LA 2028 Ceremonies

[Olympics2028]

10 hours ago, FYI said:

And the irony there, is that he claims the "traveling circus" nature of the Olympics should cease.

 

An international theme of a ceremony doesn't mean the IOC has to keep the format of the constantly changing field of host cities, particularly for the more expensive summer games.

I think major aspects of the 2012 games were poorly handled, but if London wants to host again, I'd say they're more capable than a place like Rio, Rome or Johannesburg, etc, is.

Incidentally, the 2012 games' ceremonies were themed in such a way, they could have easily been a reflection of schlock Hollywood or hokey Los Angeles. Same thing applies to the mess of 1996. That was an event produced by a guy based in LA with long-time ties to the Hollywood industry. At least symbolically, LA has to take some blame for 1996.

Finally, I bet SoFi Stadium is going to fall flat for an Olympics ceremony. That the head of the 2028 OOC doesn't sense that (and also believes the Olympics should become more political, not less) is why the next summer games in the US are more likely to come up short.  So the 2028 OOC had better keep their budget under control and hope that today's pro-grievance culture and Tik-Tok social media don't affect ticket sales.

Oh, not just that, but also that terrorists or an earthquake (or another pandemic, etc) don't screw up other things.

 

[baron-pierreIV]

1 hour ago, Olympics2028 said:

I was watching the marching bands at the 1984 opening and wondering how the field organizer managed to get each and every person to know exactly where he or she had to be during Moment A or Moment B. Doing all that while playing an instrument and not screwing up both that and the footsteps they had to remember.

The non-California (the 49 other states) band members who were picked like in spring 1984, were sent their sheet music and tapes to learn before shipping out to LA around June 30th.  Then, joining the 626 local band members (mostly from UCLA and USC) + 200 non-Californians, they used the 4 weeks in LA to learn the marching routines and formations -- and timing those to the music they already learned.  Of course, everything was pre-conceived and plotted in advance -- hence, a seamless final product.    

[FYI]

6 hours ago, Quaker2001 said:

It's also falling into the trap of thinking that the entire Olympics is the ceremonies and not the 16 days of sports in between.  Sure, the opening ceremony sets the tone for what we're going to see over the next 2 weeks.  But that tone shouldn't just be that you're watching the Olympics.  It should absolutely be that this is the Olympics in Country X.  Otherwise, what's the point of having a ceremony?

Exactly. I think Athens 2004 & Beijing 2008 are perfect examples of such. You knew where those Olympics were taking place because of their ceremonies. 

And while I do enjoy watching the Olympic ceremonies as much as anyone else around here (& I enjoy watching them precisely for the cultural aspect of the host country), I still stay tuned afterwards to watch the sports (& any Olympic drama that might come about lol). I don't turn off NBC, etc. for one moment during those 16 days & nights. 

[Quaker2001]

2 hours ago, Olympics2028 said:

There are armchair experts/quarterbacks involved in a wide variety of hobbies and interests. Think of all the people who are into some sport but would get killed if they became direct participants in a professional game of football or ice hockey.

Or look at it this way: I read that Kobe Bryant, after retiring from the Lakers, said he stopped watching most NBA games.

Olympic ceremonies to me have become unwatchable, certainly over the past few decades. Other people will feel just the opposite way.

That's fine.  We've established this is about personal opinion.  But for the umpteenth time, if you're going to talk about how you think an OOC or whoever else should go about their business, try and do so in the context that they are not creating their product just for you.  And that they probably have a better handle on what the audience is looking for, even if you find it uninteresting and boring.  There's only so much you can inject your personal viewpoint into a group discussion before it starts to get really overbearing and annoying.  Especially if you think it has been this bad for decades, that's a long time to be turned off by something and still want to talk about it on a discussion forum.

2 hours ago, Olympics2028 said:

The Parade of the National Flags in 1984, which I first saw several months ago from a person who posted video from the BBC - which came with a commentator - first struck me as very dull. But I notice the same version of it, but from international feed, and therefore without a narrator, is somewhat easier to watch.

