Olympics Opening Ceremony Criticized for ‘Disrespecting’ Christian Beliefs

The Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Olympics in Paris has sparked significant backlash, including from high-profile figures like Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who criticized the event as “extremely disrespectful” to Christians.

Drag Queens and other performers gathered around the table for a recreation of the DaVinci painting (Credit: BBC)

The ceremony, orchestrated by Artistic Director Thomas Jolly, featured a lavish and rain-soaked celebration with performances by Celine Dion, Lady Gaga, and heavy-metal band Gojira, as well as appearances by sports icons such as Zinedine Zidane, Serena Williams, and Rafael Nadal.

The controversy centres on a dramatic portrayal of Leonardo da Vinci’s “Last Supper,” which included a diverse cast featuring drag artists among those at the iconic table. This depiction has been criticized by several commentators online, who likened it to scenes from “Sodom and Gomorrah.”

The commentariat was horrified by such a display of wanton inclusivity (Picture: BBC)

Elon Musk expressed his disapproval of X, stating, “This was extremely disrespectful to Christians.” Professional boxer Ryan Garcia echoed the sentiment on Instagram, calling for a boycott of the Olympics and condemning the perceived disrespect to religion.

Reject degeneracy pic.twitter.com/Nizpj1dqH5

— Natalie F Danelishen (@Chesschick01) July 26, 2024

Commentators on social media, including American commentator Todd Starnes, voiced their outrage. Starnes called the ceremony a display of “perversion,” others cited Biblical references to express their discontent.

The rich and famous weren’t particularly thrilled by this reminder of France’s revolutionary spirit either (Picture: BBC)

The ceremony also included a performance by Gojira featuring a symbolic representation of Marie Antoinette, executed by guillotine during the French Revolution. This element, part of the heavy-metal band’s set, was described by CNN anchor Jake Tapper as “headless Marie Antoinette.”

OLYMPIC PERVERTS: The opening ceremony of the Paris games features drag queens mocking "The Last Supper" a bearded dude in a dress, a decapitated head singing a song and a Smurf wearing a thong. Even the people of Sodom and Gomorrah would blush. #Olympics pic.twitter.com/ntJ3OLpWOK

— toddstarnes (@toddstarnes) July 26, 2024

The Opening Ceremony was masterminded by French Artistic Director Thomas Jolly (Picture: Getty Images)

Thomas aimed to represent all in his opening show (Picture: Getty Images)

Thomas Jolly, the 42-year-old artistic director known as the ‘Peter Pan of Theatre,’ is behind the ceremony’s concept. Jolly, who founded the theatre company La Piccola Familia in 2006 and is known for his ambitious theatrical productions, has defended the ceremony as an inclusive celebration of diversity and representation. He emphasized that the event’s success depends on making everyone feel represented.