I know what you’re thinking, what on Earth is a Vuvuzela? For those of you who have been watching the Confederations Cup in South Africa you will probably have heard some insanely annoying buzzing noise that sounds a bit like Satan
playing a Kazoo – this is the Vuvuzela (see pic).
Some commentators, players, managers and fans have all complained about the noise and suggested banning them at the World Cup 2010. Indeed, FIFA actually did ban them until the South African Football Association (SAFA) made a presentation and suggested you would not get a true South African football experience without these horns.
Even though the noise is awful (horrifying really) I’m inclined to agree with the SAFA on this one. As much as the World Cup is about football it is also about the global football community and exploring new footballing cultures. If I’m starting to sound a bit like a hippy here I’m sorry, but it generally is the way I feel. Indeed the Vuvuzela is so important to South African fans it has come to ‘symbolise the sport in the country’ according to southafrica.info.
Basically, no matter how annoying the Vuvuzela simply can’t be banned. It would take away the whole point of holding the tournament in South Africa. I was watching the Confederations Cup with a friend of mine and I’ve got to be honest, we both thought it was a bit much. It turns out everyone else did as well and there has been quite a lot written about it on the internet already (search ‘Vuvuzela’ and you’ll see what I mean). However, I found this gem of a quote on the official FIFA website to back the unconventional instrument’s cause.
“When we started the vuvuzela, there was so much sadness in our country in those years and it brought so much joy,” said Mzion Mofokeng, deputy chairman of the South African team’s supporters’ association. “All of a sudden people would go to the stadiums because of this instrument that was able to get fans on their feet and start cheering. For few hours, they would forget about the reality in our society and enjoy the sound.”
So there you have it, everyone will moan a bit but it is a part of their football culture and the governing bodies can’t change that – nor do they want to. The English fans sing and have a very British brass band, the Brazilians use the samba drums and the South Africans have the Vuvuzela – it might not be the prettiest of sounds, but it is their sound. And if the noise does get too much for you to bear, you can always hit mute….
We cannot listen to this game. This buzzing noise is horrific. We wanted to give soccer a “try” since we a big sports fans of other games played primarily in the USA. Maybe some other venue would have suited us better. The noise hurts my ears through the TV. Whoops!
Would someone please tell them to shut the heck up. I will have to watch with the vomue turned down pretty soon.
Vuvuzelas are the worst thing invented, but if you wear noise canceling head phones while watching the games it’s not so bad. Next time the FIFA should consult the world TV audience not the 85 thousand stone deaf South African fans who can actually fit in the stadium who tolerate this.
Whoops! Really horrific noise from the soccer game.
I love soccer but I cannot take this noise. I just came back from watching the game US vs Brazil. One hour later the noise is still in my head.
This noise is going to make me skip many games. This is making me crazy. Another reason I am glad that I am not going to this world cup. Imagine you are at the game. If South Africans think that this noise is part of their culture, they can keep it. I will never watch any South African games in my life. Just the world cup and on the mute position.
By the way, I agree with you. Banning would be wrong. But I read some comments saying that soccer authority were giving those damn Vuvuzelas for free to soccer fans. I found that very obnoxious if true.
Maybe the next time England hosts a World Cup, which should make hooliganism legal, as it is clearly a part of football culture there, and it would be wrong to take it away.
I gave the World Cup a try and found myself bored watching the first match after about a minute. Then this awful buzz noise put me over the edge. I’m happy for South Africa and for their obvious national pride but the buzz is too much for this casual fan.
Get rid of these terrible terrible noisemakers. I feel like I’m about to be attacked by a swarm of bees. The sound is very annoying, I feel sorry for the guy sitting in front of the people with those things. I can’t mute my T.V. I want to hear the commentary. It sounds like a generator running. I’m sorry if it is part of the culture but find something else to use that would be less annoying.
I’m a casual fan that always watches the World Cup. This noise is unbearable I just turned the Mexico game off, they need to get rid of those things. If I wanted to listen to a swarm of bees for 3 hours I would tune into the wildlife channel.
This is like torture. What are they thinking?
Hey, I admit I’m ignorant to futbol a.k.a. soccer. I tried watching the RSA vs Mexico game but that “ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZing!” I felt like I was trapped in a bee-hive. Maybe the BUZZZZZZZZZZZ wont be as intense when non-RSA teams are playing. I can only hope. Good luck to all the countries playing.
Just put mary-leave off my last name-we’re casual, right?
Please remove my email
LOL…
I don’t have a problem with it. I got over it in like six seconds. Calm down, people.
Now it has started and it’s a bug, there are a couple of petitions online to ban the vuvuzela from the World Cup. Here’s one:
http://www.petitiononline.com/2010WC/petition.html
I can’t stand the buzzing for more than a few minutes. I might have to watch the games with no sound, but then miss out on the commentating.
The noise is so bad and the football so far so boring,I have decided to give the world cup a miss.I will just play my bag-pipes instead.
You guys are a bunch of babies….C0mplain, c0mplain, c0mplain, c0mplain….
I just bought my vuvuzela….