I realize a lot of TV broadcasts become more of a pain to switch on because of the constant chatter of news/sports commentators. A lot of them feel they're being paid by the word, so they yak-yak more than necessary.

As for watching athletes march into a stadium? It's not where they're from - whether the US or otherwise - that becomes similar to watching paint dry. It's looking at thousands of people in general walk down a stadium track that is a snooze.

Maybe if the IOC has flag bearers and a select number of participants marching behind them, the presentation of all the countries won't seem as long and dull?

In order to not piss off the other athletes, maybe they can be offered a special 5-course, 5-star dinner at the Olympic village? Or maybe they've given a free session with a local masseuse (wink, wink)?

Even this bit in 1984 could have been helped sound-wise if the choir had performed some tunes as the flags were marched around the track.

I've seen people suggest not have everyone march in the ceremony.  That's a non-starter.  Many athletes will choose not to in order to get ready for their competitions, but you can't tell athletes, especially the large percentage of them that go to the Olympics with little hope of returning home with a medal, that they're not allowed to participate because heaven forbid some of the viewers might get bored.  Every single one of them has earned the right to be there and many value that moment over the competition itself. 

Even though there are more athletes now than there were 40-50 years ago, is the Parade of Nations (not the Parade of National Flags, that's not what it's called) somehow more boring now than it was back then that you feel the need to streamline it?  Tell the family members of an athlete who you've deemed not important enough to watch that some perk from the IOC is an acceptable substitute.  No one is willingly taking that deal.

[Quaker2001]

4 minutes ago, FYI said:

Exactly. I think Athens 2004 & Beijing 2008 are perfect examples of such. You knew where those Olympics were taking place because of their ceremonies. 

And while I do enjoy watching the Olympic ceremonies as much as anyone else around here (& I enjoy watching them precisely for the cultural aspect of the host country), I still stay tuned afterwards to watch the sports (& any Olympic drama that might come about lol). I don't turn off NBC, etc. for one moment during those 16 days & nights. 

Part of what makes the Olympics the Olympics is that aspect of it.  That you have "the youth of the world" gather in a particular time and place, so you want the host city/country to note when and where that is.  The Super Bowl goes from city to city every year, but does that resonate with anyone?  Not really.  If the Olympics were stripped of all that fanfare, it's just another sports competition.  And then what makes the Olympic swimming competition different from the world championships?

[FYI]

2 hours ago, Olympics2028 said:

An international theme of a ceremony doesn't mean the IOC has to keep the format of the constantly changing field of host cities, particularly for the more expensive summer games.

Actually, it's precisely the Summer Games that make the Olympics more *international*. It's been mentioned many times here, that the Winter Olympics aren't as international, due to the limited number of countries that participate in winter sports.  So therefore, it only makes sense that the roster of host cities is larger for Summer Games than they are for the Winter Games.

2 hours ago, Olympics2028 said:

I think major aspects of the 2012 games were poorly handled, but if London wants to host again, I'd say they're more capable than a place like Rio, Rome or Johannesburg, etc, is.

"more than capable" in what way? Because that can be very subjective depending on the context to which you might be referring to. 

2 hours ago, Olympics2028 said:

Incidentally, the 2012 games' ceremonies were themed in such a way, they could have easily been a reflection of schlock Hollywood or hokey Los Angeles. Same thing applies to the mess of 1996. That was an event produced by a guy based in LA with long-time ties to the Hollywood industry. At least symbolically, LA has to take some blame for 1996.

They could've easily been a reflection since both countries (the U.S. & the U.K.) have many cultural similarities. I remember reading about how Atlanta was selling itself as an African-American city during their 1996 bid campaign. However, once the 1996 Games arrived, I don't remember/recalling much, if any, "African-ness" there, other than perhaps some African statues at some of the venues.

