Five-ring circus: The Thread of the XXXIII Olympiad

Too bad Marcel Marceau is dead, or he'd be stuck in a box tonight. (Or perhaps that's the reason.)

 

It's like throwing the first pitch!

 

NBC doing a preview show before the official telecast starts at the bottom of the hour and we've already had our first "Screwing Around! with Mary Carillo" segment of these Games (on escargot). Props to Rebecca Lowe and Ahmad Faried for noticing she never touched it.

 

I lasted almost 39 seconds into the show before hitting the mute button. I think they said "magical" six times in those 39 seconds. That also allowed me to miss the Simone Biles comeback interview, some sort of red carpet where famous people looked both bored and irritated by the interviewee, the snails bit and their crazy election toteboard guy.

However, I'm always amused by the constant Beaver Toyota ads here in Atlanta. I cannot believe their slogan isn't, "Hey! Nice Beaver!"

 

I will say that my opinion on the phenomenon that is "Screwing Around! With Mary Carillo" has changed over the years. As long as it's not getting in the way of actual content (this started in 2010, when they showed like eight skiers in the men's downhill to fit in a segment), I'm OK with it. She's legitimately funny, as proven by the infamous Badminton Monologue of 2004, which should be taught in drama classes. And how else are you going to get Bob Costas to shoot vodka on live national television?

 

Seriously, if Costas or McKay was doing this, we'd have a description of all the Paris historical references going on during the lighting ceremony, like the Metro, the catacombs, the alligator in the sewer, the symbol of the rower taking the children and carrying the torch, the angel with the accordion and the can-can.

Instead, Tirico doesn't have a clue and just blathers on about different athletes on the boats and how they'll be competition for the USA.

Could NBC just turn down the jingoism from 11?

 

Did the one realtor House Hunters International uses for Paris episodes show up yet? Or is she busy trying to sell people homes in Le Marais?

 

GOJIRA

 

This may be the most French thing France has ever produced.

 

I love Carillo on the tennis broadcasts.

 

Is there cheese involved?

 

I'm sure there will be!