So, the long
awaited London 2012 Olympics is under way. Gold medals are already being won
and controversies have already cropped up. I just think some of these
controversies are sour grapes but that’s not what I’m discussing today. I’m
looking at the Olympics opening ceremony.
Now, I will
agree a few bits didn’t quite interest me such as the readings and some of the
music. However, credit to where it is due, I think Danny Boyle (Emmy award
winning Director of Emmy Award winning movie ‘Slumdog Millionaire’) did a
fantastic job. From the changing scenes, to the lighting effects and the
fireworks, Mr. Bean and the Queen’s arrival and of course the delicious sexy dish
that is David Beckham on a speedboat. it was stunning in quite a few bits. I
fully applaud his effort to pay tribute to the people who while the in most
vital of professions are often the most underappreciated – the National Health
Service (NHS), Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) even the Creator of the
world wide web...who I must confess I never knew was British. For me by far the
most poignant and significant of moments was the choice to hand over the torch to
the ‘next generation’ to light the cauldron. That showed to me that Danny Boyle
ensured that the people who mattered participated.
While I agree
that it could potentially have been a bit more entertaining in bits, certain statements
I have heard about Brits lacking culture actually make me laugh out loud. Let’s
look at it this way, what makes up culture:
- Family, social classes
(occupation, rank, status): Most family structure today is father, mother and
children except for same sex couples, and of course extended family. Then the
social classes. Every single country in the world has upper-class families,
middle class and lower class families). Guess who pioneered this? Well the first
ever documentation of the term ‘Middle class’ was in James Bradshaw’s 1745
pamphlet Scheme to prevent running Irish Wools to France. Guess what
nationality he was....shock, horror – British.
- Rules of behaviour: there are
so many ‘polite’ things you must do. For e.g everyone stands for the singing of
the Hallelujah chorus the world over, guess why? Well, according to Wikipedia, <<the
custom of standing for the "Hallelujah" chorus originates from a
belief that, at the London premiere, King George II did so, but there is no
convincing evidence that the king was present, or that he attended any
subsequent performance of Messiah; the first reference to the practice of
standing appears in a letter dated 1756.>> A British tradition among many
that is replicated the world over.
- Language: This one is obvious
‘innit’? Majority of the world speaks the British traditional language ‘English’,
it only fairly recently that French started gaining prominence but still not on
par with English. Also the ‘normal’ shirts and skirts and trousers you usually
wear if you were not aware are typical English attire. Most of the ‘so-called
pop music’ you listen to is composed by British musicians...the Beatles, Sir
Paul McCartney, Elton John, Spice Girls etc. That is their traditional music
that is listened to the world over.
- Religion: Well most people
again are Christians and quite a few nations e.g US and Nigeria’s constitutions
and anthems among others are based on Christianity. If you were not aware
Christianity was spread by the British missionaries.
- Forms of government: again
quite a few countries including Nigeria base their constitutions on the British
constitution.
- Economic systems: Well every
country has a stock exchange, office/ blue collar work etc. That’s based on ancient
British ‘customs’. Banks are typically British.
(Now before you
ask ‘what of the US?’ note that the US of A was colonized by England...yes. The
true owners of North American land are the ‘Native Americans or ‘Native Indians’.
Pretty much all you see in America is English and amix of other cultures)
Also, culture
is changed in a variety of ways one of which is technology. Were you aware that
one of the greatest technological advancements of all time (arguably the
greatest) – the world wide web – was designed by a British Man?
What am I
getting at? Look around you. Without realizing it, you live, speak, eat
(sometimes), operate and act British. This somewhat unassuming island that is
UK has pretty much succeeded in indoctrinating the world in British culture – even
USA – and the world does not know it. So next time you go accusing the British
of having no culture, take a deep long look around you, yep, you are living English
at least 50% of the time. I have to doff my hat to their ancestors they were
smart. So stop being ‘ethnocentric’ (judging other cultures by the standards of
yours). Their culture may not be as flamboyant as some but it has shown itself
to be the most adaptable and widely known and accepted. #Food for thought.
(And for those
who want to bring the slavery argument here, no-one forced your ancestors to
trade their people in for goods, did they? Yes some were kidnapped/ captured
but much as is done today all that was needed would have been some way of
ensuring better preparedness against the captures and if necessary for war much
like the Native Americans fought not just lying down and giving up. You see one
can not take from you what you don’t give them authority to. Even a thief or a
robber coerces you to give up authority by force before he can steal. It is
easy to blame them but please tell me why the ancestors didn’t plan and fight
back? Oh yeah...GREED.)
For me, London
2012 opening ceremony was a show to celebrate the best of British. The wonderfully
bonkers, sometimes funny (I have always loved Mr. Bean), imperfect as is
everyone, seemingly understated compared to others but still deeply cultured
country that is Great Britain. I may not subscribe to everything that is
British, but I do respect the nation for the strides it has achieved and urge
them to vote in somebody else as the Prime Minister post-haste!
Someone...(or someTHING) has the Olympic spirit!
