South Africa finally has the world stage to itself. Not since Nelson Mendela was released from prison has the spotlight shone so bright on this country.

All eyes were on Johannesburg as the first World Cup Soccer game ever played on African soil was about to begin.

As quoted by the LA Times, people had this to say before the first game:

"This is the culmination of about four or five years of South African energy coming together, and it's just fantastic."

"It's unifying the country; it's symbolic of what it has meant to be a South African for the last 20 years. It's just an incredible experience for us. It's amazing for Africa.

"Everyone's on fire. Everyone's loving it. Everyone's proud of being South African. Everyone's proud of being African."

Then the game began. And so did the sound.

Swarming bees? That’s what it sounded like. Perhaps it was just microphone feedback … or the television? Hit the mute button.

Next game, same sound. What is that horrible, hair-raising noise?

It’s South African for “annoyance.” Or just their way of saying “hello world.”

Surely they’re not trying to disrupt the sports world at large, forcing people to mute their TVs or spend hours trying to get the closed caption option to work. Surely they want what we want – world peace, understanding, harmony and a kick-ass World Cup. But that swarming bees sound? How else to interpret that purposeful intrusion but “they’re trying to drive us mad”?

No. They’re not. That sound is merely the happy fans and their vuvuzelas – or stadium horns. It takes lip and lung strength to keep ‘em going, but these fans have obviously been practicing because the noise never lets up.

For some viewers it’s merely distracting. For viewers like me it’s a no can do. I like soccer probably a little more than the next person. I was a big Cosmos fan, at every game in the Meadowlands. In high school I (with 3 friends) infiltrated the boys soccer team because there was no team then for girls.

I like soccer. And I embrace how the world – and the melting pot that is the United States --comes together every four years to watch and cheer. Every pizzeria in most of New Jersey is tuned in, and I so love hearing the comments and throw-asides from people of all ages.

But that sound? The vuvuzelas? It’s so distracting. I was tuning out, falling asleep and thinking calm thoughts. The sound was so distracting, it gave me a headache, made me uncomfortable and I just wanted to get away from it. I started thinking how much I hated soccer, how boring it was … yes, I’ll just sleep.

Or leave! I can’t take it another second. Make it stop!

South Africa is finally the center of the sporting world’s attention and this is how they thank us? With migraine-inducing background noise?

Commentators can’t comment. Bloggers can’t blog. Writers can’t write. No one can do anything except discuss the noise. I’m actually surprised the players can run and kick at the same time.

I’m hoping someone speaks up to the people in charge and does something about this. Everyone is noticing, but no one is inclined to make it stop. People have noted that commentators are impossible to hear. Others have said what I have – the noise is a mind-altering annoyance.

Wikipedia notes (and we all want to know what Wikipedia says) that the sound can be dangerous! Yes! Dangerous! It says the sound can be associated with permanent, noise-induced hearing loss.

We have another 4 weeks or so of World Cup Soccer. We have to stop the insanity before everyone just tunes out and this is the worst-rated World Cup ever. That would make South Africa look bad – and they don’t deserve to; we don't want them to.

South Africa doesn’t even know the sound is so annoying it makes viewers cry, cringe and tune-out. No one has told them.

Someone has to be the messenger. They’ll get over it.