General Chat

It's like a swarm of hornets on steroids isn't it?

But it will be remembered, and is unique to South Africa (I hope).

We turn the sound down while the footie's on, neither of us can stand it for long. Can't hear the commentary but that's ok.

Just watched the England vs America game. The hornets' nest was annoying but a bit less, I thought, than last night's matches. At least I could hear the National Anthem being "chanted" above the trumpets during the match. As posted previously I do find the buzz really distracting.

Have to agree about the noise,what's that all about for heavens sake.
Spoilt the viewing as far as I'm concerned.
Even my cat was looking all around the t.v.
she usually chases wasps or bees,loL!!!!!!
So it's not just us humans.

I believe these "horns" are called Vuvuzelas - according to a tabloid I read today! Doesn't excuse the nuisance factor, though!

Oh dear! I don't mind them at all. Can sort of mentally "turn them down" after a while.

Muffy, I am quite envious, I would love to have a go!

I wonder if my son will get me one for my birthday?

No.1 switched over from Celebrity Househunt (or whatever the latest inane variation of this stuff from BBC is called) around noon our time today, to whatever game was on then, just to make me listen to the buzzing.

He's not sure he'll be able to watch any games all the way through because of it.

I wonder whether the host country will realize what a detriment this may be to television ratings and whether it might try to put a lid on it??

The reason I don't allow US football (NFL, non-soccer) to be on the tube when I'm in the vicinity is the noise -- a constant, unending, unbroken wall of noise created by the crowd (and US football games go on for like 4 hours).

I had planned to sit in on a game or two during FIFA, but the urge to wave my arms around and make swatting gestures may overcome that intention.

A lot of us would like them to "put a lid on it", but unfortunately that won't happen.


Val in SA.

It is annoying - but after watching a couple of games I've found I can ignore it. I guess it's unique to South Africa and we must accept that.

Sue xx

What an infernal and pointless noise , if they are standing there blowing these instruments , they are not watching the matches .

Oh dear me,,,,,,,,some are having to have their lips treated,,,,ha ha not suprised,,,,,,

I think the stations have found a way of noise reduction in the buzz,but it does over shadow the crowd cheers which makes football.

I hate football and not seen any,, just heard the buzzzzzzzzzzzzing}}}}}}

Our national channel too is supposedly tring to mute the background noise. No luck so far, though. And - to my horror - I discovered my local shop is actually selling these trumpet things!!! Arggggh!
BTW, Where is the next FIFA World cup taking place?
At least tennis fans are quiet while game takes place! Roll on Wimbledon!

Its ok ! RENTOKIL are on their way !!!!!

Matt Buzzzzzbeee to the rescue!

Well ... it's my culture to change the channel if the television is making a horrible noise. ;)

And FIFA and its commercial sponsors will just have to accept that!

I caught a few seconds of a report about this on CNN this morning. People around the world loathe this noise, and the women on CNN, at least, were saying that 15 minutes was all they could take and then they turned it off.

If lots of people are doing that (for games that aren't important to them, anyway), FIFA is losing its audience. The sponsors have already paid, I guess, so they won't be able to make demands, but they could sure put pressure on.

The other quite major point is that at the volume of noise all those things create, people nearby really are going to suffer hearing loss. The people who are making the noise may not care, but the other people there shouldn't have to give up their hearing for anbody's culture!

Of course, nobody is forced to attend the games (except the players and officials, and even they can walk out). But really, what happened to being good hosts??

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/fifaworldcup/news/story/2010/06/13/sp-banhorn.html

Television viewers are incensed. Bloggers are up in arms. And even some of the players have already had enough of the sound.

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Now, FIFA World Cup officials are trying to come up with some way to control or even ban the ubiquitous vuvuzela — a plastic horn that is drowning out almost everything else at the global soccer tournament in South Africa.

Multiple media reports on Sunday say organizing committee head Danny Jordaan is looking for a way around the problem.

"We have heard from the broadcasters and other individuals and it is something we are evaluating on an ongoing basis," Jordaan told Sky Sports.

He also admitted to BBC News that banning the horns might be looked at as an option.

Organizers have made public announcements asking fans not to blow vuvuzelas when national anthems are being played or announcements made, but the din is otherwise running from the time stadium gates open until the games are over.

Patrice Evra, France's captain, told the media that the noise had something to do with his team's poor performance against Uruguay, a game that ended in a draw.

"We can't sleep at night because of the vuvuzelas. People start playing them from 6 a.m.," he told the media. "We can't hear one another out on the pitch because of them."

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Jordaan said he would much prefer if local South African fans would return to their old tradition of singing.

"It has always been a great generator of a wonderful atmosphere in the stadiums and we will try to encourage [fans] to sing because that is the strength," he said.

"In the days of the struggle [against apartheid] we did not blow anything, we were marching and singing. All through our history it is our ability to sing which really inspires and draws the emotions."

So does the vuvuzela. Apparently, it's not the worldwide emotion that organizers were hoping for.

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.



That is very true -- singing *is* the true cultural tradition of South Africa!

If this din is part of South African culture, then why not limit it to
S A team games only, It must be so frustrating for all the supporters
around the world who have shelled out big time to go and support their
teams, but cant make their vocal support heard because of vuvuzela.


Ray

I would like to re-iterate that the vuvuzela is not the culture of all South Africans, many of us dislike them intensely and cannot stand that infernal racket. I too, wish they were banned.



Val in SA.

Apparently, Fifa have said that if just ONE vuvuzela is thrown onto a pitch during a game, they will ban them from ALL games.

So who's volunteering?

Snork.

I have to say, it really isn't just SA "culture"!

You used to be able to buy these things -- clumsier larger versions -- at the fairground when I was in high school. I'm pretty sure I had one. Red. ;)

I got stuck at a Blue Jays baseball game in Toronto once, years and years ago, right in front of some loudmouthed moron who had one. When he wasn't bellowing, he was blowing. (Because it wasn't constant noise like at FIFA, every time he did it I just about fell onto the field.) I really really wanted to turn around and jam it down his gullet. I really really really wanted to.

But hey, it was his culture, I was just an interloper who wanted to sit peacefully, read the papers, enjoy the sunshine and occasionally check out the catcher's bum ...

A whole load of sometimes amusing comments, mainly from Canadians, here:

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20100614/
vuvuzela-controversy-100614/20100614/?hub=TopStoriesV2

The main point really is right: this is an international event and it should not be hijacked by local fans for their own enjoyment/purposes.


Anyhow, my favourite comment, from TEA in Saskatchewan:


Bring out the bagpipes boys!