The Olympic opening ceremony

[tiermat]

I forgot to say I particularly enjoyed Mr Brananananana looking like Harry Enfield trying to be Victorian Dad.

[Jacomus]

NO THE Nazi party member was shown giving the salute as the German team entered the arena. Just used the wrong arm,

I saw that... WTF? 

I thought I was seeing things...glad I'm not the only one (for a somewhat odd definition of glad...)

Whoever that chap was, he wasn't giving the Nazi salute.

If you watch him closely, as I did following reading these posts, he is clearly waving.

[Riggers]

NO THE Nazi party member was shown giving the salute as the German team entered the arena. Just used the wrong arm,

I saw that... WTF? 

I thought I was seeing things...glad I'm not the only one (for a somewhat odd definition of glad...)

Whoever that chap was, he wasn't giving the Nazi salute.

If you watch him closely, as I did following reading these posts, he is clearly waving.

"Zat iz vot zey all said mein Heir!"

Actually, when we watched it, both m'wife and I looked at each other. Not in a 'luvvy-luvvy' way, but in a "Oh-my-God" way.

[Exit Stage Left]

It's actually the Olympic Salute.

The Olympic salute is a variant of the Roman salute, with the right arm and hand are stretched and pointing upward, the palm is outward and downward, with the fingers touching. However, the arm is raised higher and at an angle to the right from the shoulder.[25][26]
 
The greeting is visible on the official posters of the games at Paris 1924[25] and Berlin 1936.[27] Also famous is the French and Canadian teams entering the Olympic stadium in Berlin, 1936 with their arms raised. In the Leni Riefenstahl film Olympia this scene was captured, and afterwards led to repeated misinterpretations suggesting that the French and Canadian delegations were saluting Hitler.[citation needed]
 
Since the Second World War the greeting has fallen out of use because of the possibility of it being mistaken for the Nazi salute, although no official stance has been taken on the matter by the IOC.[citation needed]
 
Since the Second World War the greeting has fallen out of use because of the possibility of it being mistaken for the Nazi salute, although no official stance has been taken on the matter by the IOC.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_symbols#Olympic_salute

I was more surprised by the drummers, which form part of the iconography of Nazism, and feature in Riefenstahl's films.


I joked that the Germans might walk on to the Laibach version of 'One Vision' by Queen, largely due to the video's referencing of Riefenstahl. I had no idea how close I was.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwdOX19_ETI

[TimC]

NO THE Nazi party member was shown giving the salute as the German team entered the arena. Just used the wrong arm,

I saw that... WTF? 

I thought I was seeing things...glad I'm not the only one (for a somewhat odd definition of glad...)

Whoever that chap was, he wasn't giving the Nazi salute.

If you watch him closely, as I did following reading these posts, he is clearly waving.

"Zat iz vot zey all said mein Heir!"

Actually, when we watched it, both m'wife and I looked at each other. Not in a 'luvvy-luvvy' way, but in a "Oh-my-God" way.

the gentleman concerned is Walter Troger, an honorary member of the IOC who is best known for offering himself as a substitute hostage for the Israelis taken in the Munich Olympics in 1972. He has a good record for opposing anything to do with Nazism and cleaning up Germany's image, and is probably one of the least likely guys to be found giving a Nazi salute.

[Riggers]

I'm joshing Timmers!

Put down that stick.

[Biggsy]

Whoever that chap was, he wasn't giving the Nazi salute.

If you watch him closely, as I did following reading these posts, he is clearly waving.

Camilla and Bo Job are not so sure.

[clarion]

Gosh, you're right, ESL, I mean, drumming is so inextricably linked with Nazism, isn't it?

ETA: More clearly Nazi drumming

Whoops!  Forgot to mention the Cacarelazo of the Madres de Plaza de Mayo, fervent supporters(?) of the fascist Junta.

[Exit Stage Left]

Gosh, you're right, ESL, I mean, drumming is so inextricably linked with Nazism, isn't it?

