Beijing faked ceremony fireworks!

Share/Save/Bookmark

Beijing faked ceremony fireworks!
by PedramMoallemian
13-Aug-2008
 

Watching the opening ceremonies of the Beijing 2008 Olympics almost made me ill. What sickened me at first was the obvious effort to show off, to overspend, to exaggerate. I think I heard they spent 10 times more than Athens did on their opening ceremonies a few years ago and even that was a huge number.

Let’s be real, what does the ceremony have to do with the “spirit” of the sports, athletes or even the nature of Olympic games? Maybe instead of synchronized drum works, individual athletes’ achievements could be highlighted. The hard ways they have had to take to get there. Or how some countries don’t have a single venue within Olympic standards and have yet to managed to produce world quality athletes.

However, the more nauseating element of NBC’s coverage was having to listen to the commentators. Bob Costas and Matt Lauer only read from the scripts they were given and stuck to the prepared “talking points” not only in praising the host nation (sometimes in overly dramatic ways such as mentioning how the nation that could not protect its youth at some point is now strong, during the flag raising ceremony) but also politicizing the event by not focusing on athletic, but political introductions as many of the athletes entered the stadium.

Well, now I can finally breath easier as if the smog has lifted from Beijing’s sky. It turns out what we were watching was in parts faked by magic of digital imagery. So, when Lauer was almost climaxing with “This is actually almost animation,” it wasn’t really that magical.

To make things palatable for TV viewers, Crystal Digital Technology Co. was called to help and as Beijing organizing committee spokesman Wang Wei describes, “because of the poor visibility of the night, some previously recorded footage may have been used.”

Ah! China. The land of fake Rolex watches and Gucci belts, has now progressed further into the realm of virtual reality opening ceremonies. How divine!

Makes me feel less guilty about making fun of those photoshoped Iranian missile test.

=========================================

This piece was first published in my blog at eyeranian.net

 

 

Share/Save/Bookmark

Recently by PedramMoallemianCommentsDate
Just a t-shirt
8
Jan 29, 2009
Poll, Schmoll
-
Sep 29, 2008
McCain 1 - Obama 0
19
Sep 26, 2008
more from PedramMoallemian
 
sbglobe

I love rainbows

by sbglobe on

I take it – all the colors of the rainbow I mean! Thanks for offering them:-)

 All the best until our next debate  


default

Call of the rainbow!

by PedramMoallemian on

sbcglobal aziz - We can certainly object to many things and expressing those objections is the only thing that may in fact make a difference. I also do my best in whatever I do, including having an opinion and be judgemental without being close minded. The two don't have to mean the same thing.

With all the colors of the rainbow to you,

Pedram Moallemian, Los Angeles


sbglobe

The way to look at things

by sbglobe on

Pedram aziz – I bet you there are enough money between "us" and "them" :-) that WE can have a big “SHOW” and feed the ones in “dire poverty” as well.

Objecting to a big show before "series of games" (the same games that are making a difference in so many lives all around the world) is like objecting to have Charismas the way we do it here is this country - all about shopping. We can object all we can but that will not make any difference (in fact if we all stop shopping, the whole economy may collapse). We all know that there are so many ways that we can look at things ....... So, after so many years, I finally realized that I cannot change the world by not participating and I eventually figured it out for me. I do my best in whatever I do, I do my best  to make a difference, I do my best not to be judgmental, I do my best to see the best in people and finally I make the best from the moment I am in. That is exactly what I did last Friday night when I was watching the show. There are so many colors between Black and White......   Be Good to yourself!

default

Isn't sbcglobal the new AT&T?

by PedramMoallemian on

"sbcglobal" Jan;

I think this "us" versus "them" mentality is coming from somewhere whitin yourself as it certainly has racial overtones that nowhere else appears in my original piece. I don't care if China held this waste of a "show" or was it paid for by Brazil or Zimbabwe. Just because you can spend it, does not justify doing it. A large percentage of the people on this planet are in dire poverty with severe needs of basic medical necessasities, hygenic supplies, water shortage relief, etc.

If in this brotherhood of nations and races, one sees fit to demonstrate its wealth by holding a "show" to open what is essentially nothing more than a series of "games", don't be surprised that SOME people may feel ill.

Pedram Moallemian, Los Angeles


sbglobe

It was a "SHOW" for god sake :-)

by sbglobe on

Baba jan  take it easy a bit .... The whole show that we saw clearly was not "LIVE" anyway - it was 12 hours (or so) old.... If you could look at the show for what it intended to be "A SHOW" to tell EVERYONE that "YES WE CA DO IT", then they truly achieved their objectives. I think if some how you could look at it this way; I bet you could manage to enjoy the show (at least a little bit) rather than feeling ill. The show was going to happen regarding of all oppositions regarding China’s human rights, etc.  Let's face it China is the upcoming "next Super Power".... there are more of them than most of us. We might as well learn to like them... That is one way we may be able to influence their human rights and their other problems.    


default

What is Fake?

by PedramMoallemian on

Dear "T";

Mixing a pre-recorded scene from a previous day into a live event feed is a great example of faking it. It wasn't there if you were sitting in the stadium but was portrayed to be for millions sitting at home. That's fake.

