So Momoko and I watched the opening ceremony for the Olympics. There is zero question that it was absolutely spectacular, but I have a few issues - some of which might be slightly controversial.

First and foremost… What the hell, China? This is the Olympics, not “Glorious People’s Demonstration of The Power of China”. I have managed to watch a few opening ceremonies in my lifetime, and I seem to remember them focusing on global brotherhood, and community and unification. Not this time. The entire first hour - which was the awesome part - seemed less about coming-togetherness and more about “look what China did for the world, with paper, moveable type, the compass and some other thing which I have already forgotten.” 

Of course before they even got into the song and dance, we got to see a Chinese girl sing a Chinese song while goose-steppers raised the Chinese flag. Just swap the country flag for North Korea’s and you may as well have been watching the Mass Games. And given China’s ratings for the opening ceremonies were 98% of all televisions, it pretty much was the same thing within China. (The other 2% of televisions were probably watching surveillance cameras.) 

I don’t have a problem with China having the Olympics, per se. And the ceremony was breath-taking. But just because something is beautiful to look at doesn’t mean the message itself should be excused. The fact remains that it took China nearly a full hour before anything about the ceremony really pertained to the Olympics or the spirit that the Olympics embody was displayed, and that is what irritates me.

On top of that they seemed to have abandoned other traditions of the opening ceremonies, like the flag raising and the order in which countries are brought into the stadium. Chinese stroke order? I am not saying the Roman alphabet is the be all and end all, but even though other countries who have hosted the games use different words for countries from around the world, China is the first to depart from the order.

And to top it all off, the announcers have typically been assholes to the Nth degree. I realise many commentators don’t know exactly what to say during live events, but to say “And here comes Japan - a big competitor in the games. It must be really awkward for them to be here in China, after they invaded it in World War II” or other equally inane and insensitive remarks which have zero bearing on the event is entirely inexcusable.

So aside from that and daytime images of post-apocalyptic looking smog, I wonder what else we’ll be taking away from the games this year.