Martin Kettle is shrugging off his Olympic cynicism and exhorts us to do the same. I’m losing track of the MSM puff pieces peddling this garbage.
Until the torch came past, I had sometimes affected to be above all this. I had been trapped in the politically correct negative view of the relay, the view that the cult of the torch was an invented tradition foisted on the Olympics by the Nazis in 1936 and that the 2012 relay was a tacky stunt for drumming up phoney enthusiasm for the London Games from an otherwise indifferent public.
That’s precisely what it is; tacky, tacky, tacky. That lots of people fell for it and lined the streets doesn’t make it any less tacky, merely, it reflects badly on them. But then, bread and circuses has worked for a long, long time, hasn’t it? Pretty much since the time of the original Olympics, in fact…
My opinion remains unchanged. I object vigorously to having to pay for this – not least when it is accompanied by politicians attempting to tell us that we are immoral if we avoid handing over our hard-earned to pay for this junket. If people really want to watch someone running a bit faster than someone else, good luck to them. Let them pay for the privilege, and not expect the rest of us to fork out for it.
One of the BTL comments pretty much sums it up:
Is it not over yet? Seems to have been going on forever. Over-hyped, over-budget, over-blown and, unfortunately, over here!
Indeed. I remain entirely unmoved by Kettle’s blatant propaganda. The sooner it is over, the better. In the meantime, I plan to miss all of it. I’ll cherish my cynicism. After all, a cynic is merely what an idealist would call a realist.
I’m not buying any of it, or the jubilee stuff either. The country is falling down around their ears and all they can say is ‘its the London Olympics – Have fun… Or Else…’
They should put that on the t-shirts of the security people. No non-Mcdonalds food stuff or frowning allowed, pastel shaded clothing only.
No Jubilympics, then?
No, they made that poor old couple stand out in the rain watching boats go past… The poor sods.
They’ll no doubt have to sit through a tediously dull opening ceremony with flags moving past at a similar speed.
I tried to be a bit more generous with all this jubilee/olympic stuff, but I’ve found as times gone by I haven’t needed to nurture or feed my cynicism, its flourished all by itself.
I mean sometimes the ice melts and its a bit of an effort to maintain the misanthropy and doubt, but not this time. This time its been a self perpetuating success story, its not needed massaged, fed or encouraged at all.
Currently I’m torn between wanting it to further fall flat on its face (I fully expect the opening ceremony to be a massive boak-fest) but on the other hand, since I’m not the kind of person who slows down to look at road accidents, I’d like it to just go off without any further ado and get it over with.
I propose to make a sign of five bollocks arranged in the olympic style.
Through second daughter’s involvement as an intern in technical theatre, I was able to attended Wednesday’s dress rehearsal of the opening ceremony of the London Olympics.
From an interesting though slow start, a good proportion (about half the scenes) are IMHO pure theatrical brilliance.
The final scenes have considerable popular appeal.
So it might well be worth watching (on TV), even for fellow sceptics concerning such events.
Best regards
I’ll probably end up watching the ceremonies (unless something like The Mentalist isn’t on the other side) just to see the spectacle and at least be able to argue that it was crap or not having watched it. Unlike many others who will probably say it was crap and didn’t watch it.
But watch the actual Olympics itself. Nope. Definitely not.
Thankfully the torch only crossed my commute journey route at the weekend otherwise I would have demanded my right as a minority to take the same route as I always do. 🙂
XX I’ll probably end up watching the ceremonies (unless something like The Mentalist isn’t on the other side)XX
If something like paint is not drying on the wall.
XX I plan to miss all of it.XX
Hmm. Now a medal “I missed the 2012 Olympics.”
I am quite proud to say, in my 50 odd years, I have successfuly avoided ALL the olympics. Do I get my medal in Gold?
(In fact, I held my school area record of being the only one that NEVER took part in a PT or games class/lesson. My WHOLE school “carreer”. My end of year repoprt from the games teacher was “who?”)
What did it for me with the torch relay rubbish was the 47 assorted vehicles that accompanied the torch bearer, all necessary apparently, and the people who proceded the bearers, whipping up the crowds exactly like the Yanks do at sporting events.
I was disappointed to hear that my Son-in-law saw ‘the torch’ not once but twice by running from one side of his office to the other… 🙄
Still, the will is a lot simpler now… 😉
The thing that pisses me most about all this is the impression they try to give that these ‘athletes’ only meet once every four years to find out who is best. Whereas in reality they probably compete every week during the season (if there is one)…
Where are all the sports enthusiasts then…? 😡
XX Whereas in reality they probably compete every week during the season (if there is one)… XX
Which kind of links to a question going through my mind; If they are so enthusiastic, and comitted to their “sport”, then it doesn’t bloody MATTER if they do it in public or not…. does it?
As far as I am concerned “sport” is no different to queers. Something to be done in private, and behind closed doors.
Indeed! 😆