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Various Christian groups condemned the performance online, declaring it "shocking" and "a mockery of Christianity."
Jack Izzo
Published July 30, 2024
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On the evening of July 26, 2024, in the midst of pouring rain, French President Emmanuel Macron officially opened the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games. The opening ceremony, a four-hour long spectacle that saw athletes from 203 different nations ferried down the Seine River, concluded as planned. However, one particular scene during the ceremony sparked outrage and criticism from Christians on social media, who deemed it insulting to their religion.
The scene, a fashion show involving dancers, drag queens and a DJ, featured camera shots that reminded many viewers of Leonardo da Vinci's "The Last Supper," which depicts the last meal of Jesus Christ before his crucifixion.
The opening ceremony was choreographed and directed by the French theatre director Thomas Jolly. It was divided into 12 tableaux, each meant to express a different aspect of French culture. The controversial scene was part of Tableaux 8, called "Festivity," and according to Jolly, the segment was referencing the pagan traditions of Ancient Greece, where the Olympic Games originated.
The reference to Ancient Greece makes sense for Jolly — a June 2024 profile with British Vogue described him as being "keen on the Greeks," and Jolly said he would include references to Ancient Greek mythology in the ceremony.
So at the end of the segment, when the top of a large serving platter rose to reveal a blue man (French singer Phillippe Katerine) wrapped in grapevines, Jolly was not referencing Jesus and "The Last Supper," but rather Dionysus, the Greek God of wine and festivity. The official account for the Olympic Games posted a still of the scene to X (formerly Twitter) explaining the reference:
Jolly, Katerine and Barbara Butch, the latter a DJ who some claimed was supposed to represent Jesus Christ, have all commented on and defended the performance.
In a now-inaccessible Instagram story, Butch said she was the Greek God of the Sun, Apollo, and referenced Jan van Bijlert's painting "The Feast of the Gods," which is displayed in a French art museum. A few art historians posted to social media to point out the reference to van Bijlert's work as well. On French radio, Katerine said the performance was not meant to shock anyone. "We were trying to create peace," he said.
Snopes did find one contradictory report, although we were unable to corroborate its source. The Wrap, an online entertainment publication, included a statement from Paris 2024 producers claiming that the reference to "The Last Supper" was intentional, but noted that the work had been referenced many times in pop culture.
"Clearly, there was never an intention to show disrespect towards any religious group or belief … [Jolly] is not the first artist to make a reference to what is a world-famous work of art. From Andy Warhol to 'The Simpsons,' many have done it before him," the producer supposedly told The Wrap.
Anne Descamps, the communications director for the Paris Games, apologized in a news conference held two days after the opening ceremony. "If people have taken any offence, we are, of course, really really sorry," she said.
Sources
AFP. "Paris Olympic Opening Creator Defiant, Denies Last Supper Reference." France24, 28 July 2024, https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20240728-paris-olympic-opening-creator-defiant-over-controversial-show.
"Cérémonie d'ouverture des JO: Thomas Jolly et Daphné Bürki répondent aux critiques de Jean-Luc Mélenchon." RMC Sport Jeux Olympiques, https://rmcsport.bfmtv.com/jeux-olympiques/ceremonie-d-ouverture-des-jo-thomas-jolly-et-daphne-burki-repondent-aux-critiques-de-jean-luc-melenchon_AV-202407280144.html. Accessed 29 July 2024.
Daw, Stephen. "Olympics Clarify That the Opening Ceremony's Drag Performance Was Not Mocking 'The Last Supper.'" Billboard, 29 July 2024, https://www.billboard.com/culture/pride/olympics-drag-performance-opening-ceremony-not-last-supper-1235742137/.
"French Actor Painted Blue in Olympics Opening Ceremony Reacts to Controversial Scene: 'I Was Proud.'" TODAY.Com, 29 July 2024, https://www.today.com/news/paris-olympics/olympics-opening-ceremony-last-supper-controversy-rcna163929.
Goodfellow, Melanie. "Olympics Opening Ceremony Artistic Director Says Controversial Tableau Was Not Inspired By 'The Last Supper' – Update." Deadline, 28 July 2024, https://deadline.com/2024/07/olympics-opening-ceremony-artistic-director-intention-mock-or-shock-1236024601/.
Jan Hermansz. van Bijlert | Le Festin Des Dieux (The Feast of the Gods ) | Artsy. https://www.artsy.net/artwork/jan-hermansz-van-bijlert-le-festin-des-dieux-the-feast-of-the-gods. Accessed 29 July 2024.
Kaloi, Stephanie. "Paris Olympics Producers Say 'The Last Supper' Inspired That Opening Ceremony Scene: 'Many Have Done It Before.'" TheWrap, 28 July 2024, https://www.thewrap.com/paris-olympics-producers-last-supper-inspired-opening-ceremony/.
Liakos, Matias Grez, Chris. "Organizers Apologize after Church Groups Criticize Alleged 'Last Supper' Parody during Opening Ceremony." CNN, 29 July 2024, https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/29/sport/last-supper-paris-olympic-opening-ceremony-spt-intl/index.html.
"Paris' Olympics Opening Was Wacky and Wonderful — and Upset Bishops. Here's Why." AP News, 27 July 2024, https://apnews.com/article/olympics-2024-opening-ceremony-audacious-analysis-49f9885ff2b95b9b7ccc51ca195e84e1.
"Philippe Katerine, Félicien Brut et Ghislaine Benabdallah sur le plateau du 13/14." France Inter, 27 July 2024, https://www.radiofrance.fr/franceinter/podcasts/le-journal-de-13h-du-week-end/journal-13h00-du-samedi-27-juillet-2024-1878457.
The Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony: What Did It All Mean? https://www.offbeatfrance.com/paris-olympics-opening-ceremony-meaning.html. Accessed 29 July 2024.
"Thomas Jolly." Opéra National de Paris, https://www.operadeparis.fr/en/artists/thomas-jolly. Accessed 29 July 2024.
Wood, Gaby. "Thomas Jolly Is Masterminding The Most Complex Olympics Opening Ceremony Of All Time." British Vogue, 4 June 2024, https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/paris-olympics-opening-ceremony.
Zhuang, Yan. "An Olympics Scene Draws Scorn. Did It Really Parody 'The Last Supper'?" The New York Times, 28 July 2024. NYTimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/28/sports/olympics-opening-ceremony-last-supper-paris.html.
By Jack Izzo
Jack Izzo is a Chicago-based journalist and two-time "Jeopardy!" alumnus.
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FranceDrag Queen2024 OlympicsLeonardo Da Vinci
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