# Olympic Ceremony - Impressions Outside UK **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 27, 2012, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-ceremony-impressions-outside-uk/629613 "2012-07-27T22:11:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2012, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-ceremony-impressions-outside-uk/629613/161 "2012-08-03T02:58:39Z")
Big four-legged things. Say moo a lot. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-ceremony-impressions-outside-uk/629613/162 "2012-08-13T03:20:48Z")
I very much enjoyed the closing ceremonies. I’m curious – was “Life’s a piece of shit” bleeped out in the USA? ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-ceremony-impressions-outside-uk/629613/163 "2012-08-13T03:31:20Z")
It was terrific to see performers from the 60s and 70s play along with relative youngsters – all wonderful musicians. ---
**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:** [August 13, 2012, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-ceremony-impressions-outside-uk/629613/164 "2012-08-13T03:44:55Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > I very much enjoyed the closing ceremonies. > > I’m curious – was “Life’s a piece of shit” bleeped out in the USA? Affirmative. LOUDLY bleeped. Just the “shit”. ---
**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:** [August 13, 2012, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-ceremony-impressions-outside-uk/629613/165 "2012-08-13T03:52:00Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > I very much enjoyed the closing ceremonies. > > I’m curious – was “Life’s a piece of shit” bleeped out in the USA? Yes, it was\*. Americans have no idea how much NBC cut out of the Closing Ceremony. It was horribly horribly edited, especially the first part. If I hadn’t watched the BBC’s live coverage earlier, I’d have no idea either. Of course I’m bitter that NBC cut out the Kate Bush segment, but it also cut out Ray Davies singing a very moving rendition of “Waterloo Sunset.” They cut out at least one and possibly 2 songs by the great vocalist Emile Sande (who was also cut out of the Opening Ceremony). I turned the NBC feed off halfway through, it was so disgusting, so I don’t know for sure if they cut her 2nd number. Probably. I’m shocked to hear that NBC kept in Eric Idle. - I know that because someone on Twitter said so. ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-ceremony-impressions-outside-uk/629613/166 "2012-08-13T04:17:27Z")
I’m quite enjoying the closing ceremony, though I’m not sure what the organizers’ affection with Jessie J is… how many numbers did she sing? Nice to see Scary, Ginger, Sporty, Baby, and Useless together again. They’ve aged well. Kind of sucks that we missed two acts I would have loved seeing, Ray Davies and Kate Bush. I also heard a rumor that Blur would be there - there was a performance of “Parklife” with a big brass band but not the band. Was that edited out too? ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-ceremony-impressions-outside-uk/629613/167 "2012-08-13T04:21:52Z")
Did NOT expect what’s-her-name to be singing with Queen, but was very happy to see Brian May; that’s the first time I’ve really SEEN him, and wow. I am even more appreciative now. Also…they’re going right to the closing anthem now? No Muse? :(:(☹ ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-ceremony-impressions-outside-uk/629613/168 "2012-08-13T04:23:53Z")
Oh, meant to add this: What’s up with the inclusion of Russell Brand? Seriously Brits, aren’t you sick of him now? You’ve had to tolerate him longer than the rest of the world has. ---
**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:** [August 13, 2012, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-ceremony-impressions-outside-uk/629613/169 "2012-08-13T05:27:43Z")
I don’t have a comprehensive list (I would like one) but a friend posted some of NBC’s cuts on Facebook. Since I didn’t watch the whole NBC feed I couldn’t confirm all the ones from the last half of the show are accurate. > [@](#): > > - The introduction of Prince Harry & the entire stadium singing “God Save The Queen” > > - Ray Davies singing “Waterloo Sunset” > > - Emile Sande singing to a moving montage that I dubbed “Ode To The People Who Came In Fourth” > > - Half the athletes’ procession, and any mention at all that Elbow was playing at the time > > - A very, very cool segment to a new version of Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” during which a pyramid made up of 300+ blocks (each one denoting an Olympic event) was built > > - A brand-new song by George Michael > NBC cut update: The Men’s Marathon medal ceremony. Muse. The minute-plus ovation the crowd in the Olympic Stadium spontaneously raised when Sebastian Coe thanked the volunteers. A really cool phoenix-themed ballet number that occurred as soon as the Olympic flame was doused. > > And yet, inexplicably … here’s Take That. I give up. > Oh, and just to cap it all off, NBC cut THE WHO and SHUFFLED THE ENDING of the whole thing Lordy, did they really cut The Who?? Hey, I like Russell Brand (don’t know him as a person, but as an actor, yes, and now I know he can sing too), and I liked his bit in the Closing Ceremony. ---
**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:** [August 13, 2012, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-ceremony-impressions-outside-uk/629613/170 "2012-08-13T05:33:31Z")
I don’t know how long this video will be up (and the writer is dead wrong about Kate being the one to nix showing her song on NBC) but for as long as it lasts… [Here’s the Kate Bush Song That Was Cut from the U.S. Broadcast of the London Olympics Closing Ceremony](http://gawker.com/5934102/heres-the-kate-bush-song-that-was-cut-from-the-us-broadcast-of-the-london-olympics-closing-ceremony) ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-ceremony-impressions-outside-uk/629613/171 "2012-08-13T05:52:07Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > I don’t know how long this video will be up (and the writer is dead wrong about Kate being the one to nix showing her song on NBC) but for as long as it lasts… > [Here’s the Kate Bush Song That Was Cut from the U.S. Broadcast of the London Olympics Closing Ceremony](http://gawker.com/5934102/heres-the-kate-bush-song-that-was-cut-from-the-us-broadcast-of-the-london-olympics-closing-ceremony) Thankees! ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-ceremony-impressions-outside-uk/629613/172 "2012-08-13T06:38:53Z")
