Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony

Post by **tinwë** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 1:01 pm

Actually, I believe I said in my first post here that I like table tennis! I remember watching the Americans play the Chinese at table tennis many years ago when the Chinese invited us over as a gesture of goodwill, and I was amazed by the skill level of the players. I admit that I have never seen professional badminton being played - maybe if I did my opinion would change, but I can’t shake the image of genteel ladies with mint juleps in one hand and a badminton racket in the other, gently lobbing shuttlecocks over the net and giggling at each other as they go.

Again, it’s not my desire to badmouth any of the sports. As I said, I tend to find the offbeat games more interesting than the mainstream ones. I would love to see the badminton games, but I don’t know if any of them are going to be televised. I’d really rather watch that than basketball, to be honest with you. But I doubt anything will shake the feeling that there is something ... funny ... about professional badminton. Sorry.

Post by **Alatar** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 2:37 pm

Doubles Rally
http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=RZ2k-tsX5 ... re=related

Singles Final 2008
http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=1hP9v1end ... re=related

Nice Compilation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W71aeOYS9I8&NR=1

Post by **Dave_LF** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 3:11 pm

In ancient Greece, the events nearly all focused on skills that had actual value in real life. With the possible exception of some of the track and bicycling events, that's no longer true for any of them. I find the idea of spending your entire life training to perform some physical action that has no value in the real world to the exclusion of all other things to be profoundly stupid; and certainly not worthy of all the pomp and honor that's attached to the Olympic games. But that's just me.

Post by **tinwë** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 4:38 pm

Alatar wrote:Doubles Rally
http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=RZ2k-tsX5 ... re=related

Singles Final 2008
http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=1hP9v1end ... re=related

Nice Compilation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W71aeOYS9I8&NR=1

Wow! That is pretty impressive. But I still can’t help but feel that it’s all the more silly for exactly that reason. Who knew anyone took badminton so serious?

There’s a new game that’s becoming popular around here that one my coworkers is into. It’s called - I’m not making this up - they call it - seriously, I’m not making this up - it’s called ... Cornhole. Really. It’s a bean bag tossing game where you try to get your bean bag through a hole in an inclined wood board. I assumed it was nothing more than a drinking game some drunk college students came up with. Imagine my surprise when I found out there is actually an official American Cornhole Association that sanctions tournaments and leagues throughout the country. I guess it’s not too long before there are professional Cornholers.

Sports baffle me sometimes.

Post by **sauronsfinger** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 4:44 pm

Its hard to take issue with the claim that there are simply too many events in the Olympics today and some of them do not belong as a true sport. But where do you draw the line?

I have always had a bias against any events that are judged. But you would have to be blind to deny that many of them are extremely athletic and involve athletes in as good of physical shape as anyone can be.

Synchronized swimming??? synchronized diving? Firing a rifle? I agree its all absurd. But in some ways its like NASCAR over here. I look at it as a big joke and cultural wasteland involving techies who could not run a mile if their lives depend on it. But millions of people with beer cans firmly in hand (or is that on their head in that weird contraptions) loudly disagree and have the numbers to back them up.

One persons trash is anothers cash.

Post by **Alatar** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 4:51 pm

tinwë wrote: Wow! That is pretty impressive. But I still can’t help but feel that it’s all the more silly for exactly that reason. Who knew anyone took badminton so serious?

I suspect this is a cultural thing. Tennis, Squash and Badminton were always the three serious racket sports when I was growing up. On the other hand I was stunned to find out that Rounders was a professional game called Baseball in America.

Post by **Dave_LF** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 5:00 pm

But in some ways its like NASCAR over here. I look at it as a big joke and cultural wasteland involving techies who could not run a mile if their lives depend on it. But millions of people with beer cans firmly in hand (or is that on their head in that weird contraptions) loudly disagree and have the numbers to back them up.

Ironically, auto racing would be much more true to the original spirit of the games than (say) rowing is. But I still can't stand NASCAR.

Post by **Lurker** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 5:11 pm

I agree with Alatar. Badminton is a very physical sport and a very fast game. In tennis you can wait for the ball to bounce and decide whether to use a backhand or a forehand. In badminton you have to be quick. My doubles partner at the local club is a badminton player and man, I couldn't do the moves he's been doing at the net. His lobs and volleys nobody can hit, since he can dump it in fast and the guy can run. That's why I always stay in the back when we play cause he can cover the front. Makes re-think my decision of pulling out taking badminton lessons this year at the community centre. Most of the guys I play with in tennis are good badminton players.

Why don't you like basketball, guys?

I love every single minute of it.
You don't like the high flying slam dunks by Lebron.

It's baseball that makes me snore when I watch it, but I like playing it as a pitcher, never been a good catcher. My dad used to bring me to the Jays game, but it still bored me to tears.

