Would The £20M Spent On This Over The Top Opening Ceremony Been Better Donated To The Charity It Supports, That Being Unicef?

[anotheoldgit]

And was all this at all necessary?

/// BARROWMAN'S GAY KISS ///

/// John Barrowman, the Scottish-American actor, singer, dancer and presenter, kissed one of the performers during the ceremony. ///

/// In what was seen as a clear message to the 42 countries of the Commonwealth where it is still a crime to be gay, Glasgow-born Barrowman reached out to kiss the man before holding his hand during a sequence to celebrate Gretna Green. ///

/// Craig Drummond tweeted: ‘It makes me strangely proud to be Scottish that John Barrowman can kiss a man on live tv.’ ///

/// Barrowman is openly gay and married. ///

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2703216/Tunnocks-Tea-Cakes-Irn-Bru-Forth-Bridge-Gretna-Green-Glasgow-opens-Commonwealth-Games-world-Scottish-flavour.html

[anotheoldgit]

sp1814

/// Very few sporting events are just about sport. ///

/// They are also about national pride, culture, score-settling etc. ///

And money, don't forget that.

But regarding the gay kiss, sporting events are not generally about making Political Correctness points, or even about making Political points in general.

[Zeuhl]

I think it is deeply offensive and muddle headed to confuse proud demonstrations of equality and human rights with 'political correctness'

[hc4361]

I didn't see the OC but I believe this kiss happened at Gretna Green, the traditional place for lovers to elope to. I'm told that heterosexual couples were also kissing in celebration of the place. In that context there is nothing political or pc about the JB kiss.

[boxtops]

Unless I misheard, the next line of the ceremony was something like "to demonstrate equality" - so presumably the kiss was to show Scotland's not discriminatory. I thought it was unnecessary, but there was a heterosexual kiss in the 500 Miles ballet scene, so that evens it up.

[boxtops]

Yes, hc, you are correct, it was that scene - not a random kiss. The bloke he kissed was casting around for a partner, he found JB.

[anotheoldgit]

ummmm

/// It was a snog....it was a peck! ///

Snog or Peck?

Which one do you grab a person around the head for?

It was a definite statement no other couples are kissing and notice the camera crew in front of them

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/07/24/article-2703216-1FEB0AEF00000578-267_964x590.jpg

Although having said that, her Maj found the need to freshen up her lippy.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/07/24/article-2703216-1FEA821B00000578-463_964x630.jpg

[hc4361]

I'm sure some people actively seek out things to be offended at. *Disgusted, Derby*

[Zeuhl]

^
aog is a little bit too interested in men kissing for my liking

:-)

[DTCwordfan]

maybe we should get the Ed to change his avatar name to 'snog'?

[Zacs-Master]

//sporting events are not generally about making Political Correctness points//

Unbelievably naive statement there AOG.

[RandyMarsh]

older generation, obsessed with cost.

[anotheoldgit]

RandyMarsh

/// older generation, obsessed with cost. ///

It's a habit we needed to be in our time, there were no free rides then and we did not get our money as easy as it seems some of you youngsters do nowadays.

[youngmafbog]

It is not that much money, as Gromit says it will be recouped.

And it is money well spent if only for the poke in the eye to thEU paymasters who hate the commonwealth.

[Zeuhl]

Quite right ymb

It's foolish to be obsessed with cost and not understand Value or Return on Investment

[sp1814]

AOG

There were straigth couples who kissed during the Gretna Green section. The picture you've posted is a feed from one camera taken at one split second.

Also a male/female ballet act kissed.

Therefore, please explain why gay people should not be allowed to kiss on television.

Is it not hypocritical to suggest that Barrowman kiss should not be seen? If so, why is his kiss different from the thousands of kisses we see on the street and on television every year?

[craft1948]

Do you not think that the 'kiss' may have offended some of the athletes from the 42 countries?
I thought the spirit of the games was to bring people together, not score PC points.............

[Zeuhl]

/I thought the spirit of the games was to bring people together, not score PC points............. /

craft

can you please explain how displaying your own equality and freedom in your own country is 'scoring pc points'

also, some of the athletes there may disagree with women dressing 'immodestly'

should the female dancers' outfits have been floor length to ensure we 'brought those people together as well'?

[anotheoldgit]

craft1948

/// I thought the spirit of the games was to bring people together, not score PC points............. ///

Ah but the whole of the speeches were hypocritical, they were spouting on about togetherness etc etc, but we all know that the Scots hate the English, see how much support that the England football team get from the Scots?

[anotheoldgit]

sp1814

/// why is his kiss different from the thousands of kisses we see on the street and on television every year? ///

To some it is not a pleasing sight, just as seeing a 20 year old man kissing a 80 year old woman or vis versa.

[Zeuhl]

/Ah but the whole of the speeches were hypocritical/

Nonsense.

I didn't watch it but I understand the crowd gave Team England a very warm welcome.

I did see the end speeches and the Mayor and Alex Salmond were justifiably exuberant about the achievement of Scotland in mounting the games and negotiated the independence issue very well without any pro-UK 'hypocrisy'