The 2 voices in my head had a heated discussion last night whilst watching Sochi's Opening ceremony. There was Warm Fuzzy (WF) versus Sneering Cynic (SC).
WF: Aw, how sweet to see athletes represent that (what was it now) Country, where his/her mother/father was born, even though he/she is now American.
SC: Yeah, sure, wouldn't you, too, fly under that foreign flag if you are a soso athlete who' never had a chance to get into the USA team?
WF: And isn't it so nice that that guy took 4 weeks off to train just to be able to come here?
SC: Must have a real generous employer to let him off during these economic hard times. Right!
WF: But those beautiful presentations of Russia throughout history. So impressive.
SC: They sure did gloss over the nasty parts (Killing off the Romanovs, The Gulag, Stalin's purges, etc). But hey, it was all 'done with mirrors' Which, btw, reminded me very much of MOBY DICK's electronically enhanced opera performance in Dallas! Maybe that's where they got the idea of those projections so enthralling you!
WF: But those dancers and the music.
SC: I grant you the music. How could they not use that. After all the world knows Tschaikovsky, swan lake. But did they have to make it look like electrically charged sea anemones?
WF: I admire the dancers they must have practiced for months.
SC: You know, I have the sneaky suspicion these were real red army soldiers who are so used to drill, and tight formations, as when they used to strut on Red Square to proclaim the power of Russia, just now put into theatrical costumes.
WF: But you did like Anna Netrebko?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=d56MMagyMXs
And the male chorus backing her up- yes?
SC: You have me there, she was great... except for a second or two I thought that it was a robot made to look her, the way her face seemed immobile, but then she belted out the anthem and moved, slightly. Yes, the male chorus was a nice touch, to emphasize her statuesque beauty, perhaps.
WF: I was soo excited because I think I recognized one of the singers in that chorus, a former HGO Studio member.
SC: Oh sure, but only if that smaller chorus was culled from the larger army chorus where BD is supposed to sing.
WF: So nice that the camera showed all those politicians clapping for their country's teams.
SC: Hmm, I did not see the any from the USA, and some other countries, but maybe those clapped during the infernal commercials and so were missed by the camera, do you think? And Putin's smirky countenance with limpy handclapping when not applauding Russia's preferred countries, what did you think of that WF?
WF: Aw, come on SC, maybe he was getting tired of clapping hard. He has had so much on his mind before these weeks.
SC: I guess so. Masterminding the transformation of a sleepy palm tree lined village on the beach to an "internationally" attractive destination in winter, could not have been easy even if spending so many millions over budget on it to end up with slip/slapshot results.
(Clip: the marching in of the athletes +)
WF: I was soo excited because I think I recognized one of the singers in that chorus, a former HGO Studio member.
SC: Oh sure, but only if that smaller chorus was culled from the larger army chorus where BD is supposed to sing.
WF: So nice that the camera showed all those politicians clapping for their country's teams.
SC: Hmm, I did not see the any from the USA, and some other countries, but maybe those clapped during the infernal commercials and so were missed by the camera, do you think? And Putin's smirky countenance with limpy handclapping when not applauding Russia's preferred countries, what did you think of that WF?
WF: Aw, come on SC, maybe he was getting tired of clapping hard. He has had so much on his mind before these weeks.
SC: I guess so. Masterminding the transformation of a sleepy palm tree lined village on the beach to an "internationally" attractive destination in winter, could not have been easy even if spending so many millions over budget on it to end up with slip/slapshot results.
Well, there you have it. It was a stunning productions, technically and electronically well done overall.
But moving, it was not, at least not form the stand(lol)point of sitting at home and seeing it with the eyes/lenses of cameras.
It seemed cool in the real sense sort of impersonal.
Perhaps being there IN person would have given a warmer feeling. May the games be successful for all! Go Austria, Go USA, Go... whoever you are!
2 comments:
And go, Canadian hockey teams (male and female)! But maybe that's politically incorrect to say on an American blog:)
Not a problem with this blogger. As long as it is hockey this Viennese born US citizen is happy!
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