just got through watching the opening ceremonies for the olympics. some thoughts, generally classified under "what the...?" and "cool!"

cool!: the super-glittery dress that the italian supermodel from torino who carried in the italian flag wore

wtf?: the ferrari F1 car doing donuts on the stage backed by fake engine revving noises. i mean, i like F1 as much as (probably more than, :blush:) the next girl, and sure! ferrari! F1! the olympics! but, um, F1 cars don't do donuts. really.

cool!: the traditional italian flag-waving thing that started with the flags from each of the regions in italy and continued with the all-white flags.

wtf?: the athletes walking in to the medley of 80s pop songs. YMCA? really? better choice: playlist of italian songs, perhaps ranging chronologically from medieval chants to 21st century club music. alternate better choice: each country accompanied by a song from that country.

cool!: the olympic flag being carried in by a notable woman from each continent (though, um, italian olymic committee? there aren't 8 continents.) esp. cool choices: nobel peace prize winner Wangari Maathai and chilean writer/activist Isabel Allende. also, Sofia Loren, who the internet says is 71 years old, looks AMAZING. the north american representative was Sus@n Sarand0n, who's pretty damn cool, but i'm not sure i would've picked her, out of all the amazing women on this continent. though maybe i should just be glad it wasn't Ange1ina Jo1ie.

wtf?: yoko ono having to READ the lyrics to john lennon's "imagine." shouldn't she know the words by heart? i'm just saying.

also wtf?: peter gabriel singing "imagine." weird.

cool!: the torch lighting fireworks, with the last 5 torch bearers being italian medal-winning athletes, including the most decorated italian winter olympics athlete ever. a female cross-country skier!

also cool!: pavarotti! singing pucini! in a cape! with a full-fledged chandelier and red velvet stage curtain!

but wtf? is up with pavarotti's eyebrows? have they always been like that? i mean, stage make-up and all but geeeeez.

cool!: the fireworks at the end of the ceremony. i LOVE fireworks. the thing i am most looking forward to about the beijing olympics in 2008 is the fireworks. i mean, if the chinese, who freaking INVENTED fireworks, don't put on a kickass fireworks show, then the world must have ended.