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Harry Easter
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vuvuzela vuvuzela horn vuvuzela horn hearing loss World Cup Horn world cup horn deafnessThe sound of the World Cup horn, or vuvuzela horn mimics that of a swarm of bees and this vuvuzela horn has been the only sound heard at the World Cup 2010. Tens of thousands of South African fans have taken them to games and blown the World Cup horn as loudly as they can for the entire match.
World Cup Horn
However what was just an annoying din has now escalated into a health threat with authorities and specialists claiming that prolonged exposure to the noise emitted from the World Cup horn could result in hearing loss and in some cases deafness.
To illustrate their point about the World Cup horn, they tested its output and found that the vuvuzela emits a noise at 127 decibels. This shockingly is louder than a drum, 122 decibels, and the ref’s whistle, 121.8 decibels. A 10 decibel increase in sound means that a 127 decibel noise is twice as loud as a 117 decibel sound. Local fans have been blowing these tuneless horns mercilessly since the tournament began and has caused no end of irritation to viewers and fans.
There have been petitions to FIFA from authorities but everyone’s favourite head Sepp Blatter refused to ban the World Cup horn on account of its traditional ties to South Africa. However players similarly are not amused and have complained that the racket completely puts them off their game. One solution would be for World Cup broadcasters to simply transmit the audio from their commentators only and omit crowd noise all together.
In a blow to right-thinking people the world over one of the principal World Cup organisers, Rich Mkhonda has gone on record stating, “Vuvuzelas are here to stay and will never be banned. Their history is ingrained in the history of South Africa.” This was issued after World Cup organising committee chairman Danny Jordaan said that a ban on vuvuzelas inside stadiums was under consideration. Rich Mkhonda went on to add, “If you go back in history, vuvuzelas emanate from the horns used by our forefathers to call meetings. It’s a way for fans to express themselves, and not just football fans. rugby fans embraced the vuvuzela at the recent Super 14 and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they are used in cricket in the future.”
For fans the world over, it would appear that the World Cup horn is ruining any enjoyment whatsoever from watching the game. There is no atmosphere at all, with singing, chanting and cheering all totally drowned out. Commentators have pondered whether fans in South Africa should throw their vuvuzelas onto the pitch to have it banned by FIFA as a threat to the players.
8:55 pm
Cant here the crowd or any atmosphere away, will be watching the rest of the game on mute!
9:26 pm
The Crowd cant Get behind their Team – KILLS 3RD MAN
When Goal is scored – Cant hear Cheering ?
There is no atmosphere- Worst World Cup Ever to Watch
9:36 pm
The noise of the horn is completely spoiling watching the football. It must be a nightmare actually being there. It’s a shame that now you are unable to hear different countries singing their traditional football anthems. Doesn’t Sepp Blatter realise he is ruining the World Cup for millions of fans by his refusal to ban them inside the Stadiums.
10:01 pm
Why not just allow the fans to bring their buzz horns to the South African games and ban them at the rest?
By the way, the horns are not some grand tradition as they are being portrayed – we had them in the U.S. in the 1970′s and they were banned from stadiums along with air horns.
10:16 pm
Couldn’t even hear the England band last night, these horns are ruining the tradition of fans banter,singing & cheering. Get them banned Blatter!!!
10:22 pm
Agree with all of above.the constant drone of the horns is monotonous and is ruining the viewing.the world cup is an international football event and the horns should be blown away inside the stadium.in fact I can not see many in the crowd but the few who have got them are ruining the atmosphere for millions.
Would FIFA allow fireworks or excessive toilet rolls being thrown or what about the coin throwing tradition is that culturally un negotiable .
What about post match violence is this long tradition un challengable.
Stop being a namby pamby sepp baltter and ban the horns.the final result will be worst world cup ever for players and fans.send off the horns now .regards joe and pete
10:26 pm
There was a time when women would complain that the noise from sports on TV was bothering them.
What would those women for the 1970′s say today to the vuvuzela?
I am a modern woman, I love sports, watch with my husband, but this outrageously annoying! Ruined the game for us.
10:30 pm
Forget the fact that the massive majority wants this things removed from stadia NOW before any more of the WC2010 is ruined.
As suggested above, just allow them at South Africa’s remaining two games. If the local fans want to embarrass themselves, fair enough, but why should the rest of us put up with this incessant din?
10:34 pm
worst world cup ever licks bag
10:40 pm
Annoying is putting it politely. I like hearing the commentary but have to turn down the sound. You would think they could at least turn the crowd noise down some and the commentary up some in the mix. I wonder how this affects the players, managers and officials hearing each other on the pitch.
10:48 pm
Get rid of the horns, its ruining the world cup. Sepp blatter is a fossil and has been getting things wrong for years.
Come on england but ban the stupid horn!
11:14 pm
Well it has just made me turn off the World Cup all it does is spoil the viewing and give you a headache. I have tried watching on mute but that just does not give the atmosphere. I have turned over to the F1. Why can’t they separate the din out – perhaps on the red button allowing you to watch the game with commentary only that is the only way I will watch a full match from now – Highlights only for me from now on, my head can’t take it.
