It's Olympics time.
Apparently people like watching the torch.
I would watch if Christina Hendricks was carrying it.
Demi Lovato has discovered a way to discourage fans from giving her hugs.
Halle Berry reminds the director that she has an Academy Award.
This is why Jessica Alba should keep two hands on the stroller at all times.
I'm thinking Honor might be too big for it. Her sister is behind her in it though.
Kate Major buys matching backpacks. Twins? Getting ready to send the baby to work when it is born?
Apparently people like watching the torch.
I would watch if Christina Hendricks was carrying it.
Demi Lovato has discovered a way to discourage fans from giving her hugs.
Halle Berry reminds the director that she has an Academy Award.
This is why Jessica Alba should keep two hands on the stroller at all times.
I'm thinking Honor might be too big for it. Her sister is behind her in it though.
Kate Major buys matching backpacks. Twins? Getting ready to send the baby to work when it is born?
That tipping stroller picture about gave me a heart attack. I did that once with my son and it was so scary.
ReplyDeleteAre there really going to be a set of Lohan TWINS? God save us all.
If she has twins I'd imagine them to turn out a lot like the twins in East of Eden tho I highly doubt one will look anything like James Dean but I bet they would both act LL under the table.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking more like the twins in The Shining.
ReplyDeleteHalle looks like shit. Guess it's a case of the outside matching the inside.
ReplyDeleteI'm not crazy about the color with her hair (I'm a ginger, too), but Hendricks's dress here is so much more flattering on her than the vast majority of stuff she wears.
Demi looks like a member of Bananarama, circa 1983. This is not a compliment.
Yes, Honor is way too big for the stroller. Kick her out of it, even if she whines. You see this sometimes with older siblings -- they want to be babied like their younger siblings and will try to do stuff they outgrew before the baby came along.
Is it me or does Demi look a little Britneyish in that picture? I love them both so thats no insult.
ReplyDeleteThat picture of the tipping baby carriage made me laugh out loud:) I swear I am a good person!!
ReplyDeleteI figured Enty would've used this one of Jessica Alba & the Headless Toddler: http://twitpic.com/aceilv
ReplyDeleteDemi looks like she Is trying to hard.
ReplyDeleteHalle Berry should play Whitney In a biopic! She looks like a dead ringer in this picture.
No more lohans! The world has had enough. Please move to somewhere far far away.
Hahahaha on Yahoo! I just saw a "headline" about Hayden Panettiere saying she's shedding her good girl image...
ReplyDeleteMy husband is obsessed with Christina and her magnificent chi chi's (dlisters will know what I'm talking about).
ReplyDeleteDemi Lovato could relax and be a little more likeable, I think, smashbash. I always wonder why her sisters Semi and Hemi never get the press she does.
ReplyDeleteDemi, I love the hair. The ribbon is cute
ReplyDeletePoster is right she is trying too hard.
But I find that she looks her best when she is in her natural state. Normal Clothes, no makeup and her REAL HAIRCOLOR.
I know this is all for her TV judging gig but DEMZ TONE IT DOWN. Her fashion and makeup choices lately have been a disaster.
I stood outside the hospital I worked at in Atlanta when the torch went by in 1996. It was worth seeing - a once in a lifetime event.
ReplyDeleteI thought Demi was Rihanna.
ReplyDeleteWhen the torch went through Austin in 2002 or whatever, I watched it from the parking lot of Sandy's Hamburgers chowing down on a cheeseburger in the car. Klassy with a capital K, I tell ya.
ReplyDeleteAm I the only one who thinks Halle did not deserve the Oscar?
ReplyDeleteWhy is Jessica Alba pushing that grown woman around in a stroller?
ReplyDeleteWhat the hell
ReplyDeleteKate Major has a nice pair of legs.
ReplyDeleteI got up at 6am to see the torch go through my neighborhood for the 2002 Olympics. I thought it was kind of cool until I was in the grocery store a few hours later and saw one of the torch bearers walking around nonchalantly with a torch. I thought WTF? then later found out that it's only the flame that's passed on, not the actual torch, which I'm guessing one could purchase if you're lucky enough to be one of the torch bearers. So, it made it seem rather anticlimactic to me...
ReplyDeleteOk, defending the stroller deal. In wrangling two children, being able to contain the older one is crucial. It is insane to have an erratic toddler/small child on foot AND manage a baby.
