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Manchu wrote:While I don't think there has been much "fuss" about this on Dakka (less than two pages), I do think it's kind of a big deal. Hosting the Olympics is something to be very proud of. Being British is something to be very proud of. On such an occasion, it seems fething stupid to be wearing a bad xerox copy of the flag.

Exactly! Plus, there is a Scientific reason as well..

Reuters) - The lack of red in Britain's Stella McCartney-designed official team kit for the London Olympics could leave some athletes feeling blue, as well as irritating the Welsh.

University professor and sports psychologist Robert Barton, co-author of a 2005 report that demonstrated how athletes performed better in red colours, feared the predominance of blue could backfire.

"Given the effects that we and other scientists have found, it does seem like a mistake," the Durham University academic told the Guardian newspaper on Friday.

England won the 1966 World Cup in red shirts and socks, their sole success in the tournament, while 'Red Devils' Manchester United and 'Mighty Reds' Liverpool have also been hugely successful in that colour.Previous British Olympic kits have seen more red featured along with the other colours of the Union flag, white and blue.

The newspaper also quoted clinical sports psychologist Victor Thompson as saying the designer "may have missed an opportunity" to include more red in the design.

"For instance if the red increased confidence, aggression and sense that they (the athletes) are dominant, then they are likely to perform closer to their peak performance potential."

Matty likes Science, if they say wear red, then put some red on damn it! If Britain get less medals than Somalia, its down to the lack of red!

And finally.. here is our new shirt..



This similar one?



Argies!

I don't know if any British athletes actually feel this way but I see the uniform as being somewhat apologetic. "Oh, sorry for being British, you guys, sorry for that whole empire thing, no we're definitely not proud of it." That mentality doesn't win gold medals. You don't have to murder Irish people to sing God Save The Queen. Again, this is kind of the point of the Olympics. Incorporating the actual colors of the flag doesn't mean you're setting the world up for Triumph of the Will. The only people who might remotely expect that from the British (well, Irish aside) are the British. That's a sorry lack of confidence.

True enough old chap.. This country is full of whinging, cringing, constantly feeling guilty about everything.. middle class white people. There was a furore about it a few years ago because they banned flying the England flag! In case it upset foreign people or something... What the hell do they have to feel guilty about?! This country hasnt had an empire for hundreds of years...

And then there are a minority like me and Albatross who are staunch Imperials that are entirely proud of our war-like Ancestors...

"Look out! He's got a Guava halve!"

Manchu wrote:I don't know if any British athletes actually feel this way but I see the uniform as being somewhat apologetic. "Oh, sorry for being British, you guys, sorry for that whole empire thing, no we're definitely not proud of it." That mentality doesn't win gold medals. You don't have to murder Irish people to sing God Save The Queen. Again, this is kind of the point of the Olympics. Incorporating the actual colors of the flag doesn't mean you're setting the world up for Triumph of the Will. The only people who might remotely expect that from the British (well, Irish aside) are the British. That's a sorry lack of confidence.

It's not apologetic it's post-modern.
There's nothing "wrong" with British, but the notion sells right-wing newspapers. I was in a pub during the England vs Germany match and everyone was singing God Save The Queen.

Postmodernism is a deconstructive analysis of meaning so saying "it's postmodern" is an incomplete statement without going on to examine the fruit of that analysis. I agree that it's post-modern and I believe the point is a kind of inverse-nationalism of proud shame. "Nobody's as good at being sorry as us. We'll have the golds in humility and regret, and you can bet on that you bastards."

Manchu wrote:Postmodernism is a deconstructive analysis of meaning so saying "it's postmodern" is an incomplete statement without going on to examine the fruit of that analysis. I agree that it's post-modern and I believe the point is a kind of inverse-nationalism of proud shame. "Nobody's as good at being sorry as us. We'll have the golds in humility and regret, and you can bet on that you bastards."

Where is your evidence for this? Britain is a pretty nationalist place. Protip - go into a pub and ask people what they think about the Falklands. See what happens.

Joey wrote:
There's nothing "wrong" with British, but the notion sells right-wing newspapers. I was in a pub during the England vs Germany match and everyone was singing God Save The Queen.

That sounds like a fething great pub.

I watched it at one in Bradford, people were singing Cat Stevens records and limbo dancing and the woman sat next to me had twelve copper rings around her neck.

Well.. Not really ...

But the Daily Mail swears that's what happens in pubs nowadays and I have no reason to disbelieve them!

It looks like someone looked at a picture of a space Wolf logo in the snow, ate it and vomited it out again.

Joey wrote:Where is your evidence for this?

Manchu wrote:

Joey wrote:Where is your evidence for this?

Lol.

Thats the first thing my missus said..

"Why is there a person of every single ethnicity, a midget, a paraplegic and a bloke with loads of piercings?"

