Friday night the world watched Vancouver. An estimated 3 billion people tuned in to see the 21st Olympic Winter Games Opening Ceremony. Here in the U.S., 32.6 million people saw the spectacle, the second highest Nielson rating for a winter games ever.
Gauging the early response (plus my own impressions), they were not disappointed. While not to the grand scale of Beijing two years ago, this ceremony was more intimate and story-oriented.
Being a Canadian native, I couldn’t help by swell with pride, remembering everything I loved about Canada. The music, the effects, the choreography, and not to mention that amazing floor – all of it captivated an audience for hours, which is no easy feat nowadays.
But one thing did stand out for me. No, I’m not talking about the technical glitch with the torch; I still think that was handled in the best way possible. I am referring to the slam poet who performed “We Are More.” I couldn’t find a video of him at the Olympics, but here’s a clip of the piece he recited that night.
What intrigued me was his backstory. With all the grandeur of the games, showcasing the best Canada has to offer, they gave the entire stage, uninterrupted to this one guy who they found on YouTube.
That’s right. Even Canadian superstars like Bryan Adams and Sarah McLachlan shared the stage. But Shane Koyczan, a YouTube sensation, enjoyed sole attention in font of billions thanks to – as the head of the Olympic committee put it – the magic of TV.
To be fair, Shane was the first Canadian to win the Individual Championship title at the National Poetry Slam, so he wasn’t a complete unknown. But the fact that the committee found him on YouTube and upgraded him to the largest stage this side of the Super Bowl is a profound statement of the state of media, both online and broadcast.
