Posted on 03/15/2006 2:55:13 PM PST by Aussie Dasher
EVEN the hyper-bloody-sensitive Brits can't complain about a shindig where 80,000 people, led by Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, belt out Happy Birthday to the Queen, who doesn't even turn 80 until next month.
If the raucous tribute to Her Majesty wasn't the high point of last night's opening ceremony - and it went close - it was at least one of the more comprehensible.
Since the arty-farty part of the extravaganza purportedly revolved around the dreams of a 12-year-old skater boy, Sean Whitford, aka Mickey Webster, we can count ourselves lucky not to have been treated to dancing Xboxes, exploding cheeseburgers and a giant Pamela Anderson with wings.
Instead we had the flying tram, surely the image that will best be remembered when Elizabeth R turns 100 and has to send herself a congratulatory telegram.
There were the chaotic, flying, jumping, gambolling, panicking koala rescue workers; after Matilda the Kangaroo, Fatso the Wombat, and a platoon of similarly kitsch marsupial mascots, perhaps only the quokka remains to be pilloried.
There were absurdly large thongs, exploding ballerinas and futuristic rocket-propelled roller skaters producing more MCG fireworks than Alex Jesaulenko.
And, somewhat incongruously, the Leunig duck.
What did the show - put on with the kind of panache usually reserved for rock'n'roll eisteddfods - all mean? Naturally, there was a magnificently highfaluting official explanation. Apparently the spectacular ballerina/biker dance sequence represented "the unique and occasionally surprising connections and chance encounters many might experience over the next 10 days".
And the same could be said for pairing an elephant with a Vegemite sandwich. Ultimately, though, there was little point trying to scour the opening ceremony for hidden themes. It was more a gigantic feel-good party.
As ever, the stadium itself was a superstar.
Uniquely, the ceremony spilled out of the stadium along the Yarra River allowing tens of thousands of non-ticket holders to join the audience.
If this made for the odd flat patch in the arena, overall the effect worked, especially on television where it counted.
Few would complain about the prestigious final baton carriers; Elliott, Freeman, Clarke, Jackson, Landy covers all bases. The music was suitably eclectic; The Church, Cat Empire, Delta, Dame Kiri.
Due deference was paid to Melbourne's nigh religious attachment to Australian football. The involvement of all 16 AFL captains in passing the baton satisfied interstate viewers, while Ron Barassi's appearance confirmed what all of Melbourne already knew - he walks on water.
Hard to believe that by Sunday they'll have transformed last night's glimmering world stage into a plain old running track. If Jana and co can provide a fraction of the drama and fireworks, these Commonwealth Games will be an out-bloody-standing success.
I'm not terribly fond of the monarchy as a system myself, but I heard that Canadians love the system. Can we both ditch the system and let the Canucks keep it?
Whatever we may think of the individuals involved, I'm yet to see a system of government better than Constitutional Monarchy.
I'm not opposed to a republic, I'm just waiting for the republicans to come up with a better system than the one that has served us so very well for over a century.
Besides, without the Queen, who would open events like the Commonwealth Games?
I agree. if I were to design a constitution, I would abolish the office of Prime Minister and make the President head of government as well as head of state, and force all cabinet ministers to be chosen from outside the Parliament. That sounds a lot like the US republican model eh?
The Commonwealth Games is a different matter. From what I watched of the Games last night, I see that the organizers treat the Queen as the dignatory representing the Commonwealth as an organization rather than Australia's HOS - apart from God save the Queen and birthday song session I didn't see anything really monarchist there.
For all practical purposes, the Queen ISN'T our HoS. That's the role of the Governor-General.
Britain has NO say over what happens in Australia. Another plus for the system!
You know, Canadian monarchists will tear you down when they read your words. ;-) The Queen is always the head of state, and the Governor-General her representative.
Good luck to the Canadians!
If there was any suggestion Australia was run by Poms, we would have been a republic a long time ago!
Could you please do a quickie translation for the rest of us Yanks?
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