Olympic Opening Ceremony

[Hatsumomo]

Instead, Simone eats Pain au Chocolat!

You think Marta would have allowed the gymnasts to have a croissant?

Also, she needs to put the social media away.

 

[JaJa]

Why are you so insistent on this idea that the athletes who take part in the opening ceremony are just forced to be there?

I did not use the word force. Look, if I got to argue a case before the Supreme Court that would be a major achievment for me in my profession, one well worth celebrating, win or lose. But I would not go and have a celebratory 3 martini dinner the night before. I would hold off until after oral argument. Thats all.

 

[JaJa]

Instead, Simone eats Pain au Chocolat!

Now that I totally endorse.

 

[Puffin]

Émilie Le Pennec just carried the torch a few metres

 

[Kittentoes]

Huh, they have a red carpet entrance going on. And Jamal Debbouze starts things off; he's an actor in one of my favorite movies (Amélie).

Commercial-free for the first hour

Amelie is my favorite too!

 

[Hatsumomo]

I did not use the word force. Look, if I got to argue a case before the Supreme Court that would be a mjor achievment for me in my profession, one well worth celebrating, win or lose. But I would not go and have a celebratory 3 martini dinner the night before. I would hold off until after oral argument. Thats all.

Once again, just getting to the Olympics is worth celebrating. Less than a quarter of the athletes there are truly in the running for a medal. The majority of the gymnasts alone will have their Olympics be over after qualifications. Not to mention, how many athletes make more than one Olympics?

If you got to argue a case in front of the Supreme Court, you'd at least have a celebratory dinner beforehand to honor all the work you did to get to that point and then go all out after the fact. But getting there is a huge win in of itself.

 

[Puffin]

The balloon is fabulous though

 

[Hatsumomo]

Celine's still got it! I was waiting for her!

 

[JaJa]

If you got to argue a case in front of the Supreme Court, you'd at least have a celebratory dinner beforehand to honor all the work you did to get to that point and then go all out after the fact.

Trust me . . .I would not. I would be stressing, preparing and focusing and nothing but for weeks. The celebration would come later when I could afford it.

 

[rlayt]

Fabulous dress too.

 

[Hatsumomo]

Trust me . . .I would not. I would be stressing, preparing and focusing and nothing but for weeks. The celebration would come later when I could afford it.

And once again, that is you. Not everybody operates like that. Some people can celebrate the first win of getting to where they worked years to get to, then prep, and celebrate any other wins after that.

 

[Hatsumomo]

Goddamn, fucking iconic. If that ends up being Celine's last live performance, that's one hell of a sendoff. If I were a crier, I'd be in tears.

 

[dweiss324]

It isn't the Olympics for me without the opening ceremony. I wouldn't miss floating down the seine and seeing the torch for with everyone else celebrating for anything.

 

[makam]

But when did Celine have time to learn French singing down in Vegas? (I kid, I kid). Her voice is really amazing. The balloon cauldron is iconic.

(but yeah, LA, take notes, shorter = better)

 

[Hatsumomo]

It isn't the Olympics for me without the opening ceremony. I wouldn't miss floating down the seine and seeing the torch for with everyone else celebrating for anything.

I feel the same. I love the opening ceremony. And everybody there might have just seen the final performance of a legend. Totally worth it just for that.

 

[RedBirdie]

Kelly Clarkson was not the person for this assignment.

Nor was Peyton Manning. Would it have killed NBC to give us a former Olympian?

 

[Hatsumomo]

Kelly Clarkson is so talented, but not in live commentating. Former Olympians should be the ones alongside the professional commentators to give their unique perspectives. I mean, Laurie Hernandez would have been a better option.

 

[makam]

Nor was Peyton Manning. Would it have killed NBC to give us a former Olympian?

Other than Kelly gushing about Celine (which worked for me), her commentary (and Peyton's) was pretty inane. I don't know what I would want from the commentary but this was not it. If they went for a former Olympian, it would have to be one that can emote while talking or at least talk naturally (Peyton has such a marble-mouth voice). You'd think Kelly would be better with the banter after having a talk show but... no. Like, did no one do any prep?

 

[Hatsumomo]

I liked how the had legendary athletes do the final part of lighting the cauldron and not just French athletes. Romania won't be hosting a Games and Nadia definitely deserves to be part of the torch and cauldron ceremony.

 

[Passion]

Other than Kelly gushing about Celine (which worked for me), her commentary (and Peyton's) was pretty inane. I don't know what I would want from the commentary but this was not it. If they went for a former Olympian, it would have to be one that can emote while talking or at least talk naturally (Peyton has such a marble-mouth voice). You'd think Kelly would be better with the banter after having a talk show but... no. Like, did no one do any prep?

They could just do what they did for every other Olympic Opening Ceremony NBC has covered and put two professionals in the booth who give us facts and information about the significance of what is being shown. Mike Tirico was great but they gave him nothing to work with.

Even at the end where Clarkson was talking about Celine, she kept saying “if you know about what she’s been going through” like tell us! Inform the people watching exactly why that was a such a significant performance! That’s literally what she is supposed to be there for, not to spend four hours making mouth noises and saying “wow, so amazing” at everything.

Peyton Manning just stopped talking entirely like a quarter of the way through, I thought he left until he was shown still sitting next to Tirico at the end.

NBC better not be winning any Emmys again for this coverage.