I don't get this "cultural" thing, they've been around for 5 years.

If they were using them to play along to a tune or something, then maybe it wouldn't be so bad, but it's just one long monotonous drone that is either annoying during open play or ohmygodiwanttoshoveitdowntheirthroats infuriating when there's a corner/free kick/goal etc etc... Unless it's a goal against South Africa. Oh how I cheered when Mexico scored and they were instantly silenced...

Well I’m South African and, despite what many South Africans will say, vuvuzelas are horrible, naughty things.  If you have ever had one blow in your direction you will know that the level of discomfort is unparalleled; they cause headaches and make your innards reverberate - ever heard of the “brown-note”?

In addition, as someone mentioned above, they are hardly cultural; they have only been around about 5 years.  It’s not like the Zulus and Khoza had vuvuzelas, or even some equivalent, 500 years ago!

At first I was wondering what all the fuss was about, but I'm just watching my first WC match (Japan vs. Cameroon) and damn, that buzzing noise from the vuvuzelas is annoying. It's just constant and doesn't stop...

buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz X 90minutes. lol

Oh, I just saw this "awesome" website that lets you re-live the WC2010 experience anytime on your computer! http://www.vuvuzela-time.co.uk/

Check it out! http://www.vuvuzela-time.co.uk/www.vgchartz.com

From what I have heard it has been grossly magnified for international play anyway, that in a typical South African game there would be one section that would blow them at appropriate times. What has happened now could be compared to an NBA game where the entire crowd had thunder sticks and were beating them together throughout the whole game. Is that accurate? I could definitely see the problem being more from foreign spectators: "Hey look, we can be like local fans except without any concern for the flow of the game!"

It's not about the disturbing sound it self, but I have almost not heard the normal sound a crowd makes at all. And no singing whatsoever.

Usually in a World Cup the fans of a national team make a unique noice - England, Brazil, Scotland, Greece, Turkey, Nigeria, Cameroon, Germany, Holland, Irish, Denmark etc. But not this time. In this WC every match sounds exactly the same. In a very annoying way the same.

So of course they should be banned. And if those things start to spread to European crowds they certainly will get banned.

^ I meant to say that it's not only about the disturbing sound itself.

They're getting more annoying with time it seems...