11:19 pm
this is really frustrating,,,, the fifa should take action without delay,, they are ruining the event we have been waiting for, FIFA please please ban the horns……
11:28 pm
The 2010 World Cup has been touted as the thing that will bring popularity of the game to the US. Sorry, wrong, the noise is too much, the incesant drone makes the game boring to the new viewer – all the same all the time – no sense of ebb and flow, peaks of excitement, etc. Time to change the channel.
11:51 pm
pLease help us !the world cup is being ruined by the din of these horns…..no atmosphere whatsoever its killing the buzz u get from the world cup
12:07 am
Put a cork in it Jumanjiiiiiiii!!!
12:32 am
i wont be suprised if the horns stay and we end up with no crowd noise whatsoever. all because a few men havnt the balls to take a simple decision. tradition my left teste
12:34 am
Clearly the horn needs to go. It’s so awful to wait so long for the world cup and then have to have the broadcast ruined by plastic horns. I feel for the players and coaches as well as those in the crowd that didn’t buy a ticket to experience hearing loss.
12:36 am
The incessant droning noise spoils any enjoyment of the World Cup, within 2 minutes of the first game I watched I had to put mute on it was so annoying; it would give me a headache being there. I agree with a ban or allowed only at South African games if they love it so much.
12:36 am
This is the worst World Cup ever. It will be remembered for the mindless and incessant noise. We have given up and turned off the TV.
12:39 am
I am now looking forward to WC2014 because of the insidious horn blowing. I mute the sound but it changes the whole spectacle of viewing. Shame on Seth Blatter and those vuvuzelas.
1:11 am
Stupid Stupid Horn, never have I ever had a headache watching soccer. No fond memories in 2010.
3:09 am
FIFA By the Love Of God ban these horns, this is total BS! I’m so irritated by this I’m at the point where I’m going to stop watching.
Simon
3:14 am
Interesting that FIFA.COM is having fan polls on everything but the horns…the horns are a bad reflection upon South Africa and are ruining one of the greatest sporting events in the world. How FIFA is not dealing with this shows their ineptness.
3:15 am
I have never really been a football fan. I actually just this year have gotten excited and have tried watching every match so far. I must say I am very into it! However, these horns are the worst thing ever and must be killing the ratings of the network which when money is lost….
South Africa is showing the rest of the world they suck and should never have been given this opportunity.
3:18 am
The sooner they ban them the better,they can only have been approved by a non football fan….oh it was Seth Blatter,I rest my case
4:11 am
Help please !!!!!
I cannot enjoy the games this noise of the horns is sooo horrible !
should not be allowed has nothing to do with soccer.
4:12 am
ruined the games so far,, the noise has put me off watching the whole tournament,, the cheers and wows from the fans makes the atmosphere,, i feel for the players how can they be expect to play with that constants buzzing… were only little people so lets just put up with it and say nothing that’s not politically correct
4:14 am
i am totally put off by the horn blaring in the background. why would any viewer want to go through this? broadcasters need to take note and adjust accordingly. worst mistake by FIFA to let this happen.
4:22 am
Cannot hear any of the crowd. There is absolutely no atmosphere coming our way audibly. Its a total drone. What a shame. Have watched a few games like this but will eventually have to switch the sound down. Is there any way the audio team can remove the frequency.
4:31 am
just watched the germany v australia match and it was totally ruined by that awful noise, you cant hear the fans, you have to mute the tv so miss what the commentators are saying, this is ruining the world cup experience for me, sort it out….BAN THE DAMN THING!!!
4:46 am
For an American, both the horns and the commentators are a huge problem. Every culture has their own way of celebrating sporting events, and I’m fine with that. As far as the horns go, I agree, let the South Africans take them to the South African matches, but not elsewhere.
But here in the states, we are also being forced to listen to a a British play by play commentator. I’m sure for a Brit, his style of commentating is what you like. But for an American it comes off as too boring and lacking in enthusiasm. If football is to become popular in the states, the networks HAVE to find a way to tailor the presentation of the game to American tastes. At the Olympics they brought in many famous US commentators for the broadcasts, and I thought they did great even though they weren’t commentating on their sport of choice.
Anyway, I’ve switched to watching the games in Spanish on Telemundo. Their style of commentating is a little too overstated for the average American’s taste. But I’ll take that over the drab British commentators, even ifi can only understand about half of what they are saying. Now if only they could get rid of those vulva horns, I might stick around through the whole thing.
4:53 am
Can you call something a tradition if it’s only been around for a decade in that country? I grew up in South Africa and I remember all sorts of awesome traditions, dancing, singing, eating, etc, definitely have no recollection of an annoying buzzing noise being traditional to anybody. I remember these ridiculous horns from new years in Sydney when I was a kid, and they were painful and tacky enough then. I shudder at the thought of garbage dumps filled with this rubbish horn, what a waste of resources!!! Ban them and focus on some of the actual African traditions, this is making me hate the country of my birth :’( Im a girl, not usually fussed on sports but love the excitment of big tournaments like this. Not any more.