You’d think a British rock/pop party passing the torch from London to Rio would include \*Rio \*by Duran Duran. Also, too bad Bowie couldn’t un-retire for one song. ---
**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:** [August 13, 2012, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-ceremony-impressions-outside-uk/629613/173 "2012-08-13T12:12:45Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > I don’t have a comprehensive list (I would like one) but a friend posted some of NBC’s cuts on Facebook. Since I didn’t watch the whole NBC feed I couldn’t confirm all the ones from the last half of the show are accurate. > > Lordy, did they really cut The Who?? > Hey, I like Russell Brand (don’t know him as a person, but as an actor, yes, and now I know he can sing too), and I liked his bit in the Closing Ceremony. In the Eastern Time Zone they did NOT cut the entrance of Harry and the GSTQ. They abbreviated the extinguishing rite AND stopped at 11 to pitch a new-season show, delaying The Who for after midnight. Comments sound as if they further reedited it for the West to make it fit 3 hours exactly. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-ceremony-impressions-outside-uk/629613/174 "2012-08-13T13:18:33Z")
> [@Hippy\_Hollow](#): > > I’m quite enjoying the closing ceremony, though I’m not sure what the organizers’ affection with Jessie J is… how many numbers did she sing? > > Nice to see Scary, Ginger, Sporty, Baby, and Useless together again. They’ve aged well. > > Kind of sucks that we missed two acts I would have loved seeing, Ray Davies and Kate Bush. I also heard a rumor that Blur would be there - there was a performance of “Parklife” with a big brass band but not the band. Was that edited out too? They played live at the screening at Hyde Park, along with the Specials. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-ceremony-impressions-outside-uk/629613/175 "2012-08-13T14:17:53Z")
Did Rupert Murdoch pay for those mini cars covered in newspapers? That was pretty strange. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-ceremony-impressions-outside-uk/629613/176 "2012-08-13T15:17:10Z")
Unlike my rather tepid view of the opening ceremony, I think the closing ceremony was perfect! It was exactly the kind of celebration I would imagine the athletes enjoyed and had fun with. I was pissed to not see The Who - but luckily I was just going to bed and turned on the news in the bedroom and got to see them - in an “extra” additional bit of footage after the news!? NBC did a fairly crappy job of covering the Olympics here on prime time - for instance, having lived in Germany many years, I was wondering how they did. It was almost impossible to see any German athletes during the Olympics, unless they happened to be next to an American in any event - otherwise they were apparently invisible. Actually, we pretty much didn’t see anything unless an American was involved. Thus I am not surprised to hear NBC butchered the closing ceremony. Still, it was a fun party, great music, some great fireworks and special effects and a nice job all around! ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-ceremony-impressions-outside-uk/629613/177 "2012-08-13T15:28:10Z")
I was underwhelmed by both the opening and closing ceremonies. It’s a bad sign when the most energetic, charismatic performer at the closing ceremonies is a guy who died 20 years ago (Freddy Mercury). That said, I was very pleased with the closing set by Daltrey and Townshend, who sounded better and showed a LOT more life than they did a few years ago at the Super Bowl. ---
**Author:** ![alexandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e68b1a/32.png) [@alexandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alexandra)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-ceremony-impressions-outside-uk/629613/178 "2012-08-13T15:36:40Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > Unlike my rather tepid view of the opening ceremony, I think the closing ceremony was perfect! It was exactly the kind of celebration I would imagine the athletes enjoyed and had fun with. I have the exact opposite view; I loved the opening ceremony for its originality and narrative - I gave up on the closing ceremony once they started repeating songs & I realised Kate Bush wasn’t actually going to be there. I do agree with you that the athletes probably had fun, but I can’t imagine much of the audience watching did. The sound at the beginning was crap, for a start (not sure if it improved). ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-ceremony-impressions-outside-uk/629613/179 "2012-08-13T16:03:13Z")
I got to see The Who’s set w/out all the NBC BS on dailymotion–right before NBC pulled the clip down. Roger’s voice sounded really strong, a good omen for the Quad tour. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-ceremony-impressions-outside-uk/629613/180 "2012-08-13T17:00:41Z")
> [@Taomist](#): > > Did NOT expect what’s-her-name to be singing with Queen, but was very happy to see Brian May; that’s the first time I’ve really SEEN him, and wow. I am even more appreciative now. He played with Lady Gaga at the Grammies last year or possibly the year before. > [@Hippy\_Hollow](#): > > Oh, meant to add this: What’s up with the inclusion of Russell Brand? Seriously Brits, aren’t you sick of him now? You’ve had to tolerate him longer than the rest of the world has. He’s on TV more here than he is in the UK. > [@Bearflag70](#): > > You’d think a British rock/pop party passing the torch from London to Rio would include \*Rio \*by Duran Duran. Why are they passing the torch to Rio? There’s another Olympics in Sochi first. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-ceremony-impressions-outside-uk/629613.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-ceremony-impressions-outside-uk/629613.md?page=10)