Follow-up to the aliens at the Olympics
Jul. 18th, 2012 09:28 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
marinessFrom multiple sources this morning, reviews of the little one eyed plush figures. Read through at least to the bit about Lord Coe, and prepare to feel very sorry for little Paddington Bear.
(Speaking of which, is anyone selling a little Paddington Bear in an Olympics T-shirt or trying to play table tennis? That would be kinda awesome, and he could still wear the hat.)
Having said all this, my excitement about the Olympics has been kinda tempered this morning by very sad reports from the Guardian that, gasp, the opening ceremony was deemed "too long" and therefore we aren't getting any stunt bikes. Left unsaid, was NBC's additional observation of "not enough time for lengthy commercial breaks and dubious commentary from Bob Costas where he attempts to explain to Americans where the hell Swaziland is or fills us in with various "interesting facts" about whatever country is marching down the thing now before immediately cutting away to the commercial before we get to see any of the considerably more interesting countries. So I am all sad. Also wondering exactly how NBC is planning on showing the Opening Ceremony, beyond "badly" (this is a given) given the timing -- I'm assuming we're going to get one of those annoying tape delayed things again, after I've already read how ridiculous/wonderful/no stunt bikes everything was on Twitter.
While I'm chatting, in the extremely unlikely event anyone from NBC is reading this, I'd just like to remind them that the vast majority of people, even American people, tune into the Olympics to watch, you know, the Olympics, and not your upcoming little segments about "weird moments of British life." I know some of this is coming, since you can't help yourself, NBC, but can we try to restrict it this time around?
...having said that the local news assures me that many of the events will be shown the same way they were in 2008, on the internet with very little commentary. Keeping my fingers crossed that NBC will actually do this.
...having said that, I promise, this will return to a mostly sports-free blog mid August or so.
(Speaking of which, is anyone selling a little Paddington Bear in an Olympics T-shirt or trying to play table tennis? That would be kinda awesome, and he could still wear the hat.)
Having said all this, my excitement about the Olympics has been kinda tempered this morning by very sad reports from the Guardian that, gasp, the opening ceremony was deemed "too long" and therefore we aren't getting any stunt bikes. Left unsaid, was NBC's additional observation of "not enough time for lengthy commercial breaks and dubious commentary from Bob Costas where he attempts to explain to Americans where the hell Swaziland is or fills us in with various "interesting facts" about whatever country is marching down the thing now before immediately cutting away to the commercial before we get to see any of the considerably more interesting countries. So I am all sad. Also wondering exactly how NBC is planning on showing the Opening Ceremony, beyond "badly" (this is a given) given the timing -- I'm assuming we're going to get one of those annoying tape delayed things again, after I've already read how ridiculous/wonderful/no stunt bikes everything was on Twitter.
While I'm chatting, in the extremely unlikely event anyone from NBC is reading this, I'd just like to remind them that the vast majority of people, even American people, tune into the Olympics to watch, you know, the Olympics, and not your upcoming little segments about "weird moments of British life." I know some of this is coming, since you can't help yourself, NBC, but can we try to restrict it this time around?
...having said that the local news assures me that many of the events will be shown the same way they were in 2008, on the internet with very little commentary. Keeping my fingers crossed that NBC will actually do this.
...having said that, I promise, this will return to a mostly sports-free blog mid August or so.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-07-18 04:10 pm (UTC)I rage at NBC's version of "coverage" every time the Olympics come around. A couple of days ago, they advertized that they'd be covering 'x' number of events... where 'x' was about 1/3rd the number of sports that will actually take place. Especially with the time difference between London and the U.S., there's no excuse for 'filler' time; we should see performance - score - performance - score... which would leave time to show at least part of the "less popular" events. Why do they show qualifying heats for the swimming, when there are finals of sailing, or kayaking, or archery, or whatever? I know why -- it's because there isn't an American close enough to a possible win for them to consider it "interesting" for the US audience... but this is an international celebration/event, dammit!
::deep breath:: I could NBC-rant for hours, but I'll spare you. Enough to say, because of NBC, I have a definite love/hate relationship with the Olympics.
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(no subject)
Date: 2012-07-18 04:22 pm (UTC)They show the qualifying heats for swimming because Americans do well in swimming and at least in the shorter events it has all the excitement of the race. But I really would like to see more of the kayaking this year. Last time we watched it on the online coverage, and mildly horrified though I was at the effort of putting in completely fake white water rapids in China it was pretty cool.
My brother and I also want to see the modern pentathlon thing which if Wikipedia is not lying to us involves jumping horses AND shooting things which sounds kinda awesome. Again if Wikipedia is accurate two Americans are in this so I hope that we get an internet feed.
As a former varsity swimmer I actually like the swimming events, but I certainly agree that NBC should show us other things.