Uh, Wardrobe Malfunction!
These are the crotches that were too hot for NBC. Shocking, eh? Camera shots that quickly cut in close assured that broadcast viewers only saw the upper torsos of these men made up as kouros figures during the Olympic Opening Ceremonies. Because American audiences are certainly too sensitive to handle engorged sexuality of this magnitude. A mere glimpse of so many penii might cause people to think or do horribly naughty things.
And thank goodness for the insouciant banter of Katie Couric and Bob Costas and the tranquilizing factoids they spew so we never actually have to think for ourselves or spend one second without mind-numbing commentary.
This has been a special broadcast of a previously recorded vent.
Posted Aug. 15,2004 at 3:30 AM EST by Andy Towle in Film and TV, Sports | Permalink
Whoever actually thought that Athena was a saint, is
obviously a moron. Athens was named for Athena, the
Greek Goddess. Shut off the tv and pick up a book...
Posted by: Phrater | Aug 19, 2004 9:35:32 AM
Brian, I think viewers in the U.S. would be surprised at the content of many of our mainstream, free-to-air programmes; shows that would usually be relegated to cable in the U.S. (hence our mainstream, non-blinking attitude towards men wearing costumes in a parade).
Posted by: Terence | Aug 19, 2004 12:49:59 PM
This just in... The chief temple of the goddess Athena crushed the "The Wicked Witch of the East!"
When the "commentators" mentioned how the PARTHENON looked just like Dorothy's house in the THE WIZARD OF OZ, I knew it was time to take a deep breath, smile and just enjoy the images.
I'll admit that such comparison took some... let's say, "creativity."
Posted by: Mr. R | Aug 19, 2004 10:06:24 PM
As a Greek, i realy didn't notice that the statues are naked! We see the meanings and the ideas behind all this, not the pennies! Have your mind open America, and the whole planet will feel much better!
Posted by: alkis | Aug 23, 2004 8:00:29 AM
"ONLY IN THE SOUTH END" --16 August -- might well rush off to the Museum of Fine Arts before all genitalia are covered. I believe that Washington Union Station's grand statues in the main concourse were initially without the shields that hide their anatomically correct beauty. The shields were added many years ago. I had hoped we'd grown beyond that point by now. And as to the AADD-MTV style of editing and commentary we in the US are subjected to -- Arrrrgggh!
Posted by: Keese | Aug 23, 2004 10:46:39 AM
What is interesting is that the person responsible for the opening ceremony Demetris Papaioanou is an openly gay artist - at least to those who had followed his work in the years.
A couple of months after the olympics he gave an interview to the only greek gay mag 10% speaking openly about his homosexuality among other things, and all hell broke loose.
It was as everyone just realised that demetris has been gay all those years. I guess it was a major case of don't ask don't tell hypocricy...
Posted by: Yorgos | Nov 30, 2004 3:22:57 PM
How awful it must be to have to watch this amazing ceremony with idiot American commentators polluting it with their diatribe... Oh my God, the thought of it just makes me cringe.
You guys missed out. I saw the opening ceremony in on TV in Rhodes, Greece. No commentary whatsoever. Just the ceremony in all it's glory, music and visual splendor. I had chills and was awe-struck. Very powerful. Never seen anything like it.
Closing ceremony was the same. Just the music. Insane.
Hopefully they will come out with a DVD of the ceremonies as they were shown in Greece. So, so sad you had to watch it hacked like that in the States with voice overs and commercials...
Posted by: Bill | May 23, 2005 8:16:05 PM
Ironically, if Katie Couric and Bob Costas were sitting behind you in a stadium, and talking non-stop like they do for the Olympics, they'd be thrown out.
Bernie
Posted by: Bernie | Jun 29, 2005 1:46:57 PM
i know im posting rather late compared to when the athens games were actually on.
But can i say when i was in Athens in the middle 5 days of competition...i would have to say with all honesty it was the worst olympics i have been to! i have been to every olympics since seoul in '88 and Sydney made athens olympic park look like a ghost town. No excitment, nothing. I got there to watch the rowing and out of 2000 seats on offer 250 were filled.
Thoroughly disapointed!
Posted by: john done | Jul 7, 2005 1:13:06 AM
What I can say about those sculptures is those one are art because I'm a sculptor and I've never gotten this incredible art I want to apply those techniques.
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