Their ceremonies reflected more of the 'South' (which on the surface, only made sense) than anything else really, hence the pick-up trucks (which they could've done without, though). That's where in that sense, a city like London, L.A. or Atlanta, etc. I'd say aren't more than capable of handling true cultural identity than your Rio, Rome or Johannesburg, etc.

[Quaker2001]

2 hours ago, Olympics2028 said:

An international theme of a ceremony doesn't mean the IOC has to keep the format of the constantly changing field of host cities, particularly for the more expensive summer games.

I think major aspects of the 2012 games were poorly handled, but if London wants to host again, I'd say they're more capable than a place like Rio, Rome or Johannesburg, etc, is.

Incidentally, the 2012 games' ceremonies were themed in such a way, they could have easily been a reflection of schlock Hollywood or hokey Los Angeles. Same thing applies to the mess of 1996. That was an event produced by a guy based in LA with long-time ties to the Hollywood industry. At least symbolically, LA has to take some blame for 1996.

Finally, I bet SoFi Stadium is going to fall flat for an Olympics ceremony. That the head of the 2028 OOC doesn't sense that (and also believes the Olympics should become more political, not less) is why the next summer games in the US are more likely to come up short.  So the 2028 OOC had better keep their budget under control and hope that today's pro-grievance culture and Tik-Tok social media don't affect ticket sales.

Oh, not just that, but also that terrorists or an earthquake (or another pandemic, etc) don't screw up other things.

What major aspects of 2012 were poorly handled?  Budgets and ticket sales are important.  Ceremony themes are not a major aspect.  That's not what defines the success or failure of an Olympics other than in your personal viewpoint.  You keep droning on about how the 2028 OOC should be listening to your opinions, but why?  They have an audience of millions, if not billions to satisfy.  You're 1 person who, largely by your own admission, isn't in tune with what the larger audience is looking for.  So maybe you're not the right person to be passing judgment, let alone to make predictions 6 years out

[FYI]

21 minutes ago, Quaker2001 said:

Part of what makes the Olympics the Olympics is that aspect of it.  That you have "the youth of the world" gather in a particular time and place, so you want the host city/country to note when and where that is.  The Super Bowl goes from city to city every year, but does that resonate with anyone?  Not really.  If the Olympics were stripped of all that fanfare, it's just another sports competition.  And then what makes the Olympic swimming competition different from the world championships?

Well, if the Superbowl ever makes it to London, I wonder what our friend here will have to say about it lol.

But yeah, the world in one place is, & has been, what has made the Olympics so special. Once you start to dilute that aspect of it, it then starts to become more of ho-hum, just your average event.

It's the same when the conversation has turned to before of having more than one host at the same time, or spreading the venue plan too far out, when it comes to lessening the burden on host cities. That also would take away from the Olympic experience/atmosphere IMO.

As it is, some argue that the Olympics are already losing their prestige anyway, like our friend here does. 

[SportLightning]

48 minutes ago, FYI said:

Well, if the Superbowl ever makes it to London, I wonder what our friend here will have to say about it lol.

But yeah, the world in one place is, & has been, what has made the Olympics so special. Once you start to dilute that aspect of it, it then starts to become more of ho-hum, just your average event.

It's the same when the conversation has turned to before of having more than one host at the same time, or spreading the venue plan too far out, when it comes to lessening the burden on host cities. That also would take away from the Olympic experience/atmosphere IMO.

As it is, some argue that the Olympics are already losing their prestige anyway, like our friend here does. 

It would be weird with the Super Bowl in London.

[Olympics2028]

3 hours ago, baron-pierreIV said:

hence, a seamless final product.    

 

I was looking at a copier machine being serviced the other day and the guts of it were so complicated I couldn't make heads or tails of it. The service tech working on it told me that people who design or create such things are geniuses.

When I see something that's handled very well, I always admire the skill, talent and sweat equity that goes into it.

Then when I see things like, for example, the official logo created for the 2012 games, I go, "ya gotta be kidding me."

