Closing Ceremony of the 29th Olympic Games on NBC

By Ally Matteodo

The Olympics came to an end on August 24^th, culminating with a climatic closing ceremony from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. ET on NBC. This spectacular finale fully deserves the title of Best TV Show of the Week.  The ceremony began just as the opening one did, with a drum beat.  The tradition of calling people together through the resonation of the drums is characteristic of China.  Yet while the opening ceremony consisted involved imagery of the square, the closing one began with a circle.  In Chinese culture the square in part represents efficiency, while the circle represents continuity.  As the drums beat faster and faster, multitudes of girls in yellow dresses poured into the stadium, forming a circle around the smaller inner circle.  As the waves of people converged and expanded in unison the theme of harmony was well conveyed.  Other highlights included the athletes from 204 nations entering the stadium and a tribute to the volunteers, whose numbers were estimated to have reached one million.  Famous soccer player David Beckham made an appearance as a soccer ball was transferred from the Chinese to the English, who will host the next summer Olympics four years from now in London.  An iconic red double-decker English bus opened up like a lotus flower to reveal the London skyline.  Leona Lewis and Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin then performed together, after which the Olympic flame was extinguished.  The mood grew more solemn during this moment.  Chinese athletes then recreated the flame by creating a memory tower and mirroring the undulation of the flame.  One of the announcers made an observant remark when he said “The Olympic flame burns inside everyone.”  In the end the entire stadium was alive with the sounds and sights of celebration for a job well done.

The amount of artistry and poise involved in a display of this kind is truly astounding and deserves admiration.  The closing ceremony was a creative expression of the spirit of the Olympics and China as a whole.  China spent close to 40 billion dollars to host these games, and such a feat is unlikely to be repeated anytime soon.  Countries in the past have been hesitant to host the Olympics for just this reason:  the expense.  However, China took this opportunity to build innovative and impressive new architecture, the most significant of these being the Bird Nest stadium which was the site of the opening and closing ceremonies.  It also never shirked its duties, providing one of the most incredible closing ceremonies the world has ever seen.  The Chinese invented fireworks, and their skill at these displays is unsurpassed.  As the sky filled with light and the entire stadium was rocked with jubilance an overwhelming sense of accomplishment and elation filled the air.  Outside of the entertainment value, which in itself is impressive, the closing ceremonies take the viewer to a world too beautiful to be described in words.  As the strains of music intermingle with the colors and textures of the performers we finally begin to understand the uniqueness and complexity of the human spirit.

Best TV Show of the Week

The Parents Television Council - www.parentstv.org