That shit was ballin’ as fuck and then some. Whoever hosts the next summer games is gonna have dandy time planning their stuff cuz the bar has been exponentially raised.
GG, China.
/salute

Miami, FL

I was only able to see part of it, and it’s always played out to say “there are a lot of Chinese people”... but holy crap there are a lot of Chinese people. I haven’t been able to find a video of it online. I set my DVR too late.

I did, however, get to see the men’s US basketball team destroy China this morning. It’s pretty wild hearing a large Chinese crowd cheer like crazy whenever Kobe touches the ball.

BISCAYNE PARK, FL

Umm, word?

I’m missing out on this year’s. =(No TV)=

Interlachen, Florida

I missed it!

Bakersfield, CA

I’m solidly in the “Blah!” category here. Sure China put on a great show, flaunting their economic might over the world by spending an obscene amount of money on the spectacle. But the precision and pageantry was forced. It’s not like the actors, musicians, and acrobats got anything out of the performance. It was their duty as good little Communists… perhaps you could argue that this will be the highlight of their repressed lives. But at what human cost? It was common for there to be insane practice sessions (40 straight hours of drum practice) and am I the only person that is bothered by the fact that actors actually got injured during the performance? For some, the lip synching and CGI’d fireworks were other elements that just reinforced China’s image as the Land of Great Fakes. Was it really necessary for the Opening ceremonies of the Olympics to be so over-the-top??? I’m not hating on China, here. (I’m not even going to mention Sudan… oops!). But really?

Lomita (near Los Angeles), CA

I LIEKD TEH PRTETY COLORS!

BISCAYNE PARK, FL

I?m solidly in the ?Blah!? category here. Sure China put on a great show, flaunting their economic might over the world by spending an obscene amount of money on the spectacle. But the precision and pageantry was forced. It?s not like the actors, musicians, and acrobats got anything out of the performance. It was their duty as good little Communists? perhaps you could argue that this will be the highlight of their repressed lives. But at what human cost? It was common for there to be insane practice sessions (40 straight hours of drum practice) and am I the only person that is bothered by the fact that actors actually got injured during the performance? For some, the lip synching and CGI?d fireworks were other elements that just reinforced China?s image as the Land of Great Fakes. Was it really necessary for the Opening ceremonies of the Olympics to be so over-the-top??? I?m not hating on China, here. (I?m not even going to mention Sudan? oops!). But really?

This ceremony will still be unrivaled. I commend the Chinese. They knew they could do it better and they did it better than I personally could have ever expected. I’ve seen Olympic ceremonies before and honestly I couldn’t wait for them to be over and for the games to finally begin…but not this year. It was just awe-inspiring in my opinion. Sure there are political and social issues in the country, but this is true of every other country, including the U.S.
In my opinion, the 400-billion spent on this ceremony was well worth it. Why? Because I see this one ceremony doing more good than the some 500-billion dollars spent on a certain war in the middle east.
To say the actors, musicians, and acrobats got anything out of their performance is presumptuous. No one will know but the performers themselves. However, I commend the amount of work they put into this. I know about precision performance like this (Marching Snare Drummer) and I know the amount work that has to be put in order to achieve that level of precision. Also, injuries in performance happen; it is commonplace. Even with countless rehearsals the unplanned can and will always occur.
Personally, I am always skeptical of what I see and read in news media. When focus shifts into a tunnel-vision perspective of just negative political issues, that’s all we will see, negative political issues. This ceremony shows another side of the Chinese that Western media rarely shows. It shows them thriving, not as “good little Communists,” but as a 2000-year-old civilization that is enriched with great history and a beautiful culture.
The negative reactions I’ve read about the ceremony basically amount to the whole “Communism Will Never Work” ideology and, in turn, the comments never try to show both sides of the argument in a constructive manner. China’s economy is inching up on the U.S.’s under communist rule and this is ruffling feathers because democracy needs to ALWAYS win. Ironic considering we in the U.S. are probably China’s number one purchaser of material goods.
And yes, I LIEKD TEH PRTETY COLORS TOO.

Miami, FL

Oooo… I love starting debates! Look at all the words on this thread. Hee hee… I’ll be back for more… ((skipping off to get morning coffee))

Lomita (near Los Angeles), CA

Wait, they spent $400 billion?

Shit, I’m sure I could round up a few Dominicans who would’ve done the whole thing for $400 flat.

BISCAYNE PARK, FL

Ha! Reminds me of my last Sociology instructor envying her friend’s Guatemalan landscaping crew. (I live in Florida, immigration capital of the US!!)

Interlachen, Florida

There are probably more immigrants in Los Angeles alone than all of Florida, BTW.

BISCAYNE PARK, FL

Or NYC.

BISCAYNE PARK, FL

And now, back to the more serious aspect at hand… I’ve been “deep-thinking” my feelings regarding China and the Olympics in general and while many of my friends brush off my negativity as self-hate. It is far more complex. It goes back to the first time I read about how people are used and discarded by the government. Most recently, it is exemplified by the saga of Olympian, Liu Xiang. Yes, this is not new in the world of competitive sports… But it’s so “in your face” right now that I just can’t stand to watch. And so, I don’t.
As a member of a 5000-year old culture, I don’t see how this enriches China’s history.

Lomita (near Los Angeles), CA

I heard the Olympics are over… finally.

Lomita (near Los Angeles), CA