The Olympics: Better Than They Looked On The Tin ...

[ruby_chalice]

Charlie Brooker Casts His Eye Over The London 2012 Olympics ...

I think he speaks for many of us on this one. Few Brits seemed enthusiastic about the games in the 7 year build up. We appear to have risen to the occasion.

Thanks, Olympics, for confounding my inner cynic. In the run up to the Games, I was expecting the whole thing to be little

Comments

[strandedinaber]

This just reinforces my belief that we're a national of glass-half-empty people...

Yup. Although that said there are a heckuva lot of things to criticise the Games committee, the government and the police for in relation to the Games. I think a lot of people it's a case of wanting to support the athletes but disliking the administration of the Olympics.

[cpsings4him]

I'm pretty sure, "pessimism" is the default setting for the British, so, yes! :p

NOTE: I say that with love. I adore my curmudgeonly British peeps. <3

[ruby_chalice]

I'm pretty sure, "pessimism" is the default setting for the British, so, yes! :p

I cannot lie ... you speak truth. For the last 2 weeks the mood of the nation has been uncharacteristically buoyant.

[cpsings4him]

Hahaha! Nearly all the Brits I know personally are wonderfully Eeyore-ish. <3

[svtstarlight]

Seacrest is America's answer to Ant and Dec, but less so. Imagine someone used a computer to combine Ant and Dec into one body, then accidentally leant on the keyboard and deleted their imaginations.

This. Finally someone else says it publicly. Ant and Dec are tolerable and occasionally entertaining...Ryan Seacrest...not so much.

The rest of the article made me laugh because of course he's only saying (with a lot of humour attached) what we're mostly thinking anyway. (Tho I've always been a huge fan of sports and adore BBC coverage. I never realised how much I hated American sports coverage until I moved to Europe. It seems less focused on the sport itself and more on the money they can squeeze out of it...)

[bethan_b_bad]

Count me (and a lot of my friends) in with the 'started off cynical, now absolutely hooked' section of Olympics fans. Today I even paid £10 for a cute silver-and-silk Team GB bracelet! *weeps*

Semi-related: the other day I did the most British thing I believe I have ever done. I explained to an Iraqi friend that Britain is 'a bit rubbish' and then tried to convince her otherwise when she said that we weren't!

(Britain totally is a little bit rubbish, though. Although we have our moments!)

[perrie]

We really are a little bit rubbish. But we're also a little bit brilliant too. ;)

Also, I'm addicted to the BBC streaming coverage. I actually bring my laptop into work with me so it can sit and stream diving/gymnastics/fencing/weightlifting/synchronised swimming events all day long. Why don't they show this stuff all the time??

[morbidimpishfae]

Man, if you think Britain is a bit rubbish try the good 'ol USA. I can think of dozens of reasons I'd rather be British citizen. :/ (Our bullshit higher education system is currently pissing me off, sorry...)

[maclyn]

Distraction circus, waste of money, totally unconnected to my life up here, and a great showcase of our totally unequal education system. So, I'm not one of those now convinced 'Brits'.

[ruby_chalice]

Morrissey????

[maclyn]

I forgot to add that as soon as you express any of these sentiments you are an automatic killjoy curmudgeon.

And really folks, "the mood of the nation has been uncharacteristically buoyant"? Please, if there's one thing I had to pick to hate most about this it's the total Cool Britannia 2.0 pish and the idea that everyone's realised the error of their ways and are getting a magic dose of happiness from something that's happening really far away from most of us. It's happening, and ooh, it's pretty, and yes, there are obviously good sports happening. Doesn't change all the absolute bullshit that went into bringing them here and keeping it all sanitised.

[ruby_chalice]

I don't disagree with anything you've said. It's effectively a plaster over a suppurating boil. Most people know the truth. They still flinch at the televisual spectacle of BJ, Hunt, Cameron & various Royals basking in other people's achievement and effort ... [personally I have to hit the remote at speed before I spew] ... but it does make me happy to see smiles on the faces of ordinary citizens for a change. I'll be over soon. And then we can get back to being thoroughly pissed off as the country falls apart around us.