Manchu is correct. The UK is the most PC country ever, and our lass comments on it regularly. She has lived here for nearly three years, and she correctly has deduced that it is ridiculous.

If Brits had the same get up and go as our American cousins, we wouldnt suck at everything.

Joey wrote:I care more about the inflamed hemmeroids of Martin Clunes than I do anything to do with the Olympics.
Huge fething waste of money.

Indeed
Time to fuel up the van and go to no TV land.
A few weeks by the sea for me.
And the new strip is rubbish.
PC at its worst.

Looks like a United Colors of Benetton ad.

I certainly don't mean that brown people, dwarfs (dwarves?), and the handicapped can't be patriotically British or that lining them all up this way is unpatriotic or that a patriotic shot would consist only of pale, auburn-haired folks. I was more pointing out that the uniforms speak for themselves. This diverse crowd would be much more inspiring as an icon of healthy patriotism in a better uniform. As it is, I'm seeing a lot of very different people who are tied together by a distinctively lukewarm, halfhearted sort of "go Great Britain, I guess" uniform. I think a better uniform would say "black, white, tall, short, handicapped or not -- watch out suckers, the British are coming! FOR YOU!"

Manchu wrote:I certainly don't mean that brown people, dwarfs (dwarves?), and the handicapped can't be patriotically British or that lining them all up this way is unpatriotic or that a patriotic shot would consist only of pale, auburn-haired folks. I was more pointing out that the uniforms speak for themselves. This diverse crowd would be much more inspiring as an icon of healthy patriotism in a better uniform. As it is, I'm seeing a lot of very different people who are tied together by a distinctively lukewarm, halfhearted sort of "go Great Britain, I guess" uniform.

Of course, thats the whole point.

Have you seen the story about the BBC presenter with one arm? Loads of people complained that it "scared" their children, literally thousands.. and the reply was "you should all be ashamed of yourselves" But if Paddy Power get 200 complaints about a commercial it gets pulled. I dont want to have to explain to a 4 year old why a woman doesnt have a hand! Let the little mite enjoy some innocence and worry about cancer, deformaties, disabilites et all when they get to the gak part of life! (Adulthood) Does feeling that way make me a bigot?

My point is that most people dont REALLY care if your black, yellow, fat, thin, dwarven, handicapped or anything else. But the powers that be have gone so OTT that (in my opinion) its almost racist in of itself!

Think about it. I was watching BBC kids TV with my nephew, and there was four presenters, there was a black bloke, an asian woman, a white girl and a woman with only one hand.

It's almost like the producer had 4 people in front of him at one point and then went "GET ME A BLACK IN HERE PRONTO!"

Isn't the ridiculous insistence to be PC more racist than just.. you know.. just getting on with your life?

I take everyone on a case by case basis. I will happily sit and chat with absolutely anyone. But if the BBC are purposely trying to fit every single stereotype they possibly can into their shows I find it almost as offensive as actual racism!

Manchu wrote:

Joey wrote:Where is your evidence for this?

Just because we have rubbish graphic designers doesn't mean the country's gone to pot.
It's just certain people in the South-East don't really "get out" much so they genuinely think the entire country is one big ethnic melting pot.

Living in the American South (or North for that matter, when I lived around Detroit), I can see a definite need for affirmative action even if it is inherently racist. I don't have a master plan about how everything can be perfectly fair but I do think having positive black or hispanic or gay or handicapped figures in the media is a very good idea. When the U.S. trots out our Olympic athletes, you can bet we will have one of every flavor, too. That's great. But I hope that they're wearing a uniform that shows how patriotism can trump bigotry -- that makes us proud that diversity is a defining characteristic of our national culture, or that our embrace of diversity is something to be proud of, however you want to phrase it -- that it's being American that's what counts. If an American dwarf can beat every other athlete in the world at her or his sport, I'm proud of America not of dwarfs. That's the spirit I find lacking in Stella's design.


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Joey wrote:Just because we have rubbish graphic designers doesn't mean the country's gone to pot.

Oh, I don't think the UK's gone to pot at all or that most Brits are mopey twits practicing their onesupmanship by being the sorriest of all. What I am saying and have been saying is that this uniform makes that argument to the world and to the proud British people. If a Brit wants to be inspired and feel the love of country that come along with the Olympics, they're going to have to overlook the clothing this time.

I with Manchu on this.

What's wrong with some red flames on the uniforms to remind all of the conquered people of the world where they came from and the state we left their villages in, sort of juxtapose that with the new very smart velodrome.

Now I'm on a role is there time to change the tracksuit jackets to red coats and have the opening ceremony flags tied to sword bayonets on Martini-Henry and Enfield rifles. Get som Long Bows in there to piss off the French too.

Dammit I've gone too far again haven't I.......?

I'm surprised you haven't objected to that UK flag by your username yet.

