, the prairies, honouring our First Nations, agreed with the choice of the flag bearers, torch lighters and yes, even Wayne. I also loved the poet/poem and KD Lang’s moving rendition of infamous Canadian Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah. Some of the things that bugged me was the 4 pillars rising from the ground. Although symbolic and important part of the story…made me giggle because (I thought) they were ridiculously phallic. Now I’m embarrassed reading the international media ridicule that “big” moment. Gotta say, I found everything about the opera singer’s performance painful, over the top, and tacky. The lighting malfunction at the end was unfortunate – but stuff happens. B+ is my evaluation. If you take out the diva, the rising poles and the draggy bits it would have been an A+ production. Either way, my family and I are super psyched about the games and so proud to be Canadian. Go Canada!
It had some decent moments but it sucked. Would have preferred an unabashed and artistic presentation of some Canadiana without the overtly politically correct and preachy discourse of ‘what it means to be Canadian’… don’t know why we have to descend into that kind of navel gazing all the time.
I hate the entire thing, so I haven’t watched any of it. Just the TV ads are making me ill and all the hoopla in the media. I DO love kd lang though
I just came across this blog post. Dave brings up all sorts of things that I forgot to complain about! Like the national anthem — that wasn’t our national anthem was it? I couldn’t even sing along to the tune! I enjoyed his post, thought you might too:
http://dave1949.wordpress.com/2010/02/13/opening-ceremonies/
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