Was that the lamest Opening Ceremony EVER?

[katmai]

Why were lesbians making out at the opening ceremonies?

It was a bit taking a tour of British music kind of told through a story of a boy-meets-girl on a night out, with images from British TV and film to reflect the mood (and era) being flashed on a suburban house - all praising the internet.  When the girl and boy got together they showed a montage of famous kisses (to Song 2).  The montage included the Anna Friel kiss from Brookside.

Edit:  Or as a reporter tweeted 'I love this - our suburban lives made magical by music, snogging and Saturday night'

And that was shown here, Meri is loca gringa.

[Barrister]

The live broadcast - I caught the last bit - lighting of the torch.  There was then a rebroadcast, but I was out at the park with Timmy, came back and they were at the parade of nations.

Seen some highlights though - looks good generally.  But a tribute to the NHS?

[Sheilbh]

Seen some highlights though - looks good generally.  But a tribute to the NHS?

As Nigel Lawson put it, it's the nearest thing we have to a national religion

Edit:  Also as I say 600 of the performers in that section were NHS staff, and there was a more specific tribute to Great Ormond Street.

[Barrister]

Seen some highlights though - looks good generally.  But a tribute to the NHS?

As Nigel Lawson put it, it's the nearest thing we have to a national religion

It's a government department.  I'm all for socialized medicine (well not quite, but let's pretend), but you'll notice that Vancouver 2010 did not demonstrate a tribute to Health Canada.

[Admiral Yi]

The day glo bycicle wings were horribly cheap and goofy.  The fireworks were pretty cool.

Dude had $40 million to spend and I just don't see where he put it.

Totally missed the lebiangs tonguing.

[Sheilbh]

It's a government department.  I'm all for socialized medicine (well not quite, but let's pretend), but you'll notice that Vancouver 2010 did not demonstrate a tribute to Health Canada.

Well the NHS is seen as being more or less independent, but state-funded - the only comparable institution (in terms of affection that people have with it - as well as frustration) is the BBC.  The NHS is often top three in terms of most trusted institution or 'things that make you proud to be British'.  In a recent poll the top two most trusted bodies were the armed forces and the NHS.  I don't know if that's the case with Health Canada, though it could be.

Because of all that and what its founding means in our history I think any celebration of Britishness - which is what this was - would have to include the NHS.  It doesn't deserve its own section but the linking of it with Great Ormond Street, Peter Pan, children's literature, the joy of being scared and Mary Poppins was, as I say, I think quite brilliant.

[sbr]

I read on twitter that the US was the only country to not bow their flag to the queen.  Anyone else hear that?

[Sheilbh]

I read on twitter that the US was the only country to not bow their flag to the queen.  Anyone else hear that?

It's probably true.  I remember reading somewhere that the US 'never dips the flag'.  But I read that a while ago and that was in a military, not a sporting context, so it may not be relevant.

[Admiral Yi]

I read on twitter that the US was the only country to not bow their flag to the queen.  Anyone else hear that?

I don't know about only country but it has been a US tradition to not dip the flag since the Stockholm games (Oslo?) in the early 1900s.

[sbr]

I'm sure obama tried to talk them into it.

[Tamas]

I liked it.

[Richard Hakluyt]

Ah.......by Habs you mean Habbaku not Habsburg.............Berkut's opening posts make sense to me now 

I rather enjoyed it, though there were some longueurs and I could have done without Macca. It is a curious art-form, rather naff in many ways and we should reflect that it is possibly the only thing that would be best done by North Korea 

I thought the torch thing at the end was particularly good, some of the stuff in the middle I did wonder what foreigners were making of it.

[Martinus]

Yeah, Berkut, you need to stop referring to Habbaku as "Habs". Habsburg is and has always been the "Habs" - you are the only one who refers to Habbaku that way.

[Martinus]

some of the stuff in the middle I did wonder what foreigners were making of it.

"Brits have the queen and are a bit weird but usually well meaning".

Which probably perfectly matches the opinion the world already has of you. So good job capturing that.

[Agelastus]

It was a terrible opening ceremony; twee and excessively self-referential before the parade of the athletes, excessively drawn out when they got round to opening the games and lighting the cauldron afterwards.

I seem to be alone in thinking this though in Britain, judging by the posts from fellow Brits on this forum and the news stories I'm seeing on the web.