 

 

[Olympics2028]

1 hour ago, Quaker2001 said:

That's fine.  We've established this is about personal opinion.  But for the umpteenth time, if you're going to talk about how you think an OOC or whoever else should go about their business, try and do so in the context that they are not creating their product just for you. 

 

I never said otherwise.

Moreover, I point out specific aspects or details of what I think is good or not good about, in this case, Olympic ceremonies. I don't just say, i like it or hate it, and leave it at that.

Sure, it's my opinion. I never claimed otherwise.

I notice the online ceremonies for the 2012 games posted to the IOC's Youtube account have generated a huge number of views and replies.

I recall when media and online reviews came out after that event's opening, they were mainly positive. Personally, I thought those ceremonies were lousy. But that's just me. Again, that's my opinion.

In a way if that event had occurred in my own backyard, as where the 2028 games are going to be held, I'd have been even more pissed off or embarrassed. I'd have taken what I judged as lame or weak way more personally.

However, for all those people who loved that ceremony, including at the IOC and the 2012 OOC, etc, more power to them.

[FYI]

15 minutes ago, Olympics2028 said:

Then when I see things like, for example, the official logo created for the 2012 games, I go, "ya gotta be kidding me."

[Olympics2028]

10 minutes ago, FYI said:

 

LOL.

From the first day that a major decision of the 2012 OOC was presented right up until the closing ceremony, I fully realized that even a big-time, major-league place like the city of London can make a mess of things.

Incidentally, the city of the 2012 summer games - from culture to finance, from beauty to brains - easily pulls rank on other cities, including that of LA. Which is why 2012 is an example that any Olympic games can be screwed up no matter where they're being held.

[Quaker2001]

16 minutes ago, Olympics2028 said:

LOL.

From the first day that a major decision of the 2012 OOC was presented right up until the closing ceremony, I fully realized that even a big-time, major-league place like the city of London can make a mess of things.

Incidentally, the city of the 2012 summer games - from culture to finance, from beauty to brains - easily pulls rank on other cities, including that of LA. Which is why 2012 is an example that any Olympic games can be screwed up no matter where they're being held.

The legacy of the 2012 London Olympics and whether or not their efforts were successful do not hinge on what the logo was.  Only on a site like this would anyone put any stock into that.  Yes, the logo received a lot of criticism.  Did it have any material effect on the operation and execution of the Games?  The answer is no.  Unless you actually think there are people out there who spent less time or money on the Olympics because of that logo

[Sir Rols]

57 minutes ago, Olympics2028 said:

^ People rate or judge things differently. When it comes to Olympic games, I focus on …

Yeah, yeah, yeah. We’ve heard it ALL multiple times before.

[Chris_Mex]

9 hours ago, Olympics2028 said:

 

LOL.

From the first day that a major decision of the 2012 OOC was presented right up until the closing ceremony, I fully realized that even a big-time, major-league place like the city of London can make a mess of things.

Incidentally, the city of the 2012 summer games - from culture to finance, from beauty to brains - easily pulls rank on other cities, including that of LA. Which is why 2012 is an example that any Olympic games can be screwed up no matter where they're being held.

Surely London screwed the culture of the UK >>> have you even watched the ceremonies?, the first 20 minutes of the opening ceremony literally leaves you crying and saying -so this is why UK is important for world history-. Screwing a great culture was tokyo which offered tap as a demonstration of their culture

[Quaker2001]

5 hours ago, Chris_Mex said:

Surely London screwed the culture of the UK >>> have you even watched the ceremonies?, the first 20 minutes of the opening ceremony literally leaves you crying and saying -so this is why UK is important for world history-. Screwing a great culture was tokyo which offered tap as a demonstration of their culture

I can give Tokyo and Japan a pass on that one because of the pandemic.  A month before the games, they didn't know if they were going to have any spectators in attendance.  So their presentation to the world takes place in an empty stadium.  We'd likely have gotten a much different show if it was in front of a full crowd

[Olympics2028]

9 hours ago, Chris_Mex said:

Surely London screwed the culture of the UK >>> have you even watched the ceremonies?, the first 20 minutes of the opening ceremony literally leaves you crying and saying -so this is why UK is important for world history-. Screwing a great culture was tokyo which offered tap as a demonstration of their culture

Huh?

