olympics

A Sickening Spectacle Nobody Wants To Watch

A couple of days ago I looked up when Danny Boyle was selected to direct the London 2012 Olympic opening ceremony. The answer was 2010, obviously two years ahead of the ceremony itself. I was wondering when we might hear that Los Angeles had selected someone to direct its opening. I know it’s still some time away, but believe it or not I’m already becoming curious about what LA might do.

Such events still fascinate me. It seems to me that Olympic opening ceremonies are unique artistic events in that they draw the entire world’s attention onto one city for a few hours. They thus give a city and the country it represents the once in a lifetime opportunity to show itself off before the entire world. When else do we see incredible spectacles like James Bond meeting queen Elizabeth, a huge flotilla of boats gliding down the Seine or Eric Idle (apparently) being shot out of a cannon, before bursting into Always Look On The Bright Side of Life?

What, then, could we see happen in LA in three years time? To be honest it’s a question which I’m beginning to feel nervous about. I keep hearing that Trump is now trying to turn VE Day in the US into some kind of birthday parade for himself. Frankly, it sounds a bit far fetched but I wouldn’t put it past the self important prick. The question is then, assuming Trump is still in office in 2028, to what extent could he try to turn the ceremony into some kind of sickening spectacle of self-aggrandisement? Again I wouldn’t put it past him; but imagine how utterly repugnant it would be to see the world’s most awesome cultural event commandeered by such a vainglorious charlatan? I’m sure nobody wants to watch that! That’s why I am already so keen to know who might direct the ceremony; it’s something that I plan to keep a fairly close eye on.

The World’s Greatest Charlatan on The World’s Biggest Stage

They may still be four years away, but I have recently started thinking about the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. Believe it or not, I still have a wierd interest in the Olympics: it seems to me that they are the world’s single biggest sporting and cultural event, bringing the attention of the entire world onto one city for about two months every four years. There is no other cultural event, festival or phenomenon like it, or which holds so much power or impact.

The next games will, of course, be held in Los Angeles. Before now, I saw no problem with that, and was looking forward to them, and particularly the Olympic and Paralympic ceremonies. Last week, however, the United States took an extremely dark turn by re-electing Donald Trump, who will still presumably be in office in 2028. I am now wondering whether trump will try to hijack the games somehow. We all know what an egomaniac he is: might he attempt to make the games, or at least the ceremonies, about himself? Might he try to turn them into a festival of self-justification and aggrandisement? Given the opportunity of having the entire world’s attention drawn onto an American city, I wouldn’t put it past him.

Granted, by 2028 Trump will be 82, and may well not be around any more. But if he does try to commandeer the games and turn LA28 into his own personal ego trip, the results could only be hideous: Imagine Trump’s vile cult of personality writ large to epic proportions; abhorrent far-right vomit delivered on a platter covered with the star-spangled banner. The international Olympic committee will have handed the world’s biggest stage to the world’s greatest charlatan, which is why, frankly, I’m starting to favour reallocating the 2028 Olympics. If trump has his way, by then America will be something approaching a fascist dystopia, and surely anything would be preferable to seeing the Olympic Games, which for so long has been a festival of global unity, sportsmanship and tolerance, abused and distorted by such a fallen country and it’s megalomaniac leader.