4:56 am
Watched 10 minutes of the Germany-Aussie game and gave up. I can watch the game with the mute on, but when would I watch a match like that? There’s no feedback from the crowd, no anticipation, no up’s and downs. The games have been rendered a senseless joke.
So…with huge regret, I’ll not watch any more games, even those involving my national team – England, not until I hear that the vuvuzela’s have been banned.
For those corporations that plowed money into advertising and marketing campaigns based on SA 2010, tough luck, your money was wasted as regards myself; I’ll never watch the commercial breaks, never be influenced to buy the products.
South Africa killed the World Cup, and is killing football.
6:06 am
Waited with excitement building as with every World Cup. It’s being destroyed by this constant drone. And, it’s not ‘South Africa’s World Cup’. It’s the world’s World Cup, being ruined.
I gave F1 a chance today instead.
6:31 am
WAKE UP PEOPLE- THIS IS DELIBERATE SABOTAGE. I can not believe what I am witnessing in this World Cup. To allow such a distraction is scandalous. I believe it is deliberate, to try and distract as much as possible, and to give the African nations a chance. (who I believe are more used to this thing occuring) If I was Robert Green, I would have said, “the horns deafened me and distracted me, and thats why, I missed the ball.” Then maybe Blatter, could do something. You have to form an intelligent strategy to execute, for this to be banned. Saying that- “it is annoying viewing”, will not do anything. To beat these cheating elite, you have to be smarter than them. PS I have just purchased 100,000 ear muffs to be delivered to South Africa- hey – I never miss a business opportunity!
6:56 am
Oh forgot to say- if you are a fan out there- deliberately throw them onto the pitch. Then they will become known as a “missile” and banned. That’s the only other way.
7:46 am
The vuvuzela horn should not be the main talking point of this world cup, but so far that’s what has come up the most. FIFA need to get a grip and ban this pointless thing ASAP before this is remembered as the most annoying WC in history.
I want to hear the Crowd at the games not the constant drone of some (enter expletive here) trying to kill people’s ear drums in the stadium.
8:04 am
The horns are ruining the world cup. So boring to watch. There is no excitment when big plays and goals happen. Maybe a good idea in theory but it’s time to get rid of them!!!
9:59 am
I’m done. I won’t watch another game until they get rid of that stupid sound.!!!!
11:02 am
I WILL ENCOURAGE THOSE GOING TO TAKE AND EXTRA PAIR AND BLOW ALL, MAKE A LOTTA NOISE…THIS IS AFRICA AND YOU PEOPLE ALREADY TALK NEGATIVE ABOUT US SO THIS IS NOT NEW…
11:15 am
So glad I didn’t go to the games–can’t imagine how disappointed and depressed those who bought tickets (and spent money to travel etc) must be–I’m just glad I can turn the mute on. Please stop being so politically correct, and tell these horn players THEY are the rude ones here–it speaks volumes about Africa and political correctness.
11:37 am
I like them actually.
no, seriously, is there a single non-african viewer that isn’t totally
irritated by that monotonous swarm of bees sound?
Surely the sound engineers can reduce the stadium audience sound, even if it means we hear less of the ball being kicked?
seems unbeleivable that this is ruining the games for the majority of viewers.
11:42 am
damn friggin bush horns. I feel total rage from this crapp and find it hard to believe that FIFA does not have the balls (no pun intended) to stop this most annoying drone. Anyone that paid good money to vacation in Africa for the games or just paid to attend even one game is walking away with a real bad taste and most annoying experience. I think the damage this will cause our beautiful game (with many new potential global fans being repulsed)is far greater then the possibility of upsetting a few Africans with their damn horns. FIFA DO THE RIGHT THING for millions of fans and PLEASE have them banned from South Africa.
12:36 pm
how is a plastic horn traditional ?
3:03 pm
Make no mistake, this is not about tradition…It’s about money. If these are banned, a big money-maker goes away. So FIFA’s decision is not based on what’s good for the game, but what is good for the SA economy. As the primary benefit to hosting the World Cup is financial.
4:44 pm
Vuvuzela – South African tradition?!! Rubbish! Singing and chanting has been the tradition in South Africa whatever the occasion, has been for thousands of years.
Let’s get these horns banned now. The world cup is for all countries not just the host country. In fact the host should set an example.
6:53 pm
I quite agree with the above. I bought a new television for this competition and really have got fed up with the noise every game sounds the same. Nelson should have a word. I have spoken to the BBC to see if they can filter it out and they no. If we do watch another match it will be with subtitles, its a shame the worst world cup I’ve endured and was so looking forward to it.
Mr M Stevens
London
7:33 pm
I’ve given up watching because of the incredibly annoying vuvuzela sound. Get rid of them please!
7:41 pm
I’d looked forward to watching as many matches as possible this year but just can’t stand the infernal racket and so have decided to give it up as a bad job. I suspect ratings have been affected as many are saying the same thing. No atmosphere, no singing, world cup 2010 completely ruined.