The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics – held not in a stadium but along the Seine in the middle of a summer downpour – was both a daring, terrifying spectacle and a sloppy, rain-soaked, full-blown fiasco of dazzling heights (Céline Dion on the Eiffel Tower) and avoidable missteps (the out of sync Dancers of Can-Can who hardly lifted their legs because they were so afraid of crashing into the Seine). Whatever their cultural or political perspective, there was much to discuss in the event – and especially its coverage on NBC – whether it be the beheaded Marie Antoinette, the trio of books, the lenses of camera fog, or the glaring lack of context or insight from the network’s commentators.
But conservatives in the United States — and elsewhere — are upset about a portion of the ceremony that has yet to be broadcast in its entirety on NBC.
A segment called “Festivité” – the eighth of 12 scenes celebrating aspects of French culture and history – paid tribute to French fashion with an inclusive fashion show and a party on a catwalk over the Seine, with drag queens and a transgender model. At one point in the sequence, several artists sat at the side of the runway, which doubled as a long dining table, in an artfully composed table that reminded some viewers of Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” Vinci, the Renaissance masterpiece depicting Jesus Christ. and the apostles. Later, in a part of the sequence that did not air on NBC but was widely shared on social media, French entertainer Philippe Katerine appeared as Dionysus, the Greek god of winemaking, almost naked. painted blue, and singing on a giant plate. of fruit
The scene sparked outrage from many conservative figures in the United States. In X, first Twitter, the president of the House Mike Johnson said that it was “insulting to Christians in the world. … The war on our faith and traditional values knows no limits today. But we know that the truth and virtue will always prevail.” Never one to let a culture war skirmish pass her by, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) also weighed in, denouncing the ceremony as “anti-Christian” and “satanic, trans and occult.” Even “Full House” star Candace Cameron Bure gave her two cents — and then some — on Instagram. “Seeing the inauguration ceremony completely blasphemous and mocking the Christian faith with their performance of ‘The Last Supper’ was disgusting,” he said in a video. Donald Trump Jr. he also bemoaned the “woke” Olympics.
A group of French Catholic bishops also joined the chorus of criticism, saying the ceremony “included scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity, which we deeply deplore.”
Event organizers have apologized for any offense the scene may have caused. “There was never clearly any intention to show disrespect to any religious group,” Paris 2024 spokeswoman Anne Descamps said at a press conference on Sunday. “On the contrary, I think we tried to celebrate community, tolerance. We believe that this ambition has been achieved.” According to a post on X from the official account of the Olympics, “The interpretation of the Greek God Dionysus makes us aware of the absurdity of violence between humans.”
The performers involved in the controversial scene do not apologize, however. Barbara Butch, a DJ and producer who appeared on “Drag Race” in France and was presented at the center of the tableau with a halo head, said. in an Instagram post that “I’ve never been ashamed of who I am, and I’ve taken responsibility for everything – including my artistic choices.” In a statement from her lawyer, Butch said she had been “threatened with death, torture and rape”, and had been the target of “anti-Semitic, homophobic, sexist and grossophobic slurs”, and was filing complaints against his detractors.
Thomas Jolly, the artistic director of the opening ceremony, denied that “The Last Supper” inspired the tableau, or that he had intended to belittle anyone’s beliefs. “The idea was to create a big pagan festival … you will never find in me, or in my work, any desire to make fun of anyone,” he said in an interview with the French broadcasting network BFMTV.
Jolly did not elaborate on his inspiration, but some Art experts see more similarities with the paintings such as “The Feast of the Gods”, by Jan van Bijlert.
Conservative outrage also fails to draw a distinction between a work of art painted more than 1,400 years after Jesus’ crucifixion – one that is as celebrated for its brilliant composition and use of perspective as for its message. religious – and the accounts of the New Testament. the last meal that Jesus shared with his apostles. And he easily forgets that this mural was created by Da Vinci, a man who many researchers believe was probably gay or bisexual, and who would have used his longtime lover as a model for his portrait of Saint John the Baptist.
As the controversy over naked blue men and French heathens rages, many of us in America can only wonder, “Hey, why haven’t we seen it all?”