ReplyDeleteJessica is super-lucky, though - lots of kids won't get in the stroller past a certain age, and it sucks. Let 'em ride as long as the wheels keep turning on the stroller, I say. Much much better than a kiddo hit by a car, God forbid.
My kids were out of the stroller by *2*.
ReplyDeleteWhen my youngest was a wee one, she went in the Snugli, and the older ones held my hand.
It wasn't easy, but I managed. Kids past the age of 4 in strollers is one of my pet peeves.
@smashbash
ReplyDeleteI thought the exact same thing about Halle looking like Whitney!
I cant stand seeing big kids in a stroller! Also to whomever is questioning, Halle did deserve her Oscar!
ReplyDeletei totally have olympic fever! i'd probably watch th torch on tv if they showed it.
ReplyDeleteits hard to get #2 child to walk, when #1 is geing a ride. plus, they get tired and then they get cranky. and she has people following her just waiting for an "incident" to take pictures. when their legs are that long though, you run the risk of running over their leg w/ the stroller. it least its her w/ the kids and not a nanny.
I never would have guessed that was Demi in that photo. Talk about getting a makeover. Looks good though.
ReplyDeleteThe Olympics are on right now! Thanks Enty, you got me in the mood!
ReplyDeleteIs Halle wearing her hair like that for a role? Bring back the pixie!!! I usually love African American hair when it's worn naturally, but all I can think is that she's hiding that pretty face
ReplyDeleteI have never seen Kate Major look very pretty until these pregnancy photos started surfacing. Why oh why oh why did you choose to procreate with a lunatic who likes to sport page 23 of the International Male catalog. Mesh does not belong on middle-aged heterosexuals men
Hee hee heterosexuals men sounds so slurry, but I hadn't started tipping the happy when I typed that originally. Silly!
DeleteThat was Ewan Macgregor doing the NBC intro to the Olympics. Who was the woman? Kate Beckinsdale?
ReplyDeleteEmily Blunt
DeleteDemi looks a little Gwen Stefani-ish as well here...
ReplyDeleteGlad Barton paid tribute to the Quaver sisters!
I just finished watching the opening ceremony and it was TERRIBLE. Boring, sloppy laughable choreography, a jumbled mess.
ReplyDeleteAgree, just awful...
ReplyDeleteThe opening Vermont was not awful. I can honestly say for the first time in my life I felt British and proud to be so - we pulled it off. It may not have been as much of a spectacle as Beijing in 2008 but the ceremony encompassed everything The Olympics and Britain is about.
ReplyDeleteThe ceremony was full of gorgeous colour and lighting, fantastic British music and humour - never did I think I'd see The Queen and James Bond parachuting out of a helicopter! And my Mum nearly wet herself at the Mr Bean sketch.
Admittedly, the show in parts was British to the point where those outside Britain will not completely understand everything but it us still a joy to behold. The transition from a rural countryside to an industrialised area at the beginning if the ceremony was done brilliantly with vivid, atmospheric music and wonderful sets - that transition would not have been possible if the thousands of volunteers who took to the stage were 'jumbled' as someone above posted.
The lighting of the cauldron was a beautiful concept and it worked now - facing the last generation of stars handing torches to what they hope will be the new generation iof Olympians was a really nice idea and when the cauldron was lit if looked spectacular.
Sorry for the incredibly long post, but g.strathmore and ljsmed simply incensed and quite frankly offended me with the way they described the opening ceremony as though it was awful beyond redemption, with no evidence naturally, just snide, ungrateful language - see the whole thing really has bought out my patriotism!!
I do big BBQ why the first sentence of the above has the word Vermont in it... I'm gonna go ahead and blame auto correct :)
ReplyDeleteOMG not know not big BBQ - sorry!!!!
ReplyDelete@ sian
ReplyDeleteYou are cracking me up with your auto-correct! And I missed the opening ceremony (out of the house all day for Little Man's bday) but your description was wicked. I wish I would have taped it. I get patriotic at stuff like that too :)
I thought the ceremony was good! The Chinese were trying to prove to the world that they are now a superpower blah blah blah. The British have nothing to prove to anyone!
