Vuvuzelas have made the news recently, accused of distracting players in the World Cup and upsetting fans. The BBC has received 545 complaints for its TV coverage.
So what exactly is a Vuvuzela?
What is a vuvuzela? A plastic trumpet-like object, about a meter long that South Africa footie fans blow at football games.
Where did the vuvuzela come from? The vuvuzela was introduced to South Africa as a toy for kids. However, sales didn’t kick off until football fans caught on to its stadium potential.
What does it sound like? The vuvuzela has a high-pitched blasting sound, which can reach 130 decibels. It’s been compared to a big air-horn on trucks, a swarm of bees or a herd of elephants.
Is it possible to drown out the sound of a vuvuzela?
The Beeb is considering showing coverage that cuts out the noise of vuvuzelas on its red button service. However, experts say it ‘s impossible to cut out the horns without affecting commentary and crowd noise.
Will the vuvuzela be banned? World Cup organisers have ruled out a stadium ban although some players are putting on pressure to ban their use.
Will it catch on in the UK? Supermarkets claim that football fans in Britain are buying vuvuzelas at a rate of one every two seconds.
iPhone users can download a variety of vuvuzela ‘apps’. ‘Vuvuzela 2010’ is top of the iTunes apps charts in France, Austria, Belgium, Greece, Ireland and Luxembourg.
HOW TO BLOW A VUVUZELA
CHECK OUT THE VUVUZELA APP
