The 2018 Winter Para-Olympics: Closing Ceremony Pt. 8

A continuation of Part 7; https://watchitdie.blogspot.co.uk/2018/03/the-2018-winter-para-olympics-closing_26.html

1 Minute 45 Seconds:

This next sequence was a performance by the Bae Hui Gwan Band. Some of their members, including the lead singer, suffer from some level of visual impairment.

As I've said despite claiming to be a big supporter of those with disabilities in the UK Channel 4 only broadcast a heavily edited, recorded version of the Closing Ceremony.

This sequence was extremely heavily edited. Channel 4 broadcast just 105 seconds of it. Not only that their commentators talked over all of those 105 seconds.

Channel 4 didn't even name check Bae Hui Gwan Band. I had to find that out from elsewhere.

When Someone Shows You Their True Face...

This closing sequence began with Korean Pop (K-Pop) star Ailee performing a special, extended version of her 2012 hit; "I Will Show You." Turning proceedings into one big party for the games' participants.

To use her full name Amy Lee is actually American. She was born in Colorado and raised in New Jersey. In 2010 she moved to the RoK - the country of her parents birth.

Using a family connection Amy Lee signed to the YMC Entertainment management company. In 2011 she appeared on the TV talent show; "Singer & Trainee." This led to her being officially classed as a; "Rookie." 

As an official Rookie Ailee worked to support more experienced artists such as Wheesung, Decipher and Clara C. In March 2012 she won the; "Rookie of the Month" title at the Cyworld Music Awards.

In October 2012 Ailee released her debut EP; "Invitation." I Will Show You was the most popular song from that EP.

Ailee's career path really shows how far the RoK has gone in treating pop music like an industry.

It is expected that you will have management before you go on a TV talent show. If you succeed on a TV talent show you will be accepted into a record label's Rookie program. Only after serving an apprenticeship will you be allowed to release music of your own.

Show titles like; "Singer & Trainee" alongside trying to find the English lyrics for Korean pop songs also raises the issue of translation.

This has a particular relevance to this; "Novichok" everyone has been talking about in relation to the Skripal case in Salisbury.

Novichok is part of the V-Series of organophosphate nerve agents which were invented by the UK just outside Salisbury. What makes Novichok stand out from other members of the V-Series such as VX is that it is much simpler to manufacture from widely available agricultural chemicals.

Literally translated from Russian "Novichok" means; "Newcomer."

However the only real context in which a Russian would use the term is in relation to a newcomer in the workplace. So the more accurate translation for Novichok is; "Novice" or "Rookie."

So while UK Prime Minister May has been shouting her head off everyone has been expressing huge concern about the Novice.

Notably Israel has not joined the UK in blaming Russia. But then Israel did use Novichok to kill the inventor of Novichok.

Speaking of translation I have managed to dig out an English lyric video for I Will Show You;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEvkiGmJs3Y

It certainly shows that the RoK would be extremely well suited to the Eurovision Song Contest.

However compared to the earlier high culture sequences this pop song doesn't stand up to much analysis.

Broadly through it can be described as a Female Empowerment Anthem. Much like CL's songs; "Baddest Female" and "I Am the Best" were used to discuss the Female Empowerment element of the RoK's "Birth Strike" during the Olympic Closing Ceremony.

More specifically though it's about a girl who's been dumped by her boyfriend. However rather than crying about it she's going to change her appearance and get herself a whole new man.

On Singer & Trainee Ailee performed the Beyonce song; "Halo." Wearing black hotpants and knee high boots her performance during this ceremony very much resembled Beyonce's performance of; "Formation" at the 2016 Super Bowl.

During that performance Beyonce paid tribute to the Black Panther Party (BPP). Through her use of the trademark black beret, leather jacket and two bandoleers in the rough shape of a Sam Brown belt.

Although they were always the under achievers of the group the BPP were part of the Cold War Arc of Resistance. Involving groups such as the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA).

Through the use of an X formation Beyonce also paid tribute to Malcolm X. Although his often mistaken for the BPP Malcolm X was a follower of the hateful ideology of the Nation of Islam (NoI).

To give you an idea of how hateful the NoI are towards the end of his life Malcolm X did convert to actual Sunni Islam. So the NoI killed him.

Although Channel 4 still didn't think they were important the Bae Hui Gwan Band then returned to duet with Ailee.

The song they performed was "To You" by Shin Hae-chul.

Although he died in 2014 at the age of just 46 Shin Hae-chul is still considered one of the giants of innovation within South Korean music.

Shin Hae-chul made his debut with his college rock band Muhangwedo in 1988. To You is actually their song.

Shin Hae-chul then went solo for a few years being the first South Korean artist to include English rap lyrics in his songs. In 1992 he formed the experimental Prog-Rock band N.E.X.T.

In 1998 Shin Hae-chul moved to the UK and reinvented himself as the Techno dance music act; "Crom." In 2002 he returned to the RoK and restarted N.E.X.T.

In 2003 Shin Hae-chul began hosting the popular radio music show "Ghost Nation." In 2007 he released his first Jazz album.

These games have been dominated by the Skripal case. That has been used to discuss the person the UK poisoned during the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) leading up to 2015. It's included an offer by the UK to perform a long overdue autopsy on that person.

In October 2014 Shin Hae-chul suffered a heart attack and fell into a coma in hospital. On October 22nd he died with the hospital blaming complications from Peritonitis.

Literally hours before his funeral Shin Hae-chul's family changed their minds and decided to perform an autopsy. This revealed that the hospital had lied about the cause of death to cover up their own malpractice.

The singer in fact died because the director of the Sky medical clinic Dr Kang had improperly used surgical staples which had cut Shin Hae-chul's intestines. In January 2017 Dr Kang was sentenced to 10 months in prison.

Again I have managed to dig out an English lyric video for To You; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3YzOdBiDkg

This is a love song. However with lyrics like;

"We Are So Disappointed With Each Other"

and;

"Even If I Lose Everything I Love//I Can't Give Up On You" 

It seems to be a very destructive form of love.

Although as the English language reporting of Novichok has shown meanings are often lost in literal translations. 

In her solo performance Ailee was showing a lot of skin in her hotpants. For her duet with the Bae Hui Gwan Band she'd covered up.

Ailee had wrapped a long black skirt around her waist. Along with the embroidery on her black top this gave her appearance of her wearing an Abaya. The cloak that extreme Muslims require women to wear.

As such this sequence seemed to be a commentary on all the ways US Democrats try to change their appearance;

"Black Lives Matter" one week, "Women's March" another and most recently; "March For Our Lives."

This though hasn't stopped people from seeing their true face. And start thinking it's time to break up with them.

The irony is that Shin Hae-chul who will love until his life ends suffered from the impairment; "Prosopagnisa."

Which prevents you from recognising people's faces.


The sequence and the ceremony ended with a large explosion of fireworks which resembled a nuclear mushroom cloud.

I think we should congratulate the South Koreans for waiting this long to do that very obvious joke.

17:00 on 27/3/18 (UK date).