ReplyDeleteOkay, you want specifics:
ReplyDeleteThere was no unifying visual theme. The only theme whatsoever was "Show British Stuff" but apart from that, where was the artistic thread running throughout?
The first portion had nice set pieces. Yes. But then, it had a bunch a people in costume first mostly standing around and then later (after Kenneth Branaugh gave his soliliquy on the hill) doing laughable hand dancing, the type a middle school chorus group would do at their end of the year recital.
The set transitions were done well. So? Any competent roadies can do set transitions. I agree the set visuals with the Industrial Revolution theme were impressive and I liked the way they "forged" the olympic rings. However, there was more of the ridiculous hand dancing. Also, the industrial revolution visual theme seemed to extend disproportionately long. I heard multiple people at the bar where I watched mutter, "Why are they so fixed on the industrial revolution?"
A nod to the world wars. Then on to kids in beds with WWI/WWII nurses? And then JK Rowling reading a bit from a book and half-inflated storybook villains and MORE bad and sloppy choreography of nurses and villains in black outfits and green eye make-up and then Mary Poppins to save the day. What the fuck?
Next, Sergeant Pepper's Day-Glo band marches in.... uh, from the world wars to the 1960s? Huh? Some 1960s rock medley and onto a house where some family lives. The teenage daughters of the family leave the house for more bad dancing and tweets (???) appearing on the TV screen involving - I think - a conversation between a teenage boy and girl.
Mind you interspersed in all of this are random "comedy" bits involving the queen, Rowan Adkinson, Daniel Craig, et al.
In other words, like I said earlier, a jumbled mess.
Thank you, I told my customers I dropped acid in their drinks and it would look much better when they went home and watch what they recorded. They said the acid made it look better!
DeleteToo many themes and very bad dancing, I agree.
Olympics opening was awesome! Enjoyed every minute...Brits should be very proud. The opening should tell us about the host country & Danny Boyle covered just about everything (should have been a shout out to Dr Who...maybe a tv clip of the blue phone booth during the Frankie & June bit). The music was great, too!!! Paul McCartney got choked up singing "Hey, Jude"...touching moment. Kudos to all the volunteers...those set transformations must have been grueling, but everyone made it look smooth & effortless. The lighting of the cauldron was beautiful...the way each copper petal flame joined together as they rose into one flame at the top, simple & very moving.
ReplyDeleteAm I the only one who thinks Hendricks is fat, is sick of seeing her chest and doesn't buy for a minute that those are real?
ReplyDeleteIf so, sorry.
<3 <3 TSA
ReplyDeleteA shot of the Tardis would have been AWESOME
@Beth me too. Demi is totally pulling Rihanna face
ReplyDeleteI warn you in advance, this will be very long so no complaining about the length if you read it.
ReplyDeleteThe universal theme was "inspire a generation" i understand it may have been hard to pick up on, it was only written everywhere and is the whole ethos of this Olympics. As such children were the focus from after the industrial revolution part onwards culminating in the British Olympic legends choosing not to light the cauldron themselves but to pass the torch on to a new generation, an unprecedented gesture.
Another aspect of the theme wasn't "show british stuff" but rather "show what britain has done for the world". It started with a traditional countryside scene (a young nation...youth...see a theme?) then along came the "people in costume" as you so eloquently put it, those were the leaders of the industrial revolution. kenneth branagh was playing the part of isambard kingdom brunel, one of the truly great engineers and a man who was voted the nations 2nd favourite Brit of all time. far from just costumes for the sake of it. Britain kick started the industrial revolution and changed the world in the process, these were the men responsible for that. Then with the change of scenery you see the nation growing and developing (much like young people growing up...)
The hand dancing i have no defence for, it was dumb as hell and must have taken all of 30 minutes for them to choreograph. It did last a little longer than necessary but I think it was powerful enough to justify a little extra time.
The nod to the world wars ties in with the theme of inspiring a generation and it was also necessary, i believe, to take a few moments to honour the greatest generation of heroes in our recent history. Now come the kids and the nurses...
ReplyDeleteThere are few things british people are prouder of than our free national health service, we all pay in a tiny bit from our wages each month/week so that we can live safe in the knowledge that should we ever need medical treatment it will be provided free of charge. It's not every nations choice but it is ours and few institutions do more for our country and they fully deserved recognition, it was started after the second world war so it fits into the timeline perfectly. It was also a tribute to Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital who do so much good work taking care of children (remember our theme is the next generation).
