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Comment by raeez | Hacker News Reader

As a south african having grown up with vuvzela's present at every sport match, the present worldwide 'outcry' is quite entertaining.

Don't you just love the smell of globalization in the morning?

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You make it sound as though South Africa didn't lobby to host more than 30 other countries. It's a bit disingenuous to frame the guests as imposing. It also doesn't seem like that much of a stretch that some people aren't crazy about a constant monotonous drone.

So, I'm calling BS on this logic. There are genuine knocks on globalization. This is not one of them.

    'disingenuous to frame the guests as imposing'

this was not my intention. What IS imposing is the guests deciding what the south african hosted world cup's atmosphere/culture should be like. We've had many european-flavoured world cups, but now we have an african one - this is something you may not like or enjoy, but it is what it is.

    'There are genuine knocks on globalization. This is not one of them'

You might frame this case as inconsequential, but on the contrary this is a case of 'global cultural dissent'. Ask any southern african (where african is defined as having grown up on the continent) for his/her opinion and it'll unequivocally be in favour of the vuvuzela - for the rationale I cited (It's always been present / it's distinctly african etc.) I could flesh this argument out, but this would take us severely out of context.

To give context, I'm also of the opinion that the vuvuzela's should be filtered for live broadcast - having been to a game highlights the dramatic difference between their effects on-the-ground and recorded. What I find amusing is the attitude towards the instrument and its use live - especially from those who've never been to a game and witnessed it for themselves.

    'So, I'm calling BS on this logic'

which logic would you be referring to? The argument that this is a case of globalization?

"Every sport match": gross exaggeration. As for soccer, this is what an expert said about them in 2005: http://www.news24.com/Columnists/Archive/JonQwelane/Ban-the-... (the writer is black and was an anti-Apartheid columnist so playing the race/Euro-guilt card won't work). It seems like vuvuzelas are a relatively recent introduction to soccer matches, so if you grew up with them, you must be very young.

Incidentally the (black) man who invented the tin vuvuzela remains impoverished in a township while the (white) man who commercialised the idea is rolling in money. If you want a lesson in globalisation, that is the one to learn: http://www.mg.co.za/article/2010-01-08-vuvuzela-creator-blow...

    ' Every sport match': gross exaggeration'

I grew up in Cape Town, South Africa - and throughout my high school sporting career I've played Soccer, Hockey, Cricket and Water Polo (the occasional game of Rugby too) - and yes, at the High School level every match has it's cheerleaders with vuvuzela's.

The sports where they are not used (in South Africa) are Cricket and Tennis - both of which the crowds are not permitted/expected to use any instruments of any kind (this changes for some provincial cricket games)

    'so if you grew up with them, you must be very young.'

I'm 20 - and you're correct on this point. They are a recent addition - but that does nothing to change their prevalence at South African sport events.

As for your cited article, one case of a South African disliking them and arguing againt fails to hold weight against the fans who continue to blow them at every game.

    'Incidentally the (black) man who invented the tin vuvuzela...'

I'm aware of this, and yes - it is unfortunate. If anything, this is further evidence of the profound difference in ignorance & education between the 'two worlds' (living in the first world as they call it - i.e. a major city, and living in the rural/township areas)

I'm afraid you may be generalising again: the sort of high schools where hockey and water polo are played are certainly not representative of the vast majority of high schools in South Africa.

What's the point? I mean, why blow on one of those things all match long? I go to American football games and make a lot of noise, but only when the opposing offense is lined up to try to get them offside. Otherwise the stadium is silent. What is the point of constant noise during the entire game?

Questioning the purpose of things never seems to go well when the topic is sports -- the purpose of the whole thing is fun.

I guess I just wonder why laying on a one-note horn for 2 hours is fun.

Only one way to find out: try it yourself :-)

I expect that this is akin to wondering why anyone would want to go to a concert and lay on their camera's flash for two hours to create that annoying "continuous strobe" effect. :)

I don't think anyone does, it's just the additive effect of 30,000 people blowing them at random intervals is a constant buzz (particularly on TV, when there's no direction to the audio).

Atmosphere means different things to different people?

I really can't see how constant bzzzzz is atmosphere.

The atmosphere from the stands (cheering, singing, etc) gets completely drowned. :(

If you were actually in the stands it probably wouldn't sound the same since your point of reference would be totally different.

You cannot hear it on TV, but the combination of cheering, taunting and vuvzela's is just magical (from the stands).

"The atmosphere I like and am used to is drowned out by the atmosphere you like and are used to."

Yes, it's an endless drone on TV and my wife doesn't love it, but it is unique to this World Cup and gives it its own flavour. Come visit me in Summer and our heat is dry and merciless all day. Visit the tropics and the night is filled with cicadas for hours on end. They're things which not everyone will love, but they help define these places.

The vuvuzelas are not forever, but they help define the 2010 WC.

I'm quite pleased to have learned that a simple thing like a bunch of people with oversized kazoos can cause international outrage.

My theory: World Cup tickets are too expensive for most soccer fans in South Africa, so they are bought by more affluent types, who are not familiar with fan traditions (many don't even know much about soccer), and therefore just blow the vuvuzelas continuously and randomly during the match, because they think that it's the cool thing to do.

Clearly you've never been to a Sooners game at the University of Oklahoma.

No, but I was at the fourth-loudest game ever recorded:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon_Ducks_football#Venues_an...

> the team's main rival is the Oregon State Beavers.

Heh.

Globalization? Really? It's a fucking plastic horn, not a deeply-held cultural value.

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