Following an opening ceremony overshadowed by attacks on France’s national infrastructure, the 2024 Paris Olympics have officially begun
Interestingly, it’s not the arson attacks on the French rail network’s ‘nerve centers’ that have taken over Twitter, but rather a particular element of the opening ceremony.
The Olympics opening ceremony frequently sparks controversy, as people debate the way the host nation chooses to represent itself.
In a unique departure from tradition, Paris chose not to host the ceremony in a stadium. Instead, athletes and performers were paraded down the Seine River on barges.
These performances are grand, lively, and exuberant celebrations, highlighting the coming together of the world’s most talented athletes in a moment of international unity and peace.
As part of this, one segment of the opening ceremony featured a group of drag performers.
The 2024 Paris Olympics are officially underway following a historic opening ceremony. (Christian Liewig – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)
The 18 performers stood behind a low table, with one performer in the center wearing an elaborate headpiece or crown.
On the Olympics Twitter page, the performance was described as an “interpretation of the Greek god Dionysus,” aimed at highlighting “the absurdity of violence between human beings.”
That aligns well with the Olympic spirit, but the performance has sparked a strong backlash from some users on Twitter.
They have accused the performance of ‘mocking’ the Last Supper, noting similarities between its imagery and Leonardo da Vinci’s famous fresco, The Last Supper.
A Bacchanalian scene (BBC)
This was likely due to a group of people standing on one side of a table—an arrangement unique to this situation and absent from any other context in human history or culture.
Traditionally, the Last Supper included 12 disciples and Jesus, but this version seems to feature four unexpected guests.
Marion Maréchal, a far-right French politician and practicing Catholic, took to Twitter to address the controversy surrounding the #Paris2024 ceremony. She stated, “To all Christians around the world who felt offended by the drag queen parody of the Last Supper, understand that this is not a reflection of France as a whole but rather a provocation from a left-wing minority.”
Some might argue that this stance seems at odds with France’s foundational principle of laïcité, which advocates for the separation of religion from public life and encourages politicians to keep their religious beliefs private.
Who are the extra disciples? (BBC)
Maréchal wasn’t the only one taken aback; US podcast host Clint Russell also voiced his shock on Twitter, saying: “This is unbelievable. Opening your event by swapping out Jesus and the disciples at the Last Supper for men in drag is just crazy.”
“There are 2.4 billion Christians around the world, and it seems the Olympics made a bold statement from the start, clearly signaling that they are not welcome.”
Others labeled the performance as ‘blasphemous’ and an ‘abomination.’
The ceremony wasn’t short of controversy, featuring other contentious moments, such as a portrayal of a ‘headless’ Marie Antoinette and a scene that hinted at a sexual encounter in France’s national library