Then it moved onto the tribute to british children's literature, JK Rowling read an excerpt about how books seem safe in the daylight but at night when you're reading them under covers the book comes to life...it's a famous book but i completely forget right now what it's from. Then you had inflatable British created children's villains coming to life in the dark of the girls room. Mary Poppins, a friendly British character saves the day along with the nurses indicating the care they provide for the children as they keep them safe.
It didn't jump straight to the 60's from World War 2, there was the whole children's literature section in between. The SGT Pepper era costumes were used as a splash of colour in what had until that point been a pretty dark show, to show the whole new outlook in the 1960's in britain. It wasn't a 1960's rock medley, it gradually went through the decades of great british music and dance crazes right through to the present day which is where the family came into it and another great british achievement, the creator of the world wide web (i think we can all agree one of the most important inventions of all time) was honoured. This was kind of crow-barred in but it was in keeping with the theme of the next generation as nothing is more important to young people nowadays then technology and the internet.
The whole teenage boy and girl flirting stuff i felt was unnecessary but was intended to connect with the young people the show was trying to inspire and showed the influence of that great british invention on everybody's lives today.
ReplyDeleteThe comedy bits were just an example of our unique sense of humour, not all people find it funny I'm aware but Mr Bean is one of the most famous shows in the world, James Bond one of the worlds most famous book/movie heroes and the Queen...well she's the Queen and the sheer shock of them managing to convince her to not only join in but to ACT and let the world have a laugh at her own expense was one of the moments of the night for me (and i'm no royalist).
So in conclusion (finally), the theme was pretty clear. all the way through the country was growing up until it became what it is today, the children and the future were the focal point from start to finish. Just because a theme isn't blatant doesn't mean it's not there and just because you aren't fortunate enough to understand it doesn't make it a "jumbled mess". It was a very british show and i really liked that, we didn't try to out-do Beijing (who could really?) we just did something that celebrated our history, our culture and our impact on the world and we did it in an uncompromisingly british way. In our own unique way i actually think we have outdone most previous openings...
oh and finally i believe american tv cut out the tribute to the victims of the 7th of July terrorist attacks...which is truly awful. imagine the uproar if we had ignored a 9/11 tribute.
ReplyDeleteanyway it was a dance based on a little boy losing his father in all the commotion and eventually being reunited with him (taking care of the children), i urge you to watch it.
@Sunny Stupid auto correct!! The bane of my existence!
ReplyDelete@g.strethmore nothing positive to say at all!! I think
tou are someone who would have been a misery guts about the performance whatever we'd done!! Not jumbled you obviously just weren't able to get it.
@dyldaj The book JK read was Peter Pan - I think they said the guy who wrote it donated all the money he made to GOSH.
Yes I also though the whole 2 people In live bit was slightly strange, and that is disappointing that America cut tge 7/7 tribute, as you say there would be uproar if we cut a 9/11 tribute from something they showed.
Also (I missed this but noticed other people mentioning it) apparently the head Gernan coach or someone similar did the Nazi salute when the German team went past!! How utterly inappropriate!!
I am glad the majority of commenters enjoyed the ceremony - good luck in the games everyone! I will be rooting for our first gold in cycling today! :)
Sadly it demonstrates that the sun has set on the British empire -- they are a shadow of their former selves with only the past to "inspire." Sadder still is the US is in a free fall decline as well. What made China's spectacle so impressive was the pragmatic realization so many of us with the entrepreneurial spirit recognized as a culture on the upswing, being reborn, full of promise, growth and prosperity. Sorry, but the truth hurts.
ReplyDeleteI loved it. All of it. I am Irish. We don't always get along with Britain but I have very close connections to Britain, London in particular ( my brother is a London Firefighter who rescued may people in the 7/7 attacks).
ReplyDeleteI thought the theme, humour and acknowledgment of all the hard work and Great British pride was spot on. I liked the family theme too with the Tele being a part of family life. The music and dancing was great too.
I can see why some people might not 'get it' but I loved it.
I watched it with my kids and they 'got it'.
