[imagesource:x]

Paris should receive an Olympic gold medal for naughtiness.

The opening ceremony for the 2024 Paris Olympics drew nearly 29 million viewers on Friday (26 July), the highest viewership since the 2012 Games.

Maybe that’s because the opening ceremony was as wacky, wonderful and rule-breaking as the French capital, which astounded, bemused and, at times, poked a finger in the eye of global audiences, especially Christians, on Friday night.

Being a home to humanity in all its richness, as well as a little revolution, it was no surprise that the French capital threw the most flamboyant, diversity-celebrating, LGBTQ+-visible opening ceremonies, notes AP News. But holy wow, Paris completely threw the envelope out of the park.

“In France, we have the right to love each other, as we want and with who we want. In France, we have the right to believe or to not believe. In France, we have a lot of rights. Voila,” said the audacious show’s artistic director, Thomas Jolly.

In getting the message across that freedom must know no bounds, a practically naked singer painted blue made thinly veiled references to his body parts, while a blonde-bearded drag queen Piche crawled on all fours to the thumping beat of ‘Freed From Desire’ by singer-songwriter Gala, who has long been a potent voice against homophobia.

The interpretation of the Greek God Dionysus makes us aware of the absurdity of violence between human beings. #Paris2024 #OpeningCeremony pic.twitter.com/FBlQNNUmvV

— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) July 26, 2024

Then, everyone, including kids, saw the beginnings of a menage à trois – luckily the door was slammed on the camera before things got really steamy – and the tail end of an intimate embrace between two men who danced away, hugging and holding hands.

In the end, the grandeur that organisers were aiming for was lost on some, with a few really rather offended by the amorous vibes and impudence.

That tableau featuring actor Phillippe Katerine as a blue-painted Greek god of wine Dionysus was interpreted as a mocking of Christianity, mimicking Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘Last Supper’, while a metal horse galloping down the Seine with the Olympic flag brought to mind the Pale Horse from the Book of Revelation. There was also a heavy metal performance from Gojira introduced by a headless Marie Antoinette, which was um, fun.

🚨BREAKING NEWS🚨

This year Gojira became the first metal band to perform at the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics.

This is incredibly cool and badass. France will now forever be labeled as cool and badass. pic.twitter.com/vJtH6wEOYv

— vx-underground (@vxunderground) July 26, 2024

These scenes created a major backlash, with Christians all over deploring the anti-religious imagery:

The French Catholic Church’s conference of bishops deplored what it described as “scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity” and said “our thoughts are with all the Christians from all continents who were hurt by the outrage and provocation of certain scenes.”

Twitter (X) is full of outrage:

The 2024 Paris Olympics has gone full Woke dystopian.

The opening ceremony was filled with transgend*r mockery of the Last Supper, the Golden Calf idol, and even the Pale Horse from the Book of Revelation.

The Olympics has made it clear that Christian viewers aren’t welcome. pic.twitter.com/LgawyE6YRX

— Kyle Becker (@kylenabecker) July 26, 2024

The opening ceremony of the Olympics is not even hiding the satanic rituals anymore.

There is no longer anything hidden in plain sight.

These are the demonic dark forces of Satan who want to eclipse the light.

You can already see:

– Skulls
– Motifs of death
– Satanic red… pic.twitter.com/0C0zsfWd1X

— Shadow of Ezra (@ShadowofEzra) July 26, 2024

Things got really heated when a couple of sponsors pulled out, leaving the Olympics YouTube channel bare with ‘Video unavailable’, as they appear to have removed the opening ceremony footage from ever being rewatched.

Of course, some are klapping back at the klap-back.

Jolly said his wish wasn’t to be “subversive, nor to mock or to shock”, as he mostly “wanted to send a message of love, a message of inclusion and not at all to divide.”

Some are angry about the “anti-Christian depiction of the last supper” at the Olympic Opening ceremony. (@elonmusk and @realDonaldTrump among others)

A Dutch art historian explains it’s not the last supper but a Dutch painting of the Olympic gods.
And I explain what I loved.
🧵 pic.twitter.com/ZMftlt7dTO

— AukeHoekstra (@AukeHoekstra) July 28, 2024

Paris museums are full of paintings that celebrate the human form, so they say this was all just a reminder that everyone starts life in their birthday suit. AKA where’s the shame?

“Nudity is really the very origin of the Games,” Philippe Katerine, the boundary-pushing actor and singer in blue said. “At first, they were naturist Olympics.”

Katerine said he was “proud” of the performance, adding that Parisian culture is “full of different people and everyone lives their own way and, above all, has the right to do so. I loved doing it.”

Jolly also confirmed that his inspiration was indeed “a pagan feast linked” to the gods of Olympus.

The IOC has taken note of and welcomes the clarification given by the Paris 2024 Organising Committee regarding the Opening Ceremony. pic.twitter.com/kEB9zyw3Ue

— IOC MEDIA (@iocmedia) July 28, 2024

Besides the Christians and extreme-right, transphobic activists upset with all the nudity, the Siene also proved to be a problem.

Instead of having the festivities in a stadium, as is standard, French officials decided to have their commencement ceremony throughout the city, snaking down the Seine.

@Paris2024 Olympic Games are open! Relive the highlights of its exceptional opening ceremony and check out the first medals for the 🇫🇷, 🇭🇰 and other international athletes already! pic.twitter.com/nA5atWg3ud

— Christile Drulhe (@ChristileDrulhe) July 27, 2024

But this wasn’t exactly TV-friendly nor audience-friendly, for that matter:

95% of Olympic Opening ticket buyers, including me, could not see an effing thing.
I have not felt.this ripped off since my final tuition check to Harvard. pic.twitter.com/ukFMJNP0dh

— Mike Reiss (@MikeReissWriter) July 26, 2024

Not to mention, Paris has spent $1.5 billion to clean up the coffee-coloured river and make it safe enough to host Olympic open-water swimming events, but that has proven to be slightly Sisyphean, as the rains are probably pushing sewerage into the water as we speak.

 

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As for the non-divisive highlights, Lady Gaga gave a fantastic performance for the Joker: Folie à Deux press tour:

…Gaga oh la la!

Excuse us as we pick our jaws off of the floor 🤯 @ladygaga just blew us away with a dazzling French cabaret performance at the #Paris2024 #OpeningCeremony! pic.twitter.com/oXBtU8wit3

— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) July 26, 2024

As well as Celine Dion, who, in her first performance since she was diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome in 2022, ascended the Eiffel Tower and performed Edith Piaf’s ‘Hymne a L’Amour.’

Celine Dion #Paris2024 #Olympics #Olympic2024 pic.twitter.com/3f8Pm0qqrE

— Celine Dion Icon (@celinedionlcon) July 26, 2024

The conversation about each country’s team uniforms was also full of wonder:

The 2024 Olympics might have some of the best uniforms to date 🔥 pic.twitter.com/zajnzmyo1q

— highsnobiety (@highsnobiety) July 26, 2024

Except, somehow, to an otherwise colourful and culturally fascinating South Africa, with teammates turning up looking like FNB reps:

@bouwerbosch Let’s talk about South Africa’s Olympic outfits 🇿🇦 #greenscreen #Olympics #SouthAfrica #mzansicomedy #Fashion #Paris #Afrikaans ♬ original sound – Bouwerbosch

Shame, whoever designed our uniforms totally missed the memo.

[sources:apnews&vox]