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| Paris Olympics Rings |
A parody of Leonardo Da Vinci's iconic fresco 'The Last Supper' featuring drag queens in the Olympic opening ceremony in Paris has sparked outrage among the Catholic Church and far-right politicians, while supporters praised its message of tolerance.
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The unique ceremony along the Seine River, which drew millions of viewers worldwide, included a tableau celebrating Paris's vibrant nightlife and reputation for tolerance, pleasure, and subversiveness. The scene recreated the biblical moment of Jesus Christ and his twelve apostles sharing a last meal before his crucifixion, but with drag queens, a transgender model, and a naked singer depicted as the Greek god Dionysus.
The Catholic Church in France condemned the segment. "This ceremony, unfortunately, included scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity, which we deeply deplore," stated the Conference of French Bishops.
Far-right politicians in France and beyond voiced their disgust on social media. "To all the Christians of the world watching the #Paris2024 ceremony and feeling insulted by this drag queen parody of the Last Supper, know that it is not France speaking but a left-wing minority ready for any provocation," posted far-right politician Marion Marechal on X. Italian politician Matteo Salvini added, "Opening the Olympics by insulting billions of Christians worldwide was a very bad start, dear French. Sleazy."
American billionaire Elon Musk, who recently endorsed Donald Trump, called it "extremely disrespectful to Christians."
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France, proud of its Catholic heritage, also has a strong tradition of secularism and anti-clericalism. Blasphemy is not only legal but also considered by many as a fundamental aspect of freedom of speech in a democratic society.
"In France, people are free to love how they please, love whoever they want, and believe or not believe," said Thomas Jolly, the ceremony's artistic director, when asked about the critics.
Some commentators viewed the controversy as another example of 21st-century culture wars amplified by a 24-hour news cycle and social media. "Everyone has to take offense, it seems," said David Aaronovitch, a BBC Radio 4 presenter, on X. "Leonardo's image is one of the most famous in the Western world and has been pastiched, parodied, and altered tens of thousands of times."
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One of the performers was unapologetic. "It wouldn't be fun if there were no controversy. Wouldn't it be boring if everyone agreed on this planet?" Philippe Katerine, the blue naked man in the scene, told BFM TV the day after the show.
