Americans baffled by 'left-wing tribute' to free healthcare during Opening Ceremonies (and what was with those flying Mary Poppinses defeating Lord Voldemort?)



Multimillion-dollar spectacular featured zany aspects of British culture, including the Royal Family, James Bond, Harry Potter, The Beatles, and tributes to its history, including Industrial Revolution



Also featured lengthy tribute to the National Health System (NHS), Britain's publicly-funded network that offers care to all Britons



Americans have reacted with confusion to the glorification of free universal health care in the London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony as the country continues to be divided by the debate over its own healthcare system.



Last night's spectacular $42million, the brainchild of Oscar-winning British director Danny Boyle, included a segment where dozens of skipping nurses and children in pajamas leaping acrobatically on massive hospital beds, with a large 'NHS' displayed.



It was a celebration of Britain's national health service, which has provided free taxpayer-funded health care to everyone in the country since its foundation after the Second World War.



But some commentators, including the Mark Sappenfie ld of the Christian Science Monitor , ha ve suggested that the Opening Ceremony director Danny Boyle may have been sending a coded message to American voters.

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Lost on some: Dancers dressed as nurses in the NHS and Great Ormond Street Hospital tribute scene, which meant little to much of the international audience

'British fancifulness': An army of actresses dressed as Mary Poppins float across the arena

Just a spoonful of sugar: A large Lord Voldemort from the Harry Potter book series looms over performers during the performance, with a posse of Mary Poppinses floating around

Meaning: Danny Boyle, seen before the night's events, said the NHS is important to everyone in the UK

He wrote: 'It is hard to escape at least some small sense of advocacy in Boyle's second act, particularly after a cigar-chomping elite let loose the gluttony of unchecked industry on the idyllic English countryside in the first act. This was, it seemed, an opening ceremony for the 99 per cent.'



Before the ceremony, the Slumdog Millionaire director defended his decision to feature the NHS prominently in the show. He told reporters that he chose to feature it because ‘everyone is aware of how important the NHS is to everybody in this country.’

He continued: ‘One of the core values of our society is that it doesn’t matter who you are, you will get treated the same in terms of health care.’

The Commentator executive editor Raheem Kassam was one of many who took to social media to voice their opinions, and tweeted: 'Anyone else realise it wasn't the NHS who tended well to the kids in the Opening Ceremony, it was private nanny, Mary Poppins!'

Another Twitter user wrote: It took seven years for Harry Potter to kill Voldemort, and last night, it took 30 seconds for Marry Poppins. Good one, Harry.’

The help: Executive editor for The Commentator, Raheem Kassam, noted this morning that Mary Poppins was the saviour of all

Tongue in cheek? One Twitter user seemed slightly sarcastic in her review of the ceremony

Others simply thought the idea of children, nurses, and nannies in an elaborate choreographed dance was simply bizarre.



'One of the reasons we put the NHS in the show is that everyone is aware of how important the NHS is to everybody in this country.' -Danny Boyle



Americans have long been divided over healthcare coverage, with many conservatives writing off President Obama’s landmark healthcare reform as simple socialism. The Supreme Court voted to uphold the Affordable Care Act, which will come into its full implementation in 2014.

Arguments against the reform include worries of higher taxes, lessened access to elite care, and the possibility of corruption.

London’s Mayor Boris Johnson said it was ‘nonsense’ to call last night’s ceremonies as too left-wing. His response came after conservative British politician Aidan Burley wrote in a tweet that the ceremony was ‘the most leftie opening ceremony I have ever seen.’

Mr Burley’s full tweet, according to BBC News, read: ‘The most leftie opening ceremony I have ever seen – more than Beijing, the capital of a communist state! Welfare tribute next?’

Tribute: Performers depict a scene in tribute of The Great Ormond Street Hospital for sick children and the NHS, with a large, illuminated sign in the centre

Flipping out: A child in hospital attire flips on a giant bed while nurses look on; some conservatives have condemned the NHS tribute as 'leftist'

Mr Johnson said that the ceremonies were far from stereotypical icons of London, such as double-Decker red buses and The Beatles. ‘People say it was all leftie stuff. That is nonsense…I thought it was stupefying, one of the most amazing events I have ever seen.’

The three-and-a-half-hour show seemed to be an instant hit with many, with its British sense of humour and vibrant soundtrack celebrated by viewers from other countries.

The Queen's cameo appearance was a particular highlight for the non-British audience as she took part in a comical segment filmed in Buckingham Palace with Daniel Craig, before seemingly parachuting into the Olympic Stadium with the James Bond star.

Los Angeles Times sports reporter Bill Plaschke tweeted: 'James Bond and Queen Elizabeth II 'parachute' into the stadium, then kids in pyjamas sing the national anthem... works for me.'

Another LA Times reporter, who tweeted shortly after Harry Potter author JK Rowling read from Peter Pan, said: 'The Queen acting, JK Rowling reading in public, can you top this?'

The appearance of Mr Bean also got viewers from the other side of the Atlantic chuckling, with Rowan Atkinson's comical character seeming to go down well with the American press.

Mr Plaschke tweeted: 'Mr Bean hams it up during playing of Chariots of Fire... hilarious.. this is becoming can't-miss ceremony.'

A fellow LA Times reporter wrote: 'Rowan Atkinson segment, very clever.'