If an arousal wasn't actually there but you wore a strap-on to pretend you have one, that would be a fake also. Viagra [reportedly] produces an actual aroused penis.

Pedram Moallemian, Los Angeles

ps - Thank you IranDokht. I am always surprised at how many people choose to be hostile with no apparent reason. Must be my flowing thick hair that brings out some envy. :o)


default

What do you mean by the term fake

by t (not verified) on

I'm not sure how to interpret the term "fake". I don't think animation nor digital imagery is fake. It is a more modern, greener, environmentally healthy way to provide the visual pleasure. Actually, it goes to show that they have the technology and know-how to do it.

As to the grand opening. What is wrong with that. The country has come along way in the past few years and China was on center stage, celebrating its accomplishments and its pride.

China is not only the land of fake Rolexs, today it is one of the top 3 largest growing economies with every technology, manufacturing company setting up shop there. More power to China and its hard working citizens. Maybe Iran and Iranians could learn a few things from the other more ancient culture !!!

Back to the topic of fake, based on how you define fake, then usage of chemical dyes vs. vegetable dyes in carpet manufacturing is fake, and anything done by machine (industrialization) should be considered fake. I guess even Viagra!


IRANdokht

the singing was fake too

by IRANdokht on

I just heard that the little girl was lip synching on that opening night too, because apparently the other little girl who sang so beautifully was not pretty enough to be shown on camera!

Thanks for the blog, I must say that I am surprised to see hostility towards you on this subject.

IRANdokht


default

IRI is learning tricks from big brother.

by curly (not verified) on

When I heard about all this faking in opening ceremony in China, it reminded me of the fact that IRI is copying China exactly, not only in human rights violation and fear and intimidation of their citizens, but in being morally corrupt, and justifying the means for the sake of it's end!


default

Hmmm....

by PedramMoallemian on

People can be quite passionate about fireworks it seems.

Dear Amir Nasiri; To me this was about Chinese officials faking fireworks on television and Iranian government faking missile firing images. I don'tknow where the other stuff came from but if you choose to write something more detailed about inferiority of Iran to other countries, I have no doubt some iranian.com readers will be very interested.

Dear Mr./Ms. "Danesh"; It seems as if the only item we disagree on is that I feel synchronized drumming, globe walkers, large group of dancers and a skywalker with a tourch are a waste of money that can be better spent elsewhere, aside from being unnecessary and not part of the spirit that is behind non-professional sports. And you found it glorious. Other than that, I don't see what about my post made you so upset?

I still thank thank you all for your opinions and look forward to more.

Pedram Moallemian, Los Angeles


default

Iranian Government is fake

by Amir Nasiri (not verified) on

Chinese are far superior and I am very proud of them

Despite their f**kedup human rights the country at least is growing at staggering 200% per year.

Just since 1995 the country has surpassed any country in the world in every aspects.

At least their people can be proud of something. The country has over a billion popultation and it is still able to manage.

Now Iran only 75 million population not even a 1% of China's poplutaion, the country has nothing to offer.

- No medals yet won
- our athlete don't want to swim with others they think they are better than them. The irony here is that the Palestinians compete with Israelis.
- Economy very bad, very bad
- Education just for few
- poor infrastructure and basic standards
- More poor people
-

We can only compete with the in the number of executions,we have surpassed the chinese

So who is fake?


soufi

Fakeness was the same way ....

by soufi on

that Iranians did for missile firings? It seems that West's jealousy of other nation's success is expressed in some strange ways.


default

I watched the Olympics

by Danesh (not verified) on

I watched the Olympics opening ceremony and enjoyed it a lot. They did a great job in handling this important event in a simple yet glorious manner. Unlike a similar ceremony in the US a few years ago which relied mainly on dull technical, star-war-type cheap Hollywood stunts, the Chinese displayed a fantastic mixture of art, athletic skills, and intelligence to present their rich culture to the world and convey a message of harmony.

I'm sick and tired of the American media (and their little surrogates here) who bitch about every little petty subject. As if they have no other jobs but finding and reporting flaws; from the air pollution, to little girl singing (or not singing), to age of the Chinese athletes, etc.

I was disgusted seeing some American athletes entering China with those ridiculous black masks. They made a bunch of stupid fools out of themselves in front of the whole world and had to apologize afterward.

The west was obnoxious and hostile from the beginning when they organized demonstrations against the Olympics torch marathons around the world. This is a purely peaceful and friendly event, and politics should have no place in it. How American athletes, artists, educators or any other non-political group feel when they attend international events and people demonstrate against the vicious American interferences in other countries, war in Iraq, Abu Gharib scandal, Guantanamo abuses, etc.?

Mr. Moallemian, this country is not in short of irrelevant, useless reporters. So, please leave the job to the irresponsible media like Fox news to entertain the ignorant illiterates in this country.