Bejing Olympics

[Steve Mcdonagh]

To Dave,

Firstly, thus far I have always respected what you have written/posted in this forum, but for the life of me I cannot understand why you felt a need to post these comments. Out of all the many fantastic examples of both visual and physical achievement at these historic games, you chose two negative and somewhat petty points (presumably) to highlight your overall ‘view’ of the games.

Please do not bother to reiterate that as an 'arm chair' viewer you felt 'robbed' of some of the 'live' experience. Does it not appear to you that in the interest of ‘everyone’ (armchair and attendees) that the organisers did not want you to miss out on what they had spent months/years planning?

Steve

PS: I have been living in China for nearly four years and get sick of hearing 'western' criticism from people (whom many) have not even visited this country and have no firsthand experience of the people and culture.

"What you write is a direct reflection of your character" - Steve Mcdonagh: 2008

[John Simkin]

Western critics have made a lot of how China used a body double for the child singing in the opening ceremony of the Bejing Olympics because she was not attractive enough. Boris Johnson went as far to say this sort of thing would not happen in London in 2012. However, it did happen the last time the Olympics were held in London. In the 1948 Olympics, Sydney Wooderson, who had set world records for the 800 metres, 880 yards and the mile, was told he would be the final bearer of the Olympic torch into the stadium and would light the Olympic flame. At the last moment it was decided that the bald, bespectacled and skinny Wooderson was not the right image and replaced him with John Mack, who had no real sporting achievements but was tall, blond and of athletic build.

[Dave Greer]

To Dave,

Firstly, thus far I have always respected what you have written/posted in this forum, but for the life of me I cannot understand why you felt a need to post these comments. Out of all the many fantastic examples of both visual and physical achievement at these historic games, you chose two negative and somewhat petty points (presumably) to highlight your overall ‘view’ of the games.

Please do not bother to reiterate that as an 'arm chair' viewer you felt 'robbed' of some of the 'live' experience. Does it not appear to you that in the interest of ‘everyone’ (armchair and attendees) that the organisers did not want you to miss out on what they had spent months/years planning?

Maybe it's the old cynic in me Maybe I didn't feel happy because I like to think I can spot a fake a mile off, and this one had me reeled in.

For the record, I've been totally amazed by both the opening and closing ceremonies, which have raised the bar and blown out of the water what has gone before. The organisers and participants should be rightly proud of the incredible spectacle they put on. I can't think of enough superlatives to describe it. The memory tower in particular was a work of no small genius.

As with all things the passing of time sometimes helps to put things in their context. The little girl miming? Not really such a huge issue is it?

However, the CGI graphics I still think are a mistake, and I would have been quite happy to miss out on them in favour of a slighty less spectacular "real McCoy" any day. If the footprint fireworks hadn't been quite as spectacular as planned, I wouldn't have been sat in my armchair saying "But why didn't they have CGI backups ready to enhance my viewing experience!" During some of the closing ceremony I was trying to figure out whether the fireworks were real or not, which I don't think was the organisers' intention.

But it goes a bit deeper than that as I touched on in my previous post. One of my main areas of interest is the Apollo moon landings, especially in relation to the conspiracy theories surrounding them. China have a space programme which they hope will culminate with manned moon landings. I can already hear the arguments that some people will put forth, "Well, they didn't think twice about fooling the world in back in 2008 with a few CGI fireworks that they spent months preparing in secret. They obviously did the same with their moon landings in 2020, because they knew it was impossible to get through the Van Allen belts". I know this because I've already heard the argument that NASA's proposed new moon landings will be CGI fakes.

Hopefully that's balanced out my views on the issue, without being overly negative. I can understand that as someone living in China you have an innate affection for the country and it's people that only comes from first hand experience (I still feel the same about Abu Dhabi, despite having left there back in 1986). My opinion wasn't intended as a criticism either of China or it's people, so I'm happy to put the record straight.

[Steve Mcdonagh]

Hi Dave,

Thanks for explaining your meaning and concerns in a more positive light and in turn, I can of course sympathise with you.

As far as the moon landings go, I just hope they ensure real time non fabricated images regardless of how they look. This would definitely be something where the visual emphasis must focus on the ‘real’ and ‘live’ aspects of such an historical event - entertainment concerns should have very little relevance - and I am sure that the Chinese goverment will take heed of the lessons learnt in the past.

Thanks - Steve

To Dave,

Firstly, thus far I have always respected what you have written/posted in this forum, but for the life of me I cannot understand why you felt a need to post these comments. Out of all the many fantastic examples of both visual and physical achievement at these historic games, you chose two negative and somewhat petty points (presumably) to highlight your overall ‘view’ of the games.

Please do not bother to reiterate that as an 'arm chair' viewer you felt 'robbed' of some of the 'live' experience. Does it not appear to you that in the interest of ‘everyone’ (armchair and attendees) that the organisers did not want you to miss out on what they had spent months/years planning?

Maybe it's the old cynic in me Maybe I didn't feel happy because I like to think I can spot a fake a mile off, and this one had me reeled in.

For the record, I've been totally amazed by both the opening and closing ceremonies, which have raised the bar and blown out of the water what has gone before. The organisers and participants should be rightly proud of the incredible spectacle they put on. I can't think of enough superlatives to describe it. The memory tower in particular was a work of no small genius.

As with all things the passing of time sometimes helps to put things in their context. The little girl miming? Not really such a huge issue is it?

However, the CGI graphics I still think are a mistake, and I would have been quite happy to miss out on them in favour of a slighty less spectacular "real McCoy" any day. If the footprint fireworks hadn't been quite as spectacular as planned, I wouldn't have been sat in my armchair saying "But why didn't they have CGI backups ready to enhance my viewing experience!" During some of the closing ceremony I was trying to figure out whether the fireworks were real or not, which I don't think was the organisers' intention.

But it goes a bit deeper than that as I touched on in my previous post. One of my main areas of interest is the Apollo moon landings, especially in relation to the conspiracy theories surrounding them. China have a space programme which they hope will culminate with manned moon landings. I can already hear the arguments that some people will put forth, "Well, they didn't think twice about fooling the world in back in 2008 with a few CGI fireworks that they spent months preparing in secret. They obviously did the same with their moon landings in 2020, because they knew it was impossible to get through the Van Allen belts". I know this because I've already heard the argument that NASA's proposed new moon landings will be CGI fakes.

Hopefully that's balanced out my views on the issue, without being overly negative. I can understand that as someone living in China you have an innate affection for the country and it's people that only comes from first hand experience (I still feel the same about Abu Dhabi, despite having left there back in 1986). My opinion wasn't intended as a criticism either of China or it's people, so I'm happy to put the record straight.

[John Simkin]

PS: I have been living in China for nearly four years and get sick of hearing 'western' criticism from people (whom many) have not even visited this country and have no firsthand experience of the people and culture.

"What you write is a direct reflection of your character" - Steve Mcdonagh: 2008

I have also spent time in China. I loved the people but I found the system of mind control frightening.