In the first minutes of the opening of 2012, I actually thought the broadcast had switched over to a commercial for possibly British Airways or whatever.  Then I later thought the opening had meandered over to Pinewood Studios and was showing (ie, guys in top hats, etc) the filming of some period piece.

The rest of the opening came off to me like bad Hollywood or even bad Los Angeles.

If the 2028 games put together the hokum and provincialism of 2012, I'll be embarrassed for both LA and the US.

 

[Olympics2028]

3 hours ago, Quaker2001 said:

We'd likely have gotten a much different show if it was in front of a full crowd

 

The empty stadium killed the vibe and energy, but the basic elements of the ceremony seemed like, even with a full house, it still would have been business as usual. Or more like 2016 than 1964.

[Olympics2028]

17 hours ago, Sir Rols said:

Yeah, yeah, yeah. We’ve heard it ALL multiple times before.

 

As though most posts in general throughout gamesbid.com don't pretty much say the same thing over and over, and over, again. I don't deny I repeat my same talking points, but so do other people.

The lesson of cases like an Amber Heard on trial or Will Smith/Jada at the Academy Awards (another type of ceremony that occurs in LA) is that a lot of the people around most everyone is mental, bi-polar, sociopathic

That's the world the Olympic games are bravely marching into.

[Olympics2028]

18 hours ago, Quaker2001 said:

The legacy of the 2012 London Olympics and whether or not their efforts were successful do not hinge on what the logo was. 

I posted a reply to you yesterday but for some wonderful reason it was deleted.

The world of social media is full of banning, doxxing and censorship. George Orwell's book 1984 wasn't necessarily fiction.

BTW, that's 1984 the novel, not 1984, the last summer games in LA.

[Quaker2001]

2 hours ago, Olympics2028 said:

 

The empty stadium killed the vibe and energy, but the basic elements of the ceremony seemed like, even with a full house, it still would have been business as usual. Or more like 2016 than 1964.

It was the year 2021.  Maybe it should be more like 2016 than 1964.

[AustralianFan]

22 hours ago, Olympics2028 said:

 

LOL.

From the first day that a major decision of the 2012 OOC was presented right up until the closing ceremony, I fully realized that even a big-time, major-league place like the city of London can make a mess of things.

Incidentally, the city of the 2012 summer games - from culture to finance, from beauty to brains - easily pulls rank on other cities, including that of LA. Which is why 2012 is an example that any Olympic games can be screwed up no matter where they're being held.

You seriously are one of the biggest trolls on Gamesbids.com

You feed so much BS into these threads and to deliberately and provocatively get a response and some attention to yourself.

Your BS Trolling behaviour is on full display here again with, one of the most successful Opening Ceremonies and Olympic Games of the modern era in London 2012, ………. and here you are saying London 2012 was screwed up after your many many posts praising London 2012.

You my friend, are deliberate in the BS you post to get attention to your BS …. and that is the definition of Trolling.

[Sir Rols]

3 hours ago, Olympics2028 said:

 

As though most posts in general throughout gamesbid.com don't pretty much say the same thing over and over, and over, again. I don't deny I repeat my same talking points, but so do other people.

The lesson of cases like an Amber Heard on trial or Will Smith/Jada at the Academy Awards (another type of ceremony that occurs in LA) is that a lot of the people around most everyone is mental, bi-polar, sociopathic

That's the world the Olympic games are bravely marching into.

You repeat and overstate your views far beyond anyone else here. Repetition like yours is the currency of attention whores.

[FYI]

^Mmmmm, I'm not so sure about that. Just look at the ultimate irony, to say the very least, at the post just above yours. lol