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 Yes, I’ll need earplugs, because I reckon the vuvuzela is here to stay. I don’t know this for sure, of course, and neither does anyone else. However, I think that, like toothpaste, we can’t put vuvuzelas “back in the tube”. My guess is that exuberant fans will want to buzz and blow those plastic horns to their hearts’ content, expressing their brimming enthusiasm, and that from now on our sports stadiums will sound like over-inflated bee hives. Even from a very long distance.
It’s great to see people in high spirits. And it’s wonderful to see African people expressing their joy at hosting the football world cup. There’s a refreshing exuberance and pride on display and we should all celebrate that.
However, the vuvzelas have their downsides. You can hardly hear a darned thing, for example. I’m not writing this from South Africa, but watching football matches on television here in Sydney, Australia.
In the lead-up to the delightful, colourful opening ceremony I could not hear a word our TV announcer said when he was broadcasting from within the stadium. Our TV announcers have stopped doing that now and are mainly broadcasting from an enclosed studio in Cape Town. I can hear what they say.
Inside the stadiums, the noise must be near deafening and I wonder how coaches and team officials can communicate and how the players can hear the match referees. In practical terms, that’s a downside and ways must be – and probably are being – found to overcome the problem. Do any of those coaches know semaphore?
This world cup, I suspect there is something I will miss. That is the singing of much-loved songs as supporters from every competing nation cheer on their teams, or play samba drums, for example. Those are wonderful ways for nations to express their individuality and their happiness. It adds richness to the international flavour of the competition and it would be a shame to lose that.
However, for sheer high spirits, there’s probably not much to beat tootling a vuvuzela. Team officials and spectators have talked about banning them, but I can’t see that happening. FIFA has said that it won’t ban the vuvuzela. And once something as crazy as those plastic horns have got out into the world, I don’t see them disappearing.
When the extreme novelty has worn off, however – perhaps even by next week, if we’re really lucky – those happy vuvuzela players might mix their abounding enthusiasm with some consideration for the feelings (and eardrums) of others by taking “blowing breaks” and allowing other fans to be heard.
Then they could blow their vuvuzelas at such times as when their teams run on, when a goal is scored, or there is a shot at goal or an especially exciting passage of play. It would have more meaning that way. And it would be an appreciated sign of consideration for other people’s feelings.
Image Courtesy of DayLife - Soccer fans blow vuvuzelas during the final World Cup game between Spain and Netherlands. Spain won 1-0. – July 11/10 - Reuters Pictures
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That is really great! Happy for you MJ , you deserve it!! I love your cartoons.
That sounds really familiar I like how his fingers are crossed.