The 2018 Winter Para-Olympics: Opening Ceremony Pt 6.

A continuation of Part 5; https://watchitdie.blogspot.co.uk/2018/03/the-2018-winter-para-olympics-opening_9.html

Cauldron Lighting:

It is protocol that each Opening Ceremony features a sequence where the Para-Olympic Cauldron is lit.

In a tradition dating all the way back to 2014 the Cauldron is lit with the so-called; "Heritage Flame." This is carried from the birthplace of the Para-Olympics at Stoke-Manderville Hospital in the UK in a torch relay which continues into the arena.

The section of the torch relay which occurred within the arena was built around the theme of transformation and equality. 

Frustratingly I did not catch the names of any of the torch bearers.

The first two torch bearers were a North Korean athlete and a South Korean athlete. They carried the torch together as equal partners.

The second set of torch bearers highlighted equality between races. 

They were South Korea's first Para-Olympic Nordic Skier and her coach. A European man who I assume is from one of the Nordic countries.

The third set of torch bearers highlighted equality between generations. 

They were a South Korean father and his disabled son. The nature of the son's impairment was not stated. However it appeared to be some form of very severe congenital, developmental disability. 

That touched on the issue of the RoK's so-called; "Birth Strike." In discussing this across all ceremonies the South Korean hosts have been influenced by the US TV Show; "A Handmaid's Tale." 

The RoK's big movie of 2016 was actually a drama called; "The Handmaiden." This was based on the novel by British author Sarah Waters called; "The Fingersmith." Lesbianism is a major theme.

In The Handmaid's Tale it is never really explained why the global birthrate has collapsed. However it is strongly suggested that it is linked to environmental pollution so children are being born. They're just either being stillborn or born with severe, life limiting developmental impairments. 

Although it's unlikely to be a popular topic to bring up at a Para-Olympics given the RoK's low birthrate severely disabled children like the one featured are a cause for concern. 

Rather than being able to fully contribute to society they are going to require extra care. Placing an extra burden on a care system already creaking under the weight of an ageing population.

The fourth set of torchbearers highlighted equality between the disabled and able bodied. 

They were a Visually Impaired Skier and her guide. For the first time at the 2018 games guides will be awarded medals alongside their Visually Impaired Skier.

The skiing pair took us to the huge problem of the torch relay. The giant, steep ramp between the arena floor and the Cauldron.

In the Olympic Opening Ceremony this was solved by steps suddenly appearing in the ramp. 

This was a reference to the 2016 Summer Para-Olympic Opening Ceremony. Their Cauldron stood atop a stage resembling a Mayan Temple with steps leading up the sides. 

Confronted with these steps the wheelchair using torch bearer was forced to stop. Then a ramp suddenly appeared in the steps making it wheelchair accessible.

Referencing a Para-Olympic Opening Ceremony during an Olympic Ceremony was an early South Korean gesture of equality between the two strands of the games.

Again the steps appeared in the ramp and the skiers climbed about halfway up. They then handed the torch to a South Korean amputee Ice Hockey Player. He climbed the rest of the ramp without steps, using only a rope to steady himself.

That was an example of a Para-Olympic athlete going above and beyond what could be achieved by mere Olympic athletes.

The act of actually lighting the cauldron was given to a South Korean Curler who won a Silver medal at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Alongside the captain of the South Korean women's Curling team which won a Silver medal at the 2018 Olympic games. She is now very famous within the RoK.

The Cauldron used was the same Cauldron used for the Olympics. That giant monument to US Fake News Hoaxes about Foreign Interference.

Obviously the pair could not light that giant Cauldron itself. So instead they light a small round object - resembling an Atom - which in turn caused the Cauldron to spring into life.

This possibly served as a talking point about nuclear energy. However it primarily symbolised they needed a device with which to light the main Cauldron.

The sexual innuendo of beautiful female Figure Skater Kim Yeon-ah stroking a giant phallic column into life wasn't really appropriate for the theme of this lighting ceremony.

In covering the Olympic Opening Ceremony I produced something in the region of 40,000 words across 8 posts. This led to some people suggesting I might want to edit it down a bit.

The sad fact is that was the edited version. I removed some quite large tangents that I didn't think were of primary importance. 

For example the ceremony referenced Jennifer Lawrences' "Hunger Games" movies. You could quite easily spin off from that into a discussion about nude photos of Jennifer Lawrence being leaked online. Include Apple's weak security measures which allowed the hack to take place.

One of the things I edited out but now think is important was the corkscrew motion of the column which lit the Cauldron.

This was a reference to what famous British Prime Minister Winston Churchill described as; "Corkscrew Minds." The type of no-linear thinking required in spying and espionage work.

I think Churchill was referring specifically to; "Operation Mincemeat."

During the Second World War the allies wanted to invade the Italian island of Sicily. So they drew up detailed plans of how they were going to invade Greece.

They then waited from the right sort of vagrant to die of natural causes. They dressed the corpse up as a British military officer and dumped it along with the invasion plans for Greece into the sea. As if a British officer had been killed in a plane crash.

They then waited until the Nazi forces had been moved to Greece to resist the impending invasion before invading Sicily as planned.

That type of operation requires a certain degree of non-linear thinking. Rather similar to a corkscrew.

These Corkscrew minds are really essential during the games period.

For example this Opening Ceremony has talked extensively about transformation of attitudes and equality between the able bodied and those with impairments.

But that's not really what we're talking about.

Likewise in the week leading up to the Para-Olympics the UK has been talking about a Russian MI6 agent being poisoned in the UK city of Salisbury.

But that's not really what we're talking about.

If nothing else the current UK Prime Minister Theresa May has shown us the problems that arise when Churchill's Corkscrew Minds are absent.

The sequence ended with the traditional, carefully controlled fireworks display.

No fires were allowed to rage out of control there.

The Ying Yang Song: 

All of the ceremonies so far have referenced traditional Korean Animist religions. Particularly Taoism.

Probably the most famous Taoist symbol is the Ying Yang. I guess it must be an important one. It is after all at the centre of the South Korean national flag.

The Ying Yang depicts two competing forces in balance with each other within a single whole. Those forces can be anything that competes such as Light & Dark, Good & Evil etc. The Ying Yang symbolises the need for equality and balance within life.

This closing sequence featured two female singers performing the specially composed and not at all subtle song; "Standing Here As One."

One of the singers was Hwang Su-mi. The South Korean Opera star who featured in the Olympic Opening Ceremony.

The singer was Yang So-hee. An up-and-coming K-Pop star with the band Elris.

Hwang wore a white dress while Yang wore a black dress. Symbolising the contrasting forces of Light & Dark.

Their respective styles of music also represented a contrast. Between the classical opera style and the modern pop style.

This is a type of contrast which is very familiar within the Eurovision Song Contest. Classical music is used to represent Russian high culture while pop music is used to represent American low culture.

So if you wish to indicate support for Russia your song would be in the classical style. 

If you wish to indicate support for America your song would be in the pop style. And thanks to former US President Obama ideally in the style of what has become known as; "The Black Music."

In short the RoK really, really wants to be part of the Eurovision Song Contest. And it looks like they'll fit right in.

Due to extensive lobbying by 2016 Para-Olympic host Brazil the RoK can now compete in the Eurovision Song Contest. It now allows entries from European Broadcasting Union (EBU) associate members alongside full members.

However I should warn the South Koreans that the Australians already seem to be protesting this new type of fast tracking into the academy.

That though is something the bird of the week will have to read up on as she prepares for her own personal Suneung.

Rather than having a big finish the ceremony sort of faded out. As I now must. 

17:20 on 15/3/18 (UK date).