Yesterday, the new ICC premises were officially opened, with prestigious visitors, such as the King of the Netherlands and Ban Ki Moon. I’ll let you enjoy the predictably upbeat speeches about how the ICC is a positive development for the world. And why not. After all, that this the whole point of such a ceremony and you could hardly expect anything else to be said. But then the organisers went into overkill mode. Just think of the most cheesy and dripping with good feeling song possible to sing at such an event. Yes, that’s the one:
I just cannot believe that the organisers chose to make what is of course meant to be an optimistic event, a caricature of itself by having Heal the World by Michael Jackson sung by children as the final act of the ceremony. Reassuringly (I suppose), the face of some of the members of the audience as they discovered the song shows that they shared my unease…
I would love to have been a fly on the wall in the meeting where this was decided:
“- So how should we conclude the opening ceremony of an institution that is struggling to live up to the completely unrealistic expectations that have been put on it since it was created?
– I know! Let’s play up those expectations a little more and suggest that the ICC is going to make the world a better place for you and for me and the entire human race!
– You mean that it can heal the world?
– Exactly! I’m sure there must be song to best convey that feeling…”
The rest is HIStory… and probably this song would have been too close to home…
Spreading the Jam 