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Photo: Today Is A Good Day
So the world-famous aerobatic team, the Red Arrows, have been banned from appearing at the 2012 London Olympics because they have been deemed “too British”.
Apparently organisers say the military background of the flight team might be offensive to other countries taking part in the Games.
Hahahahaha!
Apart from the fact the display team have performed at about 4000 events worldwide, they are bright fucking red planes – hardly the colour of war vehicles.
Jesus, they’re more likely to be mistaken as Fire Engines than tools of war but the English Department of Culture, Media and Sport have deemed the display team ‘too militaristically British’ and so have banned them.
Whilst sensitivity is a trait I normally applaud … and it is hardly the sort of thing most Governments, especially the English, are known for … this is taking things a little too far.
Hell, if anything, showing how some military planes have been decommissioned from acts of violence to now entertain the masses, might do Britain some good.
Maybe the Government should take a leaf out of Singapore’s book – those buggers don’t need an excuse to get their planes out and perform all sorts of ludicrous moves, even if it’s over highly urbanised areas!
In the brand world, it’s these sorts of decisions that can really turn people off and allow a competitor to exploit the opportunity for their own gain [ala Virgin when BA removed the Union Jack from the tails of their planes] but then it would seem the British Government are in competition with George W Bush to see how quickly they can turn the people against them in as short a time as possible.
Bush and his mob were MILES ahead – but us Brits are pretty good when the glory of embarrassment is there for the taking!
Anyway, if you want to voice your opinion – feel free to call me a War-Mongering Pig – however if you disagree with what has been done, you can sign a petition against it here.
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Excuse me, but didn’t you get your knickers in a twist about planes in Singapore?
Comment by Marcus August 12, 2008 @ 4:36 amyeah campbell whats your excuse? dont tell me, theyll be flying on solar power by 2012? you could be a fucking dice with that many faces.
Comment by andy@cynic August 12, 2008 @ 5:16 amHypocrite? Me? Never …
Ahem ahem …
Anyway, if either of you paid any attention to my Top Gun 2 epic movie, you’d know I wasn’t just talking about the excessive use of highly priced fuel [when the cost of living for the average Singaporean is increasing] but that I found Singapore’s 1980’s Soviet style demonstration of military strength – flying planes over [or should I say through] highly urban areas – rather sad/inappropriate … not just because of the safety issues, but because this is another example of the subliminal ‘fear proporganda’ the Government use to keep their people in control.
Saying that, with the shit going on in the UK at the moment, maybe the Red Arrows should be ordered to fly through the City of London each weekend – or Walthomstow shopping centre – to try and scare the people into decency because they’ve done everything in their power to make sure the Police have about as much bite as a 90 year old granny, ha!
And of course there wouldn’t be solar powered planes Andy – how would we have night flights [boom tish] if you read the newsletters we got, you’d know that planes are being tested on biofuel which will make flying much cheaper by 2012.
See a carefully crafted, very clear explanation to your criticisms, demonstrating I am not being a hypocrite at all.[As learnt from Gordon Brown – though maybe it’s his accent that stops people from understanding rather than his twisting and turning]
Alright, I’m being abit of hypocrite regarding the Red Arrows thing – though my issue is more to do with the British Government being stupidly ‘PC’ rather than me being overly bothered about their appearance at the 2012 Games – but at least the lesson for brands is right. I think 🙂
PS: Following the Beijing games opening and the fact the British Olympic committee have already come out and said people should not expect such a a spectacular [when they host the games] ANNNNNND they are not letting the Red Arrows fly as part of the event, I guess we have the ‘floral dance’ with a few coloured lights to look forward to … tops!!
Comment by Rob August 12, 2008 @ 8:05 amYe Gods. You’re digging a deeper whole for yourself this morning. Now you’ve even conceded that its a hellish wasted of fuel too!
Seriously though, one of the complaints about the Chinese opening ceremony was the Goose Stepping by the People’s liberation army and I can see 2012 trying to stay away from the military overtones. Although given that the whole thing is going to be terrorist bait central number one a bit of a RAF fly by might make sense. Now you’ve got me contradicting myself. Its contagious.
Comment by Charles Frith August 12, 2008 @ 8:11 amIt’s my gift to the blogging World Charles 🙂
I tell you what else is infectious – NP’s and Marcus’ spelling.
WHOLE??? I think you mean hole.
Jesus, and now Dodds pedantic attitude is infiltrating me. This blogging lark is an insestious beast isn’t it.
You good matey?
Comment by Rob August 12, 2008 @ 9:09 amOh and for 2012 given that we haven’t got 20 squillion to spend on the ceremony we should just give a free concert when the teams walk around the stadium. The fireworks might have been impressive but the walk round was the longest bore ever. Put some tunes to it.
Comment by Charles Frith August 12, 2008 @ 9:13 amAnd that was the last anyone ever saw or heard of Charles … he will be missed!
