Love the show, troubled by the message

Published by Tom

July 28, 2012

I watched the Olympic Opening Ceremony from start to finish on French channel TF1. It's fair to say that much of it bemused the French commentators, but reading around this morning I see that – as the BBC used sports commentators for a cultural event – it was just as puzzling to the native presenters.

I loved the show. The theme was taken from the greatest Englishman who ever lived, but there was little (apart from several impressive coups de theatre) that would have resonated with our Bill. The glorification of the ordinary is a contradiction in terms, a paradox. Yet Tolkien did it with his noble provincials, the hobbits. And Danny Boyle did it too.

Was it political? Yes. Were the races represented proportionally? No. Did that matter? Not much. Nor are they in sport. If it's racist to observe that black people make better athletes, then I am racist.That sort of stuff doesn't bother me. They were young, enthusiastic and well-drilled. They were a credit to us, so I don't give a damn about their skin pigmentation.

The only real tragedy is that Britain's greatest mistake – the NHS – was given massive prominence. Its hospitals an archipelago of filth, generating new diseases. Its staff forming a producer cooperative on Soviet lines, above all criticism and routinely killing patients without fear of disciplinary action or even much by way of rebuke. Yet, it is a sacred cow. It is supported by all parties, including those that should know better. So it was sort of inevitable. Having lived in other countries where people are mystified by Britain's attachment to so obviously deficient a model of health care, I guess they just smiled at our eccentricity.

All in all I was relieved that we did not disgrace ourselves. My French/Swiss hosts in Mauritius congratulated me and told me to be proud, so I guess we pulled it off. Spent as we are in so many ways, we are still – it seems – a cultural superpower. At least in terms of popular culture. So to carp about the message is, in the end, a waste of time.

As I really don't care about the sport, and as I am safely away from the disruption of London life for the duration, I have nothing more to worry about now the ceremony is over – apart from paying for the costs through my council tax for the rest of my life.

3 responses to “Love the show, troubled by the message”

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July 28, 2012

TP has written primarily on the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympics; largely I agree with him: a mixed bag, but not an uninteresting one, and some brilliance. I might write more later, but probably not – life is too busy.
And TP writes: “The only real tragedy is that Britain’s greatest mistake – the NHS – was given massive prominence. Its hospitals an archipelago of filth, generating new diseases. Its staff forming a producer cooperative on Soviet lines, above all criticism and routinely killing patients without fear of disciplinary action or even much by way of rebuke.”
I know that it was not always thus. At the ages of 6 and 9, twice the NHS saved my life. Also probably at age 0, and definitely then the life of my mother.
The Olympic ceremony sparked some memories from the age of 9: trampolining on the beds (definitely plural), with napkin pinned to my shoulders as I imitated some comic superhero in a long and boring 3 months of hospital convalescence.
But more importantly, in my clear memories of those days, there was no filth: the hygiene in wards was most impressive. There was no lack of fear: matron, and also sister, were held in great respect (even fear) and every effort was made to ensure that their sudden and terrible presence would find nothing to criticise.
There clearly are problems now; but those of filth and lack of fear mentioned by TP, they definitely came later than the 1959 and 1962 that I remember.
There are, IMHO, problems with government provision that arise from the very concept. But, in Germany and in Switzerland, I do not see the same problems that we have in the UK: that puzzles.
And we should remember that failing standards of government are a gradual process: perhaps one on which the line can be held, for services that are properly provided by government, at some level or other.
Best regards
Nigel Sedgwick

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Moggsy

July 29, 2012

I thought the show was spectacular. I was with some friends and the Americans generally didn’t really get lots of it, but thought it was awsome anyway as a spectacle. It wasn’t just the small stuff got lost in translation, someone wondered if Brannagh was “Honest Abe”.
I don’t get why generally Americans seem so unaware historically even with wider things that shaped the US. But I guess a lot of Brits have no hisory any more thanks to modern education.
But I do think amoungst the ‘educated’ generally Brits do better on US hisory and what influenced it than vice versa (I notice it especially from quizes).
I did think the NHS was a bit too prominent, it seemed to be more in the idealised probably never really existed past then the barely fit for purpose present, fitting right along with Mary Poppins.
Tho Nigel makes a good point about the NHS.
As for the makeup of the participants, don’t forget most were Londoners doing it for free. I think the racial make up of London was reflected, maybe not the UK as a whole.
But I guess on the whole the opening ceremony was to the credit of the UK.

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Cascadian

July 30, 2012

I humbly disagree, to try to represent the great sweep of UK history in one hour is of course impossible, sacrifices had to be made. To then attempt to present the UK by denigrating the industrial revolution when the greatest technological, transport and living conditions improvements were made is farcical, then to represent the NHS as some great institution as counter-point to the evil industrialists is again farcical.
There were sparks of brilliant show-making, some spectacles but generally the story was muddled, incomprehensible to most and the overwhelming desire to represent all victim groups ultimately detracted from narrative.
The volunteers must be congratulated, they carried off their parts well, they were let down by the material.

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