Post by **Lurker** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 5:19 pm

sauronsfinger wrote:Synchronized swimming??? synchronized diving? Firing a rifle? I agree its all absurd. But in some ways its like NASCAR over here. I look at it as a big joke and cultural wasteland involving techies who could not run a mile if their lives depend on it. But millions of people with beer cans firmly in hand (or is that on their head in that weird contraptions) loudly disagree and have the numbers to back them up.

One persons trash is anothers cash.

A waste of my time and a waste of gas. I don't know how people could stand cars going around and around, nothing physical about it. How many people have been killed in the Nascar. I went to a cemetery once and saw a tombstone of a guy in his mid-twenties who got killed during a practice session for a car race, can't remember if it's for the Nascar or the Grand Prix. He had a picture of his car on the tombstone, too. I just shook my head and said a prayer.

Post by **Frelga** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 5:43 pm

Dave_LF wrote:In ancient Greece, the events nearly all focused on skills that had actual value in real life. With the possible exception of some of the track and bicycling events, that's no longer true for any of them. I find the idea of spending your entire life training to perform some physical action that has no value in the real world to the exclusion of all other things to be profoundly stupid; and certainly not worthy of all the pomp and honor that's attached to the Olympic games. But that's just me.

That's more or less how I feel. Sports are all good and fun, but I still can't get my mind around people being paid millions for, basically, hitting a ball with a stick.

Post by **Padme** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 9:47 pm

Dave_LF wrote:In ancient Greece, the events nearly all focused on skills that had actual value in real life.

Well if they ever have speed typing as a sport...I am on the team. I could easily win the gold in the road rage event. My daughter could win the talking on the phone event, hands down. And I am sure my son would be more than willing to try out for all the Wii, Playstation, Xbox, DS, ect. games. Although he might need to do some serious thumb training.

Post by **Padme** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 11:25 pm

Lurker wrote:Wow, great story Padme! I feel really sad for the kid, for all his talent and scholarship he never made a "good life" for himself. What a waste.

Oh don't feel too sorry for my son, he can play those video games just fine

Post by **Impenitent** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 2:15 pm

How do people feel about the lip-syncing child and the pre-recorded fireworks 'foot prints' (allegedly some were computer generated)?

Apparently the child who appeared was chosen for her looks:

"The reason was for the national interest. The child on camera should be flawless in image, internal feelings, and expression," said Chen, a renowned contemporary composer and French citizen [and general music designer of the ceremony].

<snip>

Chen said the girl whose voice was actually heard by the 91,000 capacity crowd at the Olympic stadium during the spectacular ceremony was in fact seven-year-old Yang Peiyi, who has a chubby face and uneven teeth.

The commentary is rather condemning:

Xiao Qiang, the director of the China Internet project at the University of California at Berkeley and former dissident, said the two incidents illustrated the political nature of the Games for China.

"It is all about projecting the right image of China with no respect for honesty or for the audience.

"I do not think the Chinese state realises how unethical this is, they don't understand what kind of values they are reflecting."

full story: http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/newshome/4890324

What do you think? Do you think that the ceremony is, in any case, a show, an entertainment, and that therefore the issue of 'honesty' is not relevant? That it's all an illusion, just as any stage performance is expected to have an element of fantasy?

Post by **Alatar** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 2:22 pm

I don't have a problem with the fireworks, but the lip-syncing, yeah. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to say that the same is true of every other country. I can't see any host nation putting a chubby kid with uneven teeth on the world stage.

Thats a sad indictment of the World, not just China.

Post by **Impenitent** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 2:37 pm

One mitigating circumstance is that, on being asked, the head honcho organisers were candid about it - there does not seem to be any effort to hide it or make excuses about it. It seemed a very straightforward decision to them.

Still not sure how I feel about it. Ambivalent would be a good word.

Post by **sauronsfinger** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 5:07 pm

The substitution of one girl for another because she was not attractive enough kind of turns my stomach.

Post by **vison** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 6:06 pm

The Olympics are always about politics, one way or the other.

And while I don't like what was done, I like the frank admission of it!!

Post by **Frelga** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 8:13 pm

Alatar wrote:I can't see any host nation putting a chubby kid with uneven teeth on the world stage.

Did anyone else think Maskerade on hearing the news?

I don't really get what is supposed to be so important about the Olympics, honestly. But the opening ceremony is pure spectacle, a chance for the host to show off. Of course it's all about looks.

Post by **tinwë** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 8:52 pm

I know that the Olympics are inextricably intertwined with politics, but would it be possible for people to please not bring the political aspects of it into this thread and this forum. If you want to discuss the political aspects of it then the Lasto forum would be the place for that. I have already put myself under a self-imposed exile from that forum because of my disgust with things being posted there, I don’t want to have to lock myself out of this forum too.

Thank you.

Post by **Primula Baggins** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 8:59 pm

I have to leave momentarily, but if there is anyone interested in splitting off the "Politics of the Olympics" discussion to Lasto, I will do so when I get back. I do agree that it would be nice to have a thread for discussing the fun of the Olympics (or the tackiness, or the coverage, or the best race yesterday, or anything but politics).