The Photoshopped Olympics

M@
By M@ Last edited 145 months ago

Last Updated 10 August 2012

The Photoshopped Olympics
Criticism of empty seats led to them being filled by soldiers, and there friends. Part of a series by the Reddit community.
Criticism of empty seats led to them being filled by soldiers, and there friends. Part of a series by the Reddit community.
Images of gurnsome divers were an early internet hit, but then someone placed them on the toilet.
Images of gurnsome divers were an early internet hit, but then someone placed them on the toilet.
One of many examples of the 'dangleboris' meme, whereby our hapless Mayor is seen suspended from a range of unlikely objects.
One of many examples of the 'dangleboris' meme, whereby our hapless Mayor is seen suspended from a range of unlikely objects.
The Queen seemed not amused during the Opening Ceremony. Photoshop explained it all.
The Queen seemed not amused during the Opening Ceremony. Photoshop explained it all.
There's no stopping the John Terry meme, which posits that the Chelsea defender is behind every great triumph.
There's no stopping the John Terry meme, which posits that the Chelsea defender is behind every great triumph.
terryrow-800x498.jpeg
Terry and Wiggins.
Terry and Wiggins.
The Olympic mascots befriend a Tellytubby.
The Olympic mascots befriend a Tellytubby.
Back the Bid posters. Official Photoshopping.
Back the Bid posters. Official Photoshopping.
"We're going to need a bigger Aquatics Centre."
"We're going to need a bigger Aquatics Centre."
Unlikely features on the BBC's Olympics app, by @death_stairs
Unlikely features on the BBC's Olympics app, by @death_stairs

It could be said that the delivery of these Olympics has been characterised by sleight of hand, photo manipulation and digital trickery. Remember the Back the Bid campaign, which featured embiggened athletes dicking about on London landmarks? The notion of manipulating reality was brought to a triumphant crescendo through Danny Boyle's Opening Ceremony, which saw Mr Bean embedded in footage from Chariots of Fire and the Queen parachuting from a helicopter.

Keen amateurs have also been at it, using software such as Photoshop to twist the key events from the XXXth Olympiad into something a little more hilarious. We all remember the lewd versions of the London 2012 logo. In some cases, such as the saga of Boris dangling from a zip wire, whole web sites have sprung up to solicit photoshoppery. Our gallery above picks out some of the best from around the web.

Report a problem with this article