Manchu wrote:I'm surprised you haven't objected to that UK flag by your username yet.

Now you mention it.. I think we should add some skulls.

Get Nottingham on it, right away. Come to think of it, maybe Jess Goodwin should've done the uniforms?

We should knock down all the olympic stadiums and rebuild them as giant skulls painted with a huge union jack... Damn it, why did no one think of this before?!?!

One man did:But you fools wouldn't listen!

Eh, wtf? I wouldn't recognize that as being British at all. What's with the new world order crap? You're representing Great Britain, one of the most successful nations to walk the Earth, grow a spine and act like you're designing a uniform for such.

mattyrm wrote: Now you mention it.. I think we should add some skulls.

You said the same thing when I asked you what you wanted on your hamburger.

mattyrm wrote: Man, I just saw the new olympic kit.



How on earth is sky blue, light blue, and turquoise a British Olympic kit?!

Was she looking at the wrong flag? It looks like something the Argentinian team would wear!

Or is it just me?

Do you agree with Stella, is it refreshing and contemporary?

Or are you a red white and blue type of athlete?

Im going to make a bet that there is going to be other attires they wear'll wear with it that is going to be VERY RED.
So jacket, socks, shoes, hats? etc etc that is going to tie everything together.

*edit, it almost looks like the guy on very left peed himself

@ Luna, I thought someone had hollowed him out there? Someone call GWHQ we need 100 pots of liquid green stuff - STAT!

It may be my old eyes but Jessica Ennis' chest seems to be suggesting that we should 'BEAT BRITAIN

Not a good message for the host team. (though there may be a certain amount of "beating" going on where Jessica is concerned - Andy Murray is there to turn you off that idea )

Luco wrote:Eh, wtf? I wouldn't recognize that as being British at all. What's with the new world order crap? You're representing Great Britain, one of the most successful nations to walk the Earth, grow a spine and act like you're designing a uniform for such.

Well said. I want Argentinians on tv to know it's us winning at the sailing events.

notprop wrote:@ Luna, I thought someone had hollowed him out there? Someone call GWHQ we need 100 pots of liquid green stuff - STAT!

It may be my old eyes but Jessica Ennis' chest seems to be suggesting that we should 'BEAT BRITAIN

Not a good message for the host team. (though there may be a certain amount of "beating" going on where Jessica is concerned - Andy Murray is there to turn you off that idea )

You sure it's not EAT BRITAIN ?

And in answer to all the colonials asking why we don't have pride - WE (the general unwashed public) do... It's the media that seems to be ashamed of Britishness. Like other Brits have said, fet down the pub when one of the national teams are playing, be it football (not soccer), rugby or cricket and you'll see passion and pride in the nation. Hell, we'll even get behind the Olympics and wave the real Union flag when it kicks off in July... BTW, I can see the stadium from my office and it looks awesome, shame I'll be in Florida for much of the Olympics...

mattyrm wrote:

Manchu wrote:I certainly don't mean that brown people, dwarfs (dwarves?), and the handicapped can't be patriotically British or that lining them all up this way is unpatriotic or that a patriotic shot would consist only of pale, auburn-haired folks. I was more pointing out that the uniforms speak for themselves. This diverse crowd would be much more inspiring as an icon of healthy patriotism in a better uniform. As it is, I'm seeing a lot of very different people who are tied together by a distinctively lukewarm, halfhearted sort of "go Great Britain, I guess" uniform.

Of course, thats the whole point.

Have you seen the story about the BBC presenter with one arm? Loads of people complained that it "scared" their children, literally thousands.. and the reply was "you should all be ashamed of yourselves" But if Paddy Power get 200 complaints about a commercial it gets pulled. I dont want to have to explain to a 4 year old why a woman doesnt have a hand! Let the little mite enjoy some innocence and worry about cancer, deformaties, disabilites et all when they get to the gak part of life! (Adulthood) Does feeling that way make me a bigot?

There's an interesting quote that goes with that story. Someone asked their daughter what they thought about Kerry (the one-armed presenter) and her daughter said. "I think she looks like a princess. She's beautiful." Kids are more terrified by the 'Shape-Japer" and the "Problem Blob" on Number-Jacks than they ever have been by that presenter. Children generally are innocent until we fill them with our ridiculous adult prejudices. Besides which, children every day have to deal with disability, deformity, cancer and illness, and they do a damn fine job of it. Should we really be telling them they have to hide away out of sight for fear of upsetting the "normal people"? Balls to that mate.


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Further to this though: See the chap with the prosthetic leg (only half visible) on the end of the line-up. He can run faster than you. All of you. He owns your ass at running, hands down. Just saying...


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Oh and the BBC received NINE formal complaints. Nine. Eight more than one. Even the Daily Mail gave her a positive write-up.

Wow. Matty got owned for once.