Wa! wa! wa! wa! bwarrp ======<0
What an idiot – you can shove that horn right up your backside ! Awful din, this tournament is turning into a disaster.
The emptiest drum beats loudest.
Obnoxious and boring.
What an obnoxious sound! Can’t hear the cheering, singing, or exciting for the mindnumbing droning. Please stop it!
Its a horrible noise ruining the games..this will be the worst cup ever ..I cant enjoy the matches..the decision to give the world cup to these idiots proves what an idot seth bladder is
I can’t stand the buzzing noise either!!!!! Why don’t the commentator’s sit in a sound proof box and announce the game so we can hear them without the non-stop buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz! My husband wants to watch all the games in the World Cup and I want to mute the sound! I didn’t like the singing and chanting either! Let people who want to hear it go to the games but for those watching it on TV, please keep that infernal noise out of the broadcast!
SOUTH AFRICANS ARE KNOWN AS CHOCKERS IN ALL GAME.NOW THEIRE
EAR ALSO GOT CHOCKED UP HENCE THEY ARE USING A STUPID INSTRUMENT
TO REMOVE WAX FROM THEIRE EAR. FIFA AND ESPN MUST STOP THEM
SO OUR EARDRUM REMAIN INTACTE
DEATH TO VUVUZELA,DIE DIE DIE DIE
So bloody irritating. They really contribute nothing to the atmosphere of the game other than an annoying background din (in fact the atmosphere at the games so far has seemed poor in comparison to other World Cups, with Vuvuzelas probably partly to blame). I wish the TV broadcasters would put some effort into not recording these instruments of aural torture. Banning them is perhaps not right, but I wish I’d hear less of them during the games.
ok had we known then rsa would not be hosting that sound is torture
Whats that? Sorry, I can’t hear you because of the buzzing sound coming from my TV.
DEAR JIMBO U R WATCHING LIVE NOT RECORDING.U CAN STOP THAT SOUND
BY MAKING SOUNDPROOF CABIN FOR COMMENTRATOR BUT THEN U WILL
MISS THE ROAR,THE CLAP,CHEERS OF CROWD WHICH IS MUST TO FEEL U
INVOLVED AND EXCITED .
wat the hell r u on about? we have to face the “music” (torture) just because its a south african experience? so if the south african experience constitutes raping random people from the stands, then we would have to comply? u definitely must be hard of hearing.
“….Bafana fans hope that the constant buzzing sound, with which non-African teams won’t be as familiar, could give Bafana Bafana an extra advantage; as underdogs in the tournament, the South African side needs all the help it can get.”
!!! really?? surprise, surprise! but it’s still understandable if they use it in the south african games only. but why the rest of the games? south africa does not OWN this world cup just by hosting it! then might as well stop all global broadcasts and only show it in south african tv!
maybe developed countries should stop aiding africa, it seems they have plenty money for stupid things
I would rather listen to fans singing, an occasional drum beat, or fans yelling or screaming than listen to one more sound from that dam Vuvuzela.
I was excited for the World Cup this year but I CANNOT watch those games with that hellish buzzing. I fear soccer in the U.S. will be set back 10 years by those dumbass horns. People like me who are on the fence about soccer are just going to turn it off and never come back
Would have loved to watch a match, instead of running away from a angry hive of bees. Watching sports without the volume is worthless. My only option would be to find a bar to provide a new soundtrack for the game.
I removed the speakers from my TV Set, they were useless anyways,…. and full of bees also.
Remember to check in at the mental house after the World Cup, you’ll be hearing a continuous buzz……..
We are stopping watching the matches because of the awful droning noise. These terrible horns should be banned, it is ruining the whole tournament.
“You can always hit mute”
I grew up in the UK, but live in the US and sometimes a loud motorbike will come past my house at midnight and disturb my rest. Now, someone could say – hey, don’t complain, it’s a tradition for people to have large bikes and make a noise. You can get ear plugs.
But the point is about selfishness. About one group of people not caring about how others feel and justifying it as “tradition” or “our right”.
Now, I like many others who have loved soccer for 50 years will put up with the noise of the yuyuzela.
Many others who are on the edge of being interested in football will simply turn away.
But in the end, the selfishness and disregard of others is the disappointing thing.
I respect it’s all about their culture and stuff, but that sound drives me absolutely insane. I can’t really handle it. I feel bad for the people in the stadium who have to hear that crap all day.
Why don’t the commentators just go into a sound proof booth?
Let’s email the tv companies and tell them to get a grip!
Michael
It is a nuisance and ruining the game.
S. Africa can forget about hosting any future World Cups.
I just stop watching and only look at score and some highlight.
Just a shame beautiful HD and that crap buzzing. They took it to
be the “African Experience” well that noise will remind me never to
go to africa!!!
This is the first time in many years my family is not watching. It is just ridiculous and I feel sorry for all the teams no use to the horrific distraction this “Countries Traditions” have brought to the game. The crowd is part of the entertainment but you can’t even hear them. Who wants to watch soccer with no fan interactions except on consistent noise for hours? No one I have talked to will watch any of the games this year because of the aggravation it brings and fun it takes away from watching it. Makes me sad.