I love pomp and circumstance and traditional stuff. If this makes me lose points as a human, so be it. I don’t care. I get weepy over Marine formals, corgis and TAPS. I love it when people take pride in things and I don’t mind laying the snark over in the corner every once in awhile. I like the way smell of puppy breath and fireworks.

I’m a softie.

I also love the opening ceremonies of the Olympics.

Yesterday, I should have gone all geekfest and watched the livestream but I didn’t. I waited patiently for the NBC tape delay and what I got to see, I enjoyed. The key phrase is “What I Got To See.”

I know that apparently larger media corporations think that every American individual obviously needs a color commentary to every damned aspect to their lives. Lord knows we can’t think on our own, God forbid. I need to be told what is going on according to our overlords because making my own conclusions would be horrible for my state of mind.

Here’s the thing, I thought NBC botched it. Not only did they botch it, they magnified the problem with our culture right now. Did Meredith Viera really say money shot and reference the Queen in the same sentence? Did every terrible thing that has happened in each country have to be focused on while the parade of nations was going on? Bob Costas said he was going to take a moment of silence for the 4oth anniversary of the Munich shootings when the country of Israel walked into the stadium but I didn’t hear any silence whatsoever. And why was there an interview with Michael Phelps when the UK was offering its memorial to the terrorist attack on its country. And don’t even get me started on Matt Lauer.

And listen, who doesn’t know who Lord Voldemort or Mary Poppins is for crying out loud.

There are quiet moments in our history and in tradition that don’t need commentary. The Olympics are a time when the world comes together for a little while. I may be getting old, and I own that, but I wanted to experience a country celebrating their ripe history and heritage, I didn’t need the Americanized color commentary. This morning when I went back to search for what I missed, I saw the the claws of NBC is also controlling that message.

Too much noise when it wasn’t necessary is what I experienced.

For the closing ceremonies, I will watch the livestream. Not meaning to be Grouchy Pants here, but damn, let me watch it, not listen to a bunch of blather which minimized the experience.