- Brennan Weiss
Yes, I know the World Cup has been over for more than a month, but I just can’t say goodbye to that vuvuzela. 
After finally recovering from a head injury thanks to the vuvuzela during the World Cup, I have been able to compile my thought about this… interesting instrument and tell the GCS world why I wish it had never surfaced the South African market.
The 2010 edition of the Fifa World Cup was a memorable one, but something that everyone would love to forget is that darn sound of the vuvuzela. This “musical” instrument encompasses a colored hollow tube-like structure and creates the sound of a group of mad swarming bees. The sound, unique at first, will eventually want you to smash your TV in two and listen to Beethoven’s fifth to find some sanity within yourself. We do have to give it to those South Africans, however, because they created one of the most original sounds in the history of the sport. Heck, they created the most original sound in the history of sports! Unfortunately, it was for all the wrong reasons.
The vuvuzela is a descendant of the kudu horn. The kudu animal, similar to the looks of a deer, had horns that were used by African village leaders to call upon their fellow village men and women for town meetings and emergencies. Over time, the kudu horn has evolved from the late-1990’s fad, the boogieblast, all the way to today’s vuvuzela. Though the origins of the name “vuvuzela” have not been entirely discovered, many people have developed some theories. Some believe it is related to a slang word that means shower, since it looks like a showerhead, and it supposedly “showers people with music”. Others believe vuvuzela derived from the language Zulu, meaning “making noise”.
The vuvuzela’s obnoxious and irritating sound has caused many viewers to sacrifice their peacefulness of watching the games by muting their televisions. It has also inhibited viewers who were brave enough to have the sound loud enough to hear. The sound often drowned the voice of the announcers, and when their voices finally became audible, the bothersome horns’ sound distracted viewers from being able to concentrate on the game.
This isn’t the first time, however, that sounds other than clapping and screaming have been used to cheer on teams at sporting events. The cowbells, most famous from fans of the Tampa Bay Rays, have experienced criticism like the vuvuzela. Atlanta Braves fans adopted the Tomahawk Chop, which first started at Florida State University, during the 1991 World Series and they have used this infuriating chant ever since. The thunderstix has also been deemed one of those annoying instruments that nobody can stand other than those using them. The thunderstix became popular when the Anaheim Angels made it to the 2002 World Series, and since then, other sports venues have caught on and used them as well.
The vuvuzela has had a long journey. From being a top hit in South Africa, to a topic of conversation among sports critics around the world, to being mocked by Will Ferrell and Seth Meyers on the 2010 ESPYS, there is no doubt the vuvuzela has been through a lot. No matter if you like the vuvuzela, or hate it with all your passion, it is something that must be accepted, because frankly, I don’t see another World Cup without it.
- Brennan Weiss