It's nice to see that you're familiar with the career path of Leni Riefenstahl. In later life she sought to redeem her reputation for masterminding Nazi iconography by recording the lives of the Nuba people of Sudan, in a famous series of photographs. I'm interested in her through her pioneering work in Bergfilms.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_film   which pioneered the kind of live action filming I'm involved in.
The mountain film that most will be familiar with accompanied Tubular Bells in 1973 on Old Grey Whistle Test. A tune used on Friday night to introduce the NHS segment, so what goes around comes around.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/P4eZJh3FFg0&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/P4eZJh3FFg0&rel=1</a>

[clarion]

Except, of course, that they are famously Burundians, living the best part of 1000 miles distant, and you show no signs of moving towards an attempt at redemption yet (reading The Guardian doesn't help, I'm afraid).

[Exit Stage Left]

Leni Riefenstahl is in that clip which accompanied Tubular Bells.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022552/
The drumming scene I was thinking of is at 41.50 in Triumph of the Will. It's the proportions of the drums and the way they are slung that reminded me of it. So much of the iconongraphy of the Olympics goes back to Riefenstahl, that it's difficult to know if there's an element of quotation, subversion or reclaiming going on. The actual inspiration is probably modern Salsa, but there is something of an echo of the 30s that I picked up on.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/GHs2coAzLJ8&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/GHs2coAzLJ8&rel=1</a>

[clarion]

You do seem attracted to the fascists.  It must puzzle you why others don't share your admiration.

[mattc]

I was very disappointed to only get one RT for my brilliant "They've taken the hobbits to Isambard" quip on twitter.

i was thinking exactly the same, but you have summed it up most pithily. 

[Notsototalnewbie]

According to David Icke it was a satanic ritual and all those who watched it will have been brainwashed and had their energy stolen. Or something.

[Exit Stage Left]

You do seem attracted to the fascists.  It must puzzle you why others don't share your admiration.

I'm more interested in Propaganda, the Nazis represent the greatest evil in history and that evil was propagated by an emerging mass media. The Olympic opening ceremony is a throwback to the type of spectacle that the Nazis perfected. The current masters are the North Koreans.
How we read propaganda depends on our viewpoint, but someone has to stand back from the spectacle to try to discern the message.
I've got way too much time on my hands, and I'm interested in how we can be manipulated by iconography. I'm self employed, so it's my time to waste. I do wonder about those indulging in this sort of thing in work's time though.

[mattc]

I'm self employed, so it's my time to waste. I do wonder about those indulging in this sort of thing in work's time though.

They're sticking one to the man, undermining the system from the inside.

[clarion]

Propaganda is easy to spot in big set-piece events like the Olympics or the Jubilee.  It's the more insidious suggestion that is worse.

If your last sentence is a dig at me, EDSL, you ought to remember that I am recovering from surgery which is why, though typing is painful, I am able to respond to your silly suggestions.

[Exit Stage Left]

If your last sentence is a dig at me, EDSL, you ought to remember that I am recovering from surgery which is why, though typing is painful, I am able to respond to your silly suggestions.

Is that wise? It sounds about as clever as giving a balloon to a hedgehog!

[clarion]

I think I could help a hedgehog to understand why they should treat a balloon with respect.  I accept that there may be some lost causes.  But that doesn't mean I should give up on trying to educate the ignorant.

[Exit Stage Left]

I think I could help a hedgehog to understand why they should treat a balloon with respect.  I accept that there may be some lost causes.  But that doesn't mean I should give up on trying to educate the ignorant.

I, on the other hand, will waste little time in teaching grandmothers to suck eggs.

[Basil]

Wrong board, chaps.

[Wascally Weasel]

Wrong board, chaps.

Point taken, I'm just tired of it.

[contango]

According to David Icke it was a satanic ritual and all those who watched it will have been brainwashed and had their energy stolen. Or something.

Maybe that's why I struggled to climb hills today. I thought it was the headwind. Maybe the devil was farting in my face to hold me back, it certainly had that kind of smell to it. Oh, wait, that was the bit when I went past the sewage works. Oh well...

[LindaG]

In retrospect I think I now approve of our input at the Beijing closing ceremony.

[rogerzilla]

According to David Icke it was a satanic ritual and all those who watched it will have been brainwashed and had their energy stolen. Or something.

I imagine David Icke would have designed a killer show, with loads of turquoise shellsuits, giant lizards and Illuminati instead of storybook villains.  Someone give him £20m for Rio; it might actually trump Mick and Sam on the Brit Awards.