Whole lotta travesty

[Originally posted August 26, 2008]

Did anyone catch the Olympics Closing Ceremonies? I only came in towards the end, but, man, what a frightening sight. Specifically the performance of Leona Lewis with Jimmy Page. Seriously, what?

Now, I get that London would want to be represented by some of their most iconic faces and sounds. According to the broadcast, Leona Lewis has topped the charts in some 25 countires, so it is logical for her to be hidden within that mock double-decker bus. And Jimmy Page is a rock hero, so no explanation is even needed.

The execution, however, was awful. Leona Lewis sounded terrible and, although he can still play like nobody's business, Page looked like an old guy trying to rock out too hard. They both appeared and sounded incredibly uncomfortable there upon the world's stage.

But, really, the biggest blight on the entire performance was the song. What the hell does "Whole Lotta Love" have to do with the Olympic games? The song is easly a glorified ode to Robert Plant's manly parts--my mind does not exactly reside in the gutter, here. "I'm gonna give you every inch of my love." Really, what do you think that's about? Trading a baton in a relay race? I think not.

The inclusion of David Beckham kicking the soccer ball was the only thing that seemed to make sense (y'know, the Olympics are about sports). Otherwise the entire number felt like something on par with the Grammys. There was lots of flash, an odd team-up and it felt like little more than a ratings grab. Hopefully the 2012 Opening Ceremonies will get their inspiration elsewhere.