Dubai: The opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics on Friday was packed with memorable moments. However, one performance has stirred significant outrage among Christians worldwide: An apparent depiction of the Last Supper featuring drag performers.
The ceremony included a fashion show with a scene resembling a modern re-creation of Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting.
In this version, French actor and singer Philippe Katerine portrayed the Greek god Dionysus, painted blue and wearing minimal clothing. In this re-creation of the Last Supper, Jesus was replaced by an obese woman, and the apostles were represented by queer and trans figures, including a child.
Additionally, throughout the ceremony, numerous drag queens performed, with three among the 10,000 torchbearers who carried the Olympic flame from Greece through French territories to Paris.
One performer wore a large silver headdress resembling a halo, while another was painted blue and adorned with flowers, seemingly symbolising a dish being served at the meal. Social media reactions have been overwhelmingly critical, with many users condemning the performance as an “insult” to Christians.
Mockery of Christianity
The Catholic church in France criticised the segment.
“This ceremony has unfortunately included scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity, which we very deeply deplore,” the Conference of French bishops said in a statement.
Criticism has focused on a scene involving dancers, drag queens and a DJ in poses that recalled depictions of the Last Supper.
“Clearly there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group,” Paris 2024 spokeswoman Anne Descamps told reporters on Sunday.
“If people have taken any offence, we are of course really, really sorry,” she added.
Thomas Jolly also denied taking inspiration from the Last Supper in his nearly four-hour production which took place under driving rain along the River Seine.
“The idea was to do a big pagan party linked to the gods of Olympus,” Jolly told the BFM channel on Sunday.
“You’ll never find in my work any desire to mock or denigrate anyone. I wanted a ceremony that brings people together, that reconciles, but also a ceremony that affirms our Republican values of liberty, equality and fraternity,” he added. -- AFP
“To all the Christians of the world who are watching the #Paris2024 ceremony and felt insulted by this drag queen parody of the Last Supper, know that it is not France that is speaking but a left-wing minority ready for any provocation,” far-right politician Marion Marechal said in a post on X.
They perform in a variety of venues, including drag shows, clubs, and television, where they might sing, dance, lip-sync, and engage in theatrical performance.
Drag queens often use their performances to explore and play with gender roles and stereotypes, and their acts can range from comedic to dramatic.
The art of drag has a rich history and has evolved significantly, gaining mainstream visibility through shows like “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”
Her Italian counterpart, Matteo Salvini, added: “Opening the Olympics by insulting billions of Christians in the world was really a very bad start, dear French. Sleazy.”
Christian bishops also bemoaned the parody: Minnesota Bishop Robert Barron, a prominent US Catholic leader, called it a “gross mockery” and emblematic of a “deeply secularist postmodern society,” while Wisconsin-based Bishop Donald Hying slammed it as “blasphemy,” and Texas-based Bishop Daniel Flores posted: “the agendas just use the athletes; they deserve more respect. So do people of Christian Faith.”
Elon Musk reacts
The parody also drew backlash from conservative commentators, with one arguing the scene was a message to Christians that they are “NOT WELCOME,” and another claiming the Olympics have “gone full Woke dystopian,” while also arguing the depiction of a white horse carrying the Olympic flag was a reference to the pale horse, a sign of death in the Book of Revelation, the last book in the Bible.
Former CNN host Piers Morgan posting on X: “Would they have mocked any other religion like this? Appalling decision.”
Donald Trump Jr. re-posted a photo of the depiction, saying, “They’re not even pretending anymore,” while billionaire SpaceX, Tesla and X owner Elon Musk called the parody “extremely disrespectful to Christians” in a post on his social media platform.
Tony Estanguet, the president of Paris Olympics 2024, said: “Jolly was a bold choice but was consistent with our vision.”
Sharing an interview of Jolly, Collin Rugg, the co-owner of trending politics, wrote that the Art Director said that he mocked 2.4 billion Christians with drag queens so “everybody feels represented.”
“How do you write a show in which everybody, at one point, feels represented and a part this bigger thing, this bigger ‘us’? For an artist, it is a beautiful responsibility to have,” Jolly said.
“It’s ambitious but also complex because one has to broaden one’s own imagery, one’s own outlook and include everyone, understand everyone so that no one feels left behind,” he added.
Asked at a news conference on Saturday about some of the backlash. Jolly said he was unaware of the criticism and wanted to display “inclusion.”
“When we want to include everyone and not exclude anyone, questions are raised,” he said at an International Olympic Committee media briefing.
“Our subject was not to be subversive. We never wanted to be subversive. We wanted to talk about diversity. Diversity means being together,” he continued.
“We wanted to include everyone, as simple as that. In France, we have freedom of creation, artistic freedom. We are lucky in France to live in a free country. I didn’t have any specific messages that I wanted to deliver. In France, we are republic, we have the right to love whom we want, we have the right not to be worshippers, we have a lot of rights in France, and this is what I wanted to convey.”
Jenna Ellis, a former attorney for Donald Trump, criticised the ceremony on social media, calling it “overt pagan and satanic symbolism” and expressing her disapproval to her 1 million followers on X. The Last Supper, a significant event in Christian tradition, depicts Jesus’ final meal with his 12 apostles before his crucifixion. The ceremony’s depiction has been controversial for its departure from traditional religious imagery.
Albert Mohler, president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, said X: “Every society — without exception — coalesces around a dominant religious impulse with associated symbols. The sheer horror of the secularist replacement is what we saw in Paris. It’s a deliberately pornographic corruption of Christianity. Don’t miss how intentional it is, right down to details. Paris aspires to be the new Babylon, with a drag queen at the center behind the altar.”
Andrew T. Walker, a professor at SBTS, wrote on X: “If you needed reminding, the Olympics opening ceremony is a reminder that Leftism — with its transgressive debauchery — is an acid and cultural parasite. Basically, if you want to have a civilisation, you cannot allow it to metastasize.”
American Football kicker Harrison Butker condemned the act saying “This is crazy. Be not deceived. God is not mocked,” he wrote. Several netizens said the act was an insult to Catholics around the globe,” he wrote.
“This is outrageous. Kicking off your event by replacing Jesus and the disciples with men in drag is unacceptable,” wrote Clint Russell, who hosts the Liberty Lockdown podcast on X.
“With 2.4 billion Christians across the globe, the Olympics has sent a clear message that they are unwelcome,” he added.