Comment by Rob August 12, 2008 @ 9:26 ampig ham sandwich bacon and cheese
Comment by n to the h August 12, 2008 @ 3:15 pmAnd anyone could see the footsteps were pre-recorded.
Comment by John August 12, 2008 @ 5:43 pmwhile i think that their official rationale might be a bit namby pamby, i actually believe that the red arrows not participating in the opening is quite a good move. if i was an althete from from iraq, israel, georgia, serbia, (the list goes on), i’d probably still shit my pants at the sound of an F-Whatever at full throttle overhead, even if it is pissing out blue smoke. and crap on your uniform is never a nice way to start the games..
Comment by lauren August 12, 2008 @ 8:02 pmThat was a lame attempt to deflect attention away from the massive whole you’re digging and onto my spelling. Nice try.
Comment by northern August 12, 2008 @ 8:05 pmI’m telling the Chinese on you (we’re best mates, they haven’t banned my blog).
Li..Lauren,
Serbia!!! come on,
Serbia lives for this stuff..the only thing we don’t like is the fact that English use planes for fun stuff instead of mayhem 😉
Comment by n to the h August 12, 2008 @ 8:19 pmThat should be Dodds’s pedantic attitude.
Comment by Pedantic Poster. August 12, 2008 @ 8:48 pmniko, actually, you perfectly expanded my point. rob, do you really want to send a bunch of nutty serbians crazy at the opening ceremony?
Comment by lauren August 12, 2008 @ 10:24 pmLauran, thank you for the backhanded compliment
I have no idea whatsoever what u mean by me expanding your point, except that u probably mean something totaly different than what my drunken mind is thinking 😉
And shame on you Rob for hating serbia, even though I am from Montenegro, but then everybody is and that’s no excuse for you to hate
champagne in the morning always seems like a good idea and then turns out to be even better
of to school
Comment by n to the h August 12, 2008 @ 10:47 pmSorry I’m late to all this, but it’s nice to see I have been awarded an ‘axis of evil’ all to myself.
When did I say I hate the Serbs? When did I say I hated the Iraqis? When did I say I hated the Aussies? OK, scrap the point about the Aussies.
And by your reckoning then Lauren, the opening ceremony of the Sydney games shouldn’t of featured any white guys because that immediately alienates any person who has seen their home country overthrown and overrun by Western pigs.
OK so it’s not quite the same, but we’re all being too fucking PC by far … what next, giving women the vote? Maternity leave? It’s all going mad …. mad I tell you!
PS: NP [I refuse to call you Northern] your comment is a wonderful example of your planning genius … from a situation where your blog is too nice for even the Chinese Government to bother banning, you have repositioned it to be The Western Ally Of China. And you’re right, I am scared, I’m very scared indeed 🙂
Comment by Rob August 12, 2008 @ 11:38 pmIf you don’t call me Northen the full might of the Chinese Replublic will be brought to bear.
Comment by northern August 13, 2008 @ 3:04 amThink on.
On the other hand, sort out these bastards having a go at me on my blog, and we’ll cal it quits.
people picking on you northern? how fucking delightful. nothing personal i just like it when you planners have to think how to respond to some fucker taking you on, but youre not being taken on youre just being shouted at by some cheeky little spotlighters. you should be happy, it is brain exercise and good publicity unless you fucking collapse like the italian army at the first insult which youre not but it was touch and go for a while. 🙂
you need more practice which ill happily help you with. look at campbell, insulted by us clever fuckers every fucking day and the bastard writes a thousand posts like nothing has happened. thats his ultimate revenge, sticks and stones may break your bones but campbells blog can kill you
by the way if youre going to make good on your threat to campbell (he is italian so hes not going to be sorting anyone out is he) now is the time to do it because in about 7 hours from now the fucker will be flying over your communist chums so a little missile being accidently let off could put us all out of this blog misery for ever.
you wont do it will you? you talk the big northerner game but youre really one of these fucking nice decent blokes. northerner, youre from fucking milton keynes
Comment by andy@cynic August 13, 2008 @ 6:38 amYou’re not fooling any of us Andy, you have a special relationship with Northern don’t you 🙂
Comment by Pete August 13, 2008 @ 7:36 amthats fucking fighting talk where i come from pete and im not even from the hard bastard flat cap region of blighty. thank fuck 🙂
Comment by andy@cynic August 13, 2008 @ 8:23 amAndy loves NP … Andy loves NP … Andy loves NP …
Comment by Rob August 13, 2008 @ 3:03 pmDammit Andy, you’ve found me out. Rob lives to fight another day.
Comment by northern August 13, 2008 @ 3:55 pmBut have you seen a nice(ish) fellow actually snap?
I would like to categorically state the guys being little pricks over on your blog do not work for cynic – though maybe they should, they have the right attitude 🙂
Comment by Rob August 13, 2008 @ 4:14 pm