# 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremonies \[live commentary on British time\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 27, 2012, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-olympics-opening-ceremonies-live-commentary-on-british-time/629600 "2012-07-27T20:04:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-olympics-opening-ceremonies-live-commentary-on-british-time/629600/141 "2012-07-28T00:53:20Z")
> [@PrettyVacant](#): > > Fucking liberals all over this Olympic flag. Some of them are … SOCIALISTS! Yeah, even celebrating the (GASP) National Health Service. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-olympics-opening-ceremonies-live-commentary-on-british-time/629600/142 "2012-07-28T00:55:36Z")
I missed this, damn. Does anyone know if this will be online to watch at another time? Also, does anyone have a list of all the songs played? I guess I was kind of hoping that a Kate Bush song would be in there somewhere. Or Siouxsie. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-olympics-opening-ceremonies-live-commentary-on-british-time/629600/143 "2012-07-28T00:59:09Z")
Kind of like a really lame Super Bowl halftime show. ---
**Author:** ![palacheck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a88e57/32.png) [@palacheck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/palacheck)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-olympics-opening-ceremonies-live-commentary-on-british-time/629600/144 "2012-07-28T01:00:51Z")
The only way Meredith Vieira and Matt Lauer could do a more terrible commentary is if they started screaming until it’s all over. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-olympics-opening-ceremonies-live-commentary-on-british-time/629600/145 "2012-07-28T01:00:54Z")
> [@Southern\_Yankee](#): > > You know that London has hosted two Olympics since the Industrial Revolution? Three. Had, and lost, a huge Empire since the Industrial Revolution too. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-olympics-opening-ceremonies-live-commentary-on-british-time/629600/146 "2012-07-28T01:08:14Z")
Did they just play Frankie & Johnnie’s “Relax”…?! :dubious: :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-olympics-opening-ceremonies-live-commentary-on-british-time/629600/147 "2012-07-28T01:12:10Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > I missed this, damn. Does anyone know if this will be online to watch at another time? > > Also, does anyone have a list of all the songs played? I guess I was kind of hoping that a Kate Bush song would be in there somewhere. Or Siouxsie. They didn’t play whole songs, just snippets of a lot of oldies while some people danced around. That section went on a bit too long, actually, and the dancing and choreography as whole really wasn’t that good. Lest I sound too negative, I really liked the Industrial Revolution transformation section, and the Mr Bean synth gag was funny, and the cauldron thing seemed to work well (although yeah, where does it go now?). It was an entertaining show, but I have to admit that I was also a little embarrassed at times, and it was noted by my co-watchers that the Chinese athletes seemed to be looking a little smug when they filed into the stadium, as if to say “you call that an opening ceremony?” ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-olympics-opening-ceremonies-live-commentary-on-british-time/629600/148 "2012-07-28T01:27:08Z")
Damn that dude from American Samoa was hot.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-olympics-opening-ceremonies-live-commentary-on-british-time/629600/149 "2012-07-28T01:33:24Z")
I would gladly PAY for a PPV feed of the opening without the TV narrators. Jesus Christ guys, it’s TV, not radio, there will not be “dead air” if you shut up for a whole minute. And at least at one point Meredith did say “I don’t understand this, either”. Well I figured as much just from your reading of your lines all along. I suppose the presumption is that the audience will tune out if they see something that’s not explained to them. > [@John\_DiFool](#): > > Did they just play Frankie & Johnnie’s “Relax”..?! :dubious: :eek: Oh, yes, they did. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-olympics-opening-ceremonies-live-commentary-on-british-time/629600/150 "2012-07-28T01:40:27Z")
Half the athletes are staring at their smartphones. I would think they would want to just live the experience of the opening ceremony, rather than record a shaky video of it. ---
**Author:** ![bobkitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c67d28/32.png) [@bobkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobkitty)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-olympics-opening-ceremonies-live-commentary-on-british-time/629600/151 "2012-07-28T01:55:36Z")
Did Matt just mangle the hell out of “Dominica”? ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-olympics-opening-ceremonies-live-commentary-on-british-time/629600/152 "2012-07-28T01:57:18Z")
> [@bobkitty](#): > > Did Matt just mangle the hell out of “Dominica”? Not to mention “Coat Duh Vore” and “Cape Verd.” ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-olympics-opening-ceremonies-live-commentary-on-british-time/629600/153 "2012-07-28T02:09:53Z")
I liked the fact that it wasn’t synchronized dancing and lasers. ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-olympics-opening-ceremonies-live-commentary-on-british-time/629600/154 "2012-07-28T02:22:16Z")
Brilliantly surreal. Entertaining… U.K. should be proud. 1000 times better than Beijing (totalitarianism fireworks and marching) and Vancouver (land of ice and snow and aboriginal dancing and mediocre musicians) ---
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-olympics-opening-ceremonies-live-commentary-on-british-time/629600/155 "2012-07-28T03:00:57Z")
After 1.5 hrs there is just the United Arab Emirates before the US and so of course it’s time for a commercial. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-olympics-opening-ceremonies-live-commentary-on-british-time/629600/156 "2012-07-28T03:02:59Z")
> [@palacheck](#): > > The only way Meredith Vieira and Matt Lauer could do a more terrible commentary is if they started screaming until it’s all over. I liked it when Marilyn blanked on the band who was singing “My Generation”. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-olympics-opening-ceremonies-live-commentary-on-british-time/629600/157 "2012-07-28T03:34:04Z")
I still can’t get my head around why Hong Kong gets to compete under its own flag while England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland all compete under the Union Jack. But in some exceptions, Northern Ireland competes with Ireland. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-olympics-opening-ceremonies-live-commentary-on-british-time/629600/158 "2012-07-28T03:48:51Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > Wonder if the USA will get their knickers in a twist over the gay kiss! > > FWIW it is a mixed bag but in a good way, the Chinese version had far too much of the jackboot about it. This is gloriously ridiculous. What gay kiss? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-olympics-opening-ceremonies-live-commentary-on-british-time/629600/159 "2012-07-28T04:03:53Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > What gay kiss? 😕 Meredith Viera just asked the creator about the “money shot”? ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-olympics-opening-ceremonies-live-commentary-on-british-time/629600/160 "2012-07-28T04:05:53Z")
Wow… great job London! Very well done. I love the torch. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-olympics-opening-ceremonies-live-commentary-on-british-time/629600.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-olympics-opening-ceremonies-live-commentary-on-british-time/629600.md?page=9)