Art with a capital F

[43021HST]

I don't see what's wrong with the Olympic torch?

(See BB21s comment)

 

[Bungle73]

(See BB21s comment)

Which comment? He hasn't said anything that's relevant to my question.

 

[Schnellzug]

I can understand the holes in the torch. Given that we're effectively broke as a country, any saving in material thereby protecting as much as our gold reserve must be welcome.

Good engineering. Reduce weight so easing the strain on the people who've got to carry it all around the country. Plus of course, the holes create a draught so making sure that it doesn't go out.

What would happen if it did go out? Would it be like the ravens leaving the Tower of London?

 

[AlterEgo]

What would happen if it did go out? Would it be like the ravens leaving the Tower of London?

I'd love for that to happen, and for it to be re-lit using a cigarette.

Very British.

 

[Dennis]

What would happen if it did go out?

There will be a backup following along in a van.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I have often wondered what happens where the torch is required to be carried by an aircraft, as has happened at some recent Olympics.

Presumably it is extinguished for the duration of the flight?

 

[Schnellzug]

I just saw this story, on the subject of modern Art, which rather amused me:

A German museum is counting the cost after a cleaning woman mistook a valuable sculpture for an unsightly mess - and damaged it beyond repair.
The Martin Kippenberger installation entitled When It Starts Dripping From the Ceiling was on display at the Ostwall Museum in Dortmund.

The late modern master had created a tower of wooden slats under which a rubber trough was placed with a thin beige layer of paint representing dried rain water.

Taking it for a stain, the cleaner scrubbed the surface until it gleamed.

http://news.sky.com/home/strange-news/article/16103163

 

[gg1]

And in a similar vein from a few years ago:

A sculpture by Anish Kapoor, entrusted to a specialist fine art storage firm, was probably mistaken for builders' rubble, dumped in a skip and destroyed by a waste crusher

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/mar/17/artnews.art?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487

 

[ChrisCooper]

I don't like modern art, but don't mind that some people do. It's the same with everything in life. What I don't like is how much public money gets spent on modern art that often is rubbish. If someone with more money than sence wants to pay silly money for something a 5 year old could have made, then that's up to them. When public bodies pay that sort of money, it's a different story. The Olympics are being funded partially by taxpayers money, and therefore we have every right to object to how the money is being spent.

 

[class377man]

I actually quite like most of them, but the ones that are just stripes are ridiculous. I fully appreciate that artistic merit extends further than the talent required to paint the picture but I think those ones may be taking that a little too far. I could've done those in five minutes in MS Paint.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

They say that human interpretation of art has evolved with the homo sapiens conceptual understanding of imagery, but I see little of the evolutionary process from the Lascaux and Altamira cave paintings of Europe and the symbolism that is said to be inherent in the art work of the Australian Aboriginal peoples, to some of the current modern art on offer.

That said, I hear the complex tonal formulation of musical compositions of Handel, Verdi, etc and then hear what I understand is referred to as "hip-hop" music and begin to think along the same lines.

 

[Geezertronic]

There's more than one Olympic torch and having held one myself (unlit) it felt a bit flimsy. I know people have got to be able to run with it but it still felt quite lightweight. Maybe when it's full of gas (or whatever they use) it would feel a bit more substancial

 

[jon0844]

I'd love for that to happen, and for it to be re-lit using a cigarette.

Very British.

Or dipped in the smouldering ashes of a house or shop that was torched after being looted.

 

[43021HST]

Tell me whats so special about the olympics, isnt it just an international version of a school sports day?
I tried sitting myself down in front of the telly to watch the bejing olympics, I was bored after 5 minutes. Honestly all this fuss over an international d**k waggling contest.
Thank goodness my girlfriend was there which gave me more than enough entertainment.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

The idea of true Olympic Games amateurism that was the hope when the 1896 Athens Olympic Games event was commenced, together with the statement that it was not the winning, but the taking part that counted, seems now somewhat removed from the multi-million pound event that it has become over recent stagings of the Olympic Games. The British media seem obsessed with the British gold medal possibilities, as usual. with media sources obsessed as to the amount of money that will accrue to the city that is the holder of each games.

Why not just call them the "World Sports Championships", making no pretence of "the spirit of the Games" and have done with it. This type of event will still attract the vast television audiences, so beloved by the TV channels, which will still carry the vast amount of advertising revenue.

For my personal feelings on the matter.....see my "signature" below.

 

[Schnellzug]

But hosting the Olympics is a sure guarantee of financial success and prosperity! Look at how well Greece has done after hosting it in '04!

...er ....

 

[Oswyntail]

The idea of true Olympic Games amateurism that was the hope when the 1896 Athens Olympic Games event was commenced, together with the statement that it was not the winning, but the taking part that counted, seems now somewhat removed from the multi-million pound event that it has become over recent stagings of the Olympic Games. The British media seem obsessed with the British gold medal possibilities, as usual. with media sources obsessed as to the amount of money that will accrue to the city that is the holder of each games.

Why not just call them the "World Sports Championships", making no pretence of "the spirit of the Games" and have done with it. This type of event will still attract the vast television audiences, so beloved by the TV channels, which will still carry the vast amount of advertising revenue.

For my personal feelings on the matter.....see my "signature" below.

As someone vaguely involved in all this, I can say that the Olympics do have a very different atmosphere for the athletes, even the professionals It is hard to put ones finger on why Most sports have their "World Championships", and there is immense kudos on winning that, but most would say that being Olympic Champion is more special, despite the field often being weaker. There is also the different buzz you get from multi-sports events. I am as cynical as anyone about the commercialism, but the games are primarily for the athletes.

 

[Schnellzug]

But the trouble is, there's an almost infinite number of categories in everything, so that if one is the Champion in one particular thing, there's probably about a dozen others all doing the same sport who are also champions. Like in Sailing; there seems to be an infinite number of categories, there's Yngling , now what the hell is Yngling for gods's sake?!, there's 20m Freestyle, there's Broad-beamed 15s, theres' Coxless fours and fours with Coxes and any number of different permutations. being Champion just means that you're better than anyone else in your very narrow category. It's sometimes as if it's designed so that there's so many categories that everyone comes away with some sort of prize, rather like school sports day.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I am as cynical as anyone about the commercialism, but the games are primarily for the athletes.

You would not think that this was the case from the way that "Country medal count" in the published "league table" of Gold/Silver/Bronze is bandied about once the Olympic Games actually start. I admit that certain countries do acknowledge the achievements of their individual athletes, but this is not the over-riding majority of the competing nations.