Thank you, Sian and dyldaj. You were both eloquent in your descriptions of last night’s event. I enjoyed the show, although some bits weren’t too good. Great to see Simon Rattle and Mr Bean in the same sketch. I really thought the lady that Daniel Craig was meeting would turn out to be Judy Dench! Evelyn Glennie was awesome as always. Tim Berner’s Lee was exactly where he should be given his role as an icon. Brunel was where he should be. The ceremony was as awesome and intimate as the torch relay was. Let’s face it, so many local heroes all over the country were given their chance to shine, and shine they did. I don’t think even the PM expected the huge crowds that turned up each day for the relay. Anyway, Sian-is that your real name? Uhhh *cough* it’s very much like my *cough* name!
ReplyDelete@The- nobody is under any illusion regarding the Empire. “The truth hurts” Uhhhhh, the truth about what?' The UK is a muticultural melting pot of so many incredible people and cultures we are rightly proud of being so inclusive. Apparently, Ryan Seacrest replaced the 7/7 montage!!! It was important to pay tribute to the souls who perished less than 24 hours after London celebrated being named as the host city for 2012. Anyway, I’m sorry for the long post but I too was rather offended by some of the criticism. And Mitt Romney was way out of order when he sniped about security. When the security issues were raised the army and police were called up to perform the security duties. For some reason he openly talked about his meeting with the head of UK Security services. He should never have done that and he certainly was told not to do so. I don’t think he’s got the intellect or decency to be a credible POTUS. On the other hand, Mrs Obama charmed and delighted the UK especially when she told the athletes to make sure to eat their veggies.
Anyway, I’m just about to sit back and enjoy the rowing.
@ ItsJustU- Glad you and the children enjoyed the ceremony. I really enjoyed the industrial past evolved into the creation of the Olympic Rings. Deeply impressed by all the little copper tubes becoming the Olympic Flame. Lots of other lovely touches, I think Danny Boyle should have had a nice lie-in this morning followed by breakfast in bed.
ReplyDeleteHello, British CDANers - just wanted to tell you all that this American loved your Opening Ceremonies last night. All of it. My kids and I adored James Bond and the Queen, laughed at Mr. Bean, and delighted in Mary Poppins saving the day. The torch-lighting was well done.
ReplyDeleteYou'll also be happy to hear that a 10 and a 13 year old American kid both agreed that Sir Paul can still sing like mad, and they both thought he seemed like a nice guy, too :-).
Looking forward to seeing much more of your country in the next two weeks!
Awwwwww thanks, Frufra.......I went to bed when Paul McCartney started his set, only because I wanted to be up early for the swimming and sailing. Paul M is a nice bloke even though he’s well aware that he’s a legend. Glad the children enjoyed him. He’s got a lovely wife- Nancy. Hey, did you see my email address that I posted in the week? If not, it’s
ReplyDeletesianlovescats@hotmail.co.uk
I can send you pics of my Sistine cross stitch as soon as my nephew puts them on my macbook pro. I haven’t quite got the hang of it as I’ve only used microsoft word for the last fifteen + years!xx
lots of reasons to put older one in stroller. She may be sick or hurt or she may be a pain in the neck walking and complaining so u pop her in there, and there u go. I dont think its so awful she is in there: mb they were taking long walk. and frankly, sometimes u put them in there to shut them up., lol
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to say that even though I didn't like the British opening ceremony, doesn't mean I don't like Great Britain. I think it is a wonderful country. I hope all the Brits out there weren't too offended by my snark.
ReplyDeleteI can't stop laughing at Jessica A. and her daughter! That was funny. Luvs u Halle!
ReplyDeleteI stop reading posts after a few lines
ReplyDeleteI am a huge Anglomaniac, and frankly I found the opening ceremonies disturbingly awful on so many levels. And I just DO NOT GET the whole "we heart the NHS" skit. What does that have to do with the Olympics? How is the NHS an emblem of London? It would be like the Americans having a salute to social security during an Olympic ceremony. It was horribly out of place and, I think, just a political message from Boyle. Terrible. I looked forward to that ceremony ever since London was awarded the games, because I couldn't wait to get my London love on, and it was so disappointing it nearly broke my heart.
ReplyDelete@ABlake
ReplyDeleteMaybe the Doctor will show up at the Closing ceremony! I read in an IMDB post that there was a Dr Who montage planned, but it had to be cut for time...someone suggested since Bond brought the Queen in, the Doctor could take her home! That would be a hoot!