Olympics are over, guys. Now that everyone stopped running and swimming so fast we’ll probably all go back to remembering how China can be sort of human abuse-y sometimes. But also we will never forget the great stories that came out of Beijing 2008, like how Michael Phelps is possibly a huge douche, and how the entire world got put on notice by the totalitarian delight of those opening ceremonies. I meant to DVR last night’s closing ceremonies just in case it was as great an achievement oh-my-god-they’re-going-to-take-over-the-world-aren’t-they, but I was at McCarren Pool’s last stand with Yo La instead and the timer thing didn’t set properly. Also, Mad Men.
But yay for embeddable video. During Beijing’s blowout there was an eight-minute segment representing the Olympic baton passing on from China to the U.K., where the 2012 Summer Games will take place (in London town). In order to represent their culture to the global community, Great Britain enlisted Leona Lewis to sing on stilts, Jimmy Page to play his Les Paul on a red bus, and David Beckham to kick a ball and look pretty, all while Jimmy and Lewis performed “Whole Lotta Love” (minus the “I wanna be your backdoor man” stuff I wonder why).
This first video just isolates the performance and ball kick:
But if you want the whole Beijing-to-London ceremony, this is the one to watch (complete with British TV commentary).
That guy who caught the ball’s gonna have a pretty great day on eBay today.
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is it just me or Jimmy Page looks Asian
i hear that his mom was Chinese
dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-DUH-DUH-DUH-DUH-DUH!
So apparently Leona Lewis has a wang.
That guy was playing the guitar as much as Beckham’s work-out buddies were actually playing the violin+cello. Also, I heard they replaced the original Jimmy Page with the cuter one shown here.
Hmm… Celebrate the transition from Beijing to London by performing a song ripped off from an American blues artist. I guess that works.
Jimmy Page is British… Like Led Zeppelin.. asshole
i don’t bash much, but that was terrible… leona lewis is totally boring to watch… the violin player was hot though… the whole london performance was pretty embarrasing compared to what the chinese pulled off, spectacular to say the least
Thank you to Stereogum for directing my attention to the douchey-ness of Mr. Phelps.
Not only is he the “greatest olympian ever” he also holds the title as the “BIGGEST DOUCHEBAG EVER”
If you combine their names, it would be approximately Jenny Lewis.
agreed Leona Lewis could have looked… more alive, less robotic. But you can’t compare the amazing chinese performances with a simple, low budget handout ceremony. Save that criticism for 4 years…
Judging from that performance, I guess athletes can rest assure that a “whole lotta rain” will await them in London!
And, I’m heading off to read that Michael Phelps article, but I’ll tell you who is a total prima donna/attention seeker = Mike Spitz. Ha!
I take it you didnt watch Chinas Olympics then?
There was a “whole lotta rain” there you doucebag alot more than London will have.
mmmmm elspeth hanson she’s one hott piece of ass!! i saw her at dubai airport last week. absolutely amazing looking but she’s so so nice too i couldn’t believe it!
jimmy page is legend
mmmmm elspeth hanson she’s one hott piece of ass!! i saw her at dubai airport last week. absolutely amazing looking but she’s so so nice too i couldn’t believe it!
jimmy page is legend
Gosh It was all so boring to watch.
At least Becks was fit though. Shame it was so embarrassing!