Following an opening ceremony disrupted by attacks on France’s infrastructure, the 2024 Paris Olympics have officially begun.
Interestingly, it’s not the arson attacks on the French rail network’s ‘nerve centres’ that have captured Twitter’s attention, but a specific element of the opening ceremony.
The opening ceremonies for the Olympics frequently spark debate as people have differing opinions on how the host nation represents itself.
In a unique decision, Paris chose not to hold the ceremony in a stadium. Instead, athletes and performers paraded down the Seine river on barges.
These grand, vibrant performances celebrate the world’s most talented athletes coming together in an expression of international unity and peace.
One segment of the opening ceremony featured a group of drag performers.
The 18 performers stood behind a low table, with one performer at the center wearing a large headdress or crown.
On the Olympics Twitter page, the performance was described as an “interpretation of the Greek God [of wine] Dionysus,” aimed at highlighting “the absurdity of violence between human beings.”
Though this aligns with the Olympic spirit, the performance has faced severe backlash from some Twitter users.
Critics have accused the performance of ‘mocking’ the Last Supper, citing similarities to Leonardo Da Vinci’s famous fresco, The Last Supper.
This criticism seems to stem from the arrangement of people on one side of a table, a setup found in Da Vinci’s work.
Traditionally, the Last Supper features 12 disciples and Jesus, while this performance had additional participants.
Far-right French politician Marion Maréchal, a practicing Catholic, tweeted: “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.”
Some may argue that this stance conflicts with France’s foundational principle of ‘laïcité,’ which urges politicians to keep their religious beliefs private.
Maréchal was not the only one outraged. US podcast host Clint Russell expressed his dismay on Twitter, writing: “This is crazy. Opening your event by replacing Jesus and the disciples at the Last Supper with men in drag.
“There are 2.4 billion Christians on earth and apparently the Olympics wanted to declare loudly to all of them, right out of the gate NOT WELCOME.”
Others labeled the performance as ‘blasphemy’ and an ‘abomination.’
This performance was not the sole controversial moment in the ceremony. Another segment reportedly depicted a ‘headless’ Marie Antoinette, while another hinted at a sexual encounter in France’s national library.