London 2012 Olympic Games
How do the Closing Ceremonies in the Beijing 2008, the Athens 2004, and the Atlanta 1996 rate?
Beijing 2008. A viewer would be hard pressed not to like the Beijing Closing Ceremony, especially if they were a fan of fireworks. When the Olympic athletes wave goodbyes to the audience, it is always jubilant and often free-form -- a favorite was two middle-easterners in their formal white robes standing stark-still and modestly waving their country flags, whilst all around them, athletes from other countries cavorted with abandon. The "tower of Babel" idea was interesting and was, at least, easier to view than other performances on the flat arena floor. Again, though the detail of what was happening on the tower was easily lost. The lengths of fabric that were first pulled up to the top of the tower and then raised like petals on an opening Chrysanthemum were the right scope for the audience to appreciate, but the effort lacked a definitive finish. The most spectacular performance, in this writer's opinion was that of the synchronized drummers. Although this was not part of the closing ceremony, it had all the best features of what one could reasonably expect in closing ceremonies; and it capitalized on China's strengths: vast numbers of people, disciplined and perfect timing of group performance, and the chanting of an ancient saying by Confucius. The glowing drumsticks in the intermittent darkened stadium were an unbeatable bonus. Alas, the closing ceremony was more denouement than glorious finish.
Athens 2004. The Athens Closing Ceremony seemed designed to present a chronology of sorts that showcased traditional dress, traditional dance, and local customs featuring costumes. A rhythmical parade of people in costume partly danced and proceeded into an enormous spiral in the center of the arena. Close-up, the staging was interesting and highly varied. From far away -- practically anywhere in the stadium -- the effect of the costumes and even the dancing was lost. It looked more as though a Broadway musical performance had been dropped into the arena with instructions to cluster somewhere in the middle. It was like watching a street-parade, but being too far away to see the faces of the performers -- yet that type of connection is what it would have taken for audience engagement.
The very solemn interlude with the enormous "match stick" lighting the torch held by the young girl was properly ceremonious, it was agonizingly long. The whole thing seemed sort of other-worldly, but in a B-grade sci-fi movie sort of way.
Atlanta 1996. The most memorable part of the closing ceremonies in Atlanta was when 600 children from Atlanta gathered in the arena to sing the song The Power of the Dream. A charming soon-to-be 6th grader with a perfect voice and an angelic face led the singing. Large choruses tend to be moving, particularly when the chorus is made up of children. But it did not seem too different from the Coca-Cola commercial I Like to Teach the World to Sing. Charming, heart-warming, yes, but not quite Olympic Game quality entertainment. Best part -- ending with "Y'all come back, now!"
Question 2
It seems like Gavin is shooting from the hip with the expression "a typically British closing ceremony." Given that the United Kingdom has a very diverse population and has been multicultural for as long as anyone alive today can remember -- consider the influences of Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and Northern Ireland -- it is difficult to identify what would be typical and would still reflect not only what is "British" but what is multicultural and represents all that the United Kingdom has become -- culturally. Culture is all-inclusive, making brief discussions difficult at best, and always inadequate. Such an analysis is made easier by isolating one aspect of culture and using it a touchstone for the nine-tenths of the iceberg that is hidden underwater, so to speak. That said, taking a look at the multicultural aspects of cuisine in a country is a window into the multicultural society. PostEurop issued a series of stamps in 2005 on gastronomy entitled Changing Tastes in Britain. Although the people depicted on the stamps are ethnic stereotypes, the stamps are intended to illustrate "the diversity of British cuisine in today's multicultural society." The foods represented on the stamps are rice, tea, sushi, pasta, chips (fried potatoes), and apples. Stamp designs may seem far afield from Olympic Games choreographed events -- but really, they are not. The same level of stereotypical representation of multiculturalism is evident in many Olympic Games events. It is not intended to be pejorative; rather, it is the synthesis of many variables presented in a manner that facilitates recognition and distinction by viewers.
Figure 1. The design firm is Rose Design and the illustrations are by Catell Ronca. The stamp images are courtesy of Royal Mail, Copyright 2005.
A commission established in 1997 by Runnymede considered the political and cultural implications of growing diversity in Britain...
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