The Olympic flame landed on Canadian soil this week to pomp and ceremony in Victoria. The event was the narrow edge of the wedge; jubilant crowds, protesters, security, advertising, politicians, speeches, and sponsors. In the shadow of that behemoth is the occasional athlete, a human beings that can do amazing things.
Girls dressed in red and white handed out pennant flags to wave. Like most people, upon discovering it was really a Coca-Cola ad, made to look like a Canadian flag, I held it limply at my side.
Activists at the front of the crowd shouted. I have no idea what they said. Those assembled responded in true Canadian fashion, with head wagging and stern looks.
People made speeches. They spoke of athleticism, nationalism, cooperation, inspiration, humanity, peace, children, dreams, and they said, “Welcome.” They took far too long doing it.
Canada welcomes the world. That was the underlying theme, and one I can get behind. Despite my cynicism, it was a cool thing to watch. I hope the Olympics goes smoothly and everyone has fun, with one exception.
They didn’t even use the right red, it was Coke red. It is my hope that any Coke advertisement made to even faintly resemble the Canadian flag is ripped from its moorings, toppled, wrecked, ruined, destroyed. The Coca-Cola Company can fuck right off, eh.
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Gee, I would have been so disallusioned with the whole ‘coke’ flag. Where is the Canadian pride in that? Those companies will do anything for advertising these days.
I would, however, have loved to see the flame carried. I think the Olympics are important and inspiring and exciting and reminds us to dream big.
I love that you have the Olympics and I had so hoped to go and watch because I love Vancouver and visiting Canada. Blah blah blah. I also love Coke. But I hate that nasty little stunt. Shame. Shame on them.
Hearing about the coke stunt makes me soooo angry. Why can’t these companies just buzz off or instead do something that is better (like a standard Canadian flag but a small amount of text about coke on the handle?) Marketing people are so clueless sometimes. I’d boycot their products from now through the end of the olympics as a protest. Gah. I’d love to come up to Vancouver for an event, but I am totally clueless as to what I would want to watch and have no idea how much it would cost. I can dream of watching cool olympic sports and going out the next day for fabulous dim sum. I love Vancouver.
The flags were worse than pointless, they were annoying. It’s like putting time, effort, and resources into growing extra mosquitos. It’s an entirely non-sensical endeavor. The text on the flags referenced the flames arrival in Victoria, so they were designed to be useful for thirty minutes, and “Made in China” was printed at the bottom. Thousands were made on the other side of the world, shipped across the vast ocean, to fulfill their purpose, which was apparently to line garbage cans in British Columbia.