After the spectacular
2008 Beijing Olympics, I wrote: “Imitation, Emerson said, is suicide. London
will do well simply by being itself. If it can provide the color, food, music,
and all the heartaches, improvisations and exhilarations of a messy democracy,
and avoid going into debt, the 30th Olympiad should be a resounding success.
The newly-built venues and stadiums must be converted into usable space -
housing, office, hospital - within a month after the Olympics is over, with
hopefully green technology leading the way. London must show the world that the
host city doesn't have to be saddled with white elephants when the athletes and
the visitors leave.”
Last night’s opening
ceremony certainly gave viewers hope that Britain will come out better and
stronger after the Olympics are over, even as the nation currently fights a
brutal financial meltdown.
Some of the skits
in the ceremony fell flat. I found “Mr. Bean” straining to be funny. It was like
tickling someone to get a laugh. In contrast, I was blown away by Queen
Elizabeth and Daniel “James Bond” Craig. For a moment I really thought the Queen
had been practicing jumping off a helicopter, with 007 offering encouragement. To
be able to infuse royalty with eccentric humor is a sign of self-assurance. The
history lessons from the land of Shakespeare, Newton and J.K. Rowling were delivered
with comedy in mind and so went down easily. And in this digital age, how can a
Romeo secure the heart of his Juliet? By recovering Juliet’s lost iPhone, of
course, and returning it to her. A kiss then is not just a kiss but a fusion of
texting and longing.
The ceremony
cost $42 million but by transforming an industrial wasteland in East London
into a showcase for the best that England has to offer to the world, the money
can be recouped many times over through jobs and housing once the athletic celebration
of “faster, higher and stronger” is over. All in all, a "corker!"
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