The opening ceremony of the 2026 World Cup was marked by an appalling display of Pop pseudo-culture.
FIFA is obviously bowing to money and money making enterprises. No acknowledgement of international nor even National culture, as if Mexico had no culture of its own.
It is sad to see this overlay of emptiness replacing the genuine celebration of the splendid diversity of cultures that have grown over centuries.
Truly only another expression of imperialism. This time the imperialism of the monied. Nothing could be more empty.
Sadly the pundits only had praise for this gross display of sexualised gyrations.
Nothing to do with football, nothing to do with anything beyond commercialisation of the sexuality of the young.
May we swiftly move away from this to something more substantial.
I had to turn away from it when the pundits ploughed in with their own empty praise of this awful display.
I came back, before the game, to find a circle of the nations’ flags surrounding a couple of singers. It seems there may have been other more culturally awakened performances in between, judging by a clip shown on the news later.
But this pandering to money and pseudo-culture, not representing anything other than the interests of the media companies that control, and seek to control, the lives of the young. We are shown this as an example of the wonder of youth. what I see is the direct sexual exploitation of young, particularly women’s, bodies. Dance is so much more than this yet since the advent of MTV it has become the norm and the expected. Nothing subtle to it just downright exploitation. Such a shame. Truly shameful.