Bang on: Fireworks arc towards the centre of the Olympic Stadium as last night's opening ceremony reaches its climax

Grand entrance: The 'Queen' parachuting into the stadium was a highlight for amused viewers Send in the clown: Rowan Atkinson's appearance went down a storm thanks to the international appeal of his Mr Bean character

'THE BARMIEST OPENING CEREMONY IN OLYMPIC HISTORY': HOW THE UK RESPONDED

The Mail's own Jan Moir called it 'the barmiest Opening Ceremony in Olympic history, an explosion of nonsense and tremendous good fun' - despite it being 'a bit tinky winky and laa-la at times'. Boyle's masterpiece received a five-star rave from the Guardian, which hailed it as 'the biggest, maddest, weirdest, most heartfelt and lovable dream sequence in British cinema history'. The Daily Telegraph saw it as 'breathtakingly politically charged' in comparison to previous opening ceremonies, saying that it was 'about punk rather than pomp'. And although 'utterly compelling', the paper's critic wrote, 'the show periodically lost focus combined sometimes with an almost baffling level of visual detail'. For the Mirror, it was 'a celebration of our genius, tolerance, humour, and all we have given to the world', adding that 'it was hard to think of any British icon it didn’t reference'.



Another wrote: 'Mr Bean one of the night's scripted surprises.'

The ceremony's showcasing of Britain's rich musical history was another highlight with the use of songs from UK's finest singers and performers seeming to be a massive hit.

KC Johnson from the Chicago Tribune tweeted: 'The Jam has been played. I can go home now. Oh, wait, Arctic Monkeys and Sir Paul still to come. Musical heaven.'

Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times journalist Philip Hersh tweeted: 'Did MTV produce this?'

He also heaped praise on the upbeat nature of the athletes' parade.

'This parade of athletes has much more of a party atmosphere than in past... feels like closing ceremony mood,' he said.

The cinematic element of the ceremony was singled out, with the New York Times describing the show as 'visually stunning'.

But some segments of the showpiece seemed to be lost on particular viewers.

Los Angeles Times sports writer Diane Pucin said: 'For the life of me, though, am still baffled by NHS tribute at opening ceremonies. Like tribute to United Health Care or something in US.'

The fact the Olympic torch was lit by a number of young athletes seemed unpopular with some.

Mr Plaschke tweeted: 'Very symbolic ending, but sort of anticlimactic... I like my cauldron lit by one person... and a person people have heard of.'

John Cherwa from the LA Times wrote: 'Hated the flame lighting. Just make a decision and pick someone.'

Headline news: The New York Times, left, chose to feature the flying nanny Mary Poppins, while right, the Boston Globe heralded the night's show as one of pomp and zaniness



Lighting up the night: Both the Los Angeles Times, left, and the Chicago Tribune, right, chose similar images of fireworks over Olympic Stadium to make the front page picture



Balderdash: London's Mayor Boris Johnson, right, pictured with his wife Marina Wheeler, called the 'leftist' notion 'nonsense'

The decision to ask former Beatle Paul McCartney to sing out the ceremony was well received.

David Haugh from the Chicago Tribune said: 'McCartney can still bring it... Na, na, na, na, na,na, na, na... show ending appropriately on a high after confusing cauldron lighting.'

Australian journalist Karen Tighe said that Boyle had 'hit the nail on the head' with the opening ceremony.

The Perth-based ABC Sports presenter told BBC Radio 5Live: 'It was a fantastic start to the Games. I'm so glad there was no temptation to be better and bigger than Beijing - it was wonderful in its own way and it all came across so well.'

She added: 'Visually it looked spectacular, there was humour and the overall picture - I think he (Boyle) hit the nail on the head.'

Mrs Tighe said the length of the show was a negative point and also expressed disappointment over the lighting of the cauldron.

'I really loved the inspiration of a new generation, but it kind of felt a bit of an anti-climax at that point.'

Meanwhile, The New York Times described the 'hilariously quirky' celebration as a 'noisy, busy, witty, dizzying production'.

It added: 'Britain presented itself to the world Friday night as something it has often struggled to express even to itself: a nation secure in its own post-empire identity, whatever that actually is.'

The LA Times also heaped further praise on the occasion.

'Musical heaven': Sir Paul McCartney tops off a tuneful few hours, which led one US journalist to ask 'Did MTV produce this?'

Sky of blue, sea of people: Inflatable yellow submarines float above artists during The Age of Industry scene

Who? The decision to have seven unknown young athletes light the flame was seen by some as a cop-out and an anti-climax

It said in a review of the ceremony: 'An atmosphere of whimsy and party won out over pomp and circumstance during an Olympic opening ceremony that allowed an economically beleaguered Britain to pat itself on the back.

'The ceremony could not have been more of a contrast from Beijing's four years ago, replacing Chinese militaristic precision with British fancifulness.'

The Times of India called the ceremony 'dazzling', adding that London had 'presented a vibrant picture of Great Britain's rich heritage and culture'.

For the Hindu, another of India's biggest papers, it was a 'cultural tour de force', while the input of composer AR Rahman, who scored Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire, was said to celebrate 'the Indian influences on the UK'.



Meanwhile the China Daily said the pageant was 'kaleidoscopic'.

'Britain's Queen Elizabeth declared the London Olympics open after playing a cameo role in a dizzying ceremony designed to highlight the grandeur and eccentricities of the nation that invented modern sport,' it said.