Paris Olympics Draws Outrage After Opening Ceremony Mocks The Last Supper With Drag Queens (2024)

What are we doing?

The 2024 Olympics Games got underway this afternoon in Paris, France, kicking things off with the always interesting Opening Ceremony. Of course, this is the part where each country gets to introduce fans around the world to their Olympic athletes, while also showing off their style, culture, and creativity.

Team USA once again kept it pretty clean with Ralph Lauren suits (they’ve been rocking RL since 2008), as they battled the rain sailing down the Seine River. Basketball legend LeBron James handled the flag carrying duties for Team USA, along with tennis star Coco Gauff:

LeBron becomes the first male basketball player in history to bear the Team USA flag at an Olympic opening ceremony 🐐🔥 pic.twitter.com/mJ9vLsK1Rh
— BronMuse (@BronMuse) July 26, 2024

The Opening Ceremony is also where the host country gets to put on a little performance, once again to show off its style, culture, history and creativity, and let’s just say… what the hell was that? Like seriously…

If you’re not familiar, here’s a few examples of Athens in 2004 and London in 2012:

The Athens 2004 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony was a magnificent spectacle that paid homage to Greece's rich history and cultural heritage. pic.twitter.com/HoHZ2RyyvF
— Game of X (@froggyups) April 1, 2024

The Olympics opening ceremony in France brings me back to the 2012 opening ceremony in London. The Industrial Revolution sequence remains one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. This music is perfect, I had it on my iPod for years pic.twitter.com/7hZgy697Bk
— Max Marriner (@MrMaxMarriner) July 26, 2024

And then we have Paris, France, just a few hours ago…

Wtf is going on at the Olympics opening ceremony? pic.twitter.com/rWIjH8ZVwP
— Harrison Faulkner (@Harry__Faulkner) July 26, 2024

Shout out to the Paris Olympics #OpeningCeremony for me having to explain to my children what a Ménage à trois is. pic.twitter.com/ivMhpzuEh4
— Vance Lucas (@vlucas) July 26, 2024

Over 1 Billion people around the world are watching the Olympics Opening Ceremony.
And this is the best France could do.
See Also
IN DA CLUB (EN ESPAÑOL) - 50 Cent - LETRAS.COM 50 Cent : "In Da Club", l'histoire d'un classique qui valait un milliard Paroles et traduction 50 Cent : In Da Club - paroles de chanson Traduction de In Da Club en Français - 50 Cent | Paroles-musique.com
A man dressed as a Smurf surrounded by drag queens and a plus sized woman with a giant crown. pic.twitter.com/E4QHkwwFES
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) July 26, 2024

What the hell is going on at the Olympics? pic.twitter.com/VY3pNyP9wX
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) July 26, 2024

And this one… although dark and a bit satanic, the nod to the French Revolution featuring a headless Marie Antionette with music from French metal band Gojira was pretty damn cool. Shooting blood everywhere, jamming out on the side of a castle, mixing in some music from Bizet’s Carmen with opera singer Marina Viotti… it was pretty damn cool. Highlight of the show for sure.

This part of #OpeningCeremony with French band Gojira was badass 🤘pic.twitter.com/v6dWDorPM0
— Wu Tang is for the Children (@WUTangKids) July 26, 2024

But overall, a number of viewers found the mocking of the Last Supper to be quite disrespectful. And it is. C’mon… it’s utterly tasteless and antagonistic. And here’s the kicker… Paris is also home to over 2 million Muslims, the largest of any city in Europe. Would they ever think to mock Islam or the Quran like that? Of course not. That would be so wrong… they would never.

A number of folks took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to voice their disgust:

The Last Supper is currently being mocked at the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics in France by Radical Leftists.
We are fighting pure evil. pic.twitter.com/gQaJ3LAEZJ
— Cillian (@CilComLFC) July 26, 2024

Some weirdos did this satanic mockery of the Last Supper at the Olympics Opening Ceremony in Paris.
In other news, Jesus is King✞#OpeningCeremony #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/wkEHm69KjU
— GOATED (@aGOATEDaccount) July 26, 2024

In this scene from the Olympic opening ceremony, the famous painting of The Last Supper is recreated, but Jesus is replaced with an obese woman, while queer and trans figures (including a child!) depict her apostles.
Overt pagan and satanic symbolism. pic.twitter.com/YImWfFDekB
— Jenna Ellis (@realJennaEllis) July 26, 2024

I don’t even have words for this.
See Also
Hancko vindt het moeilijk om over zijn toekomst bij Feyenoord te praten: 'Het is aan de clubs'
This is the opening ceremony at the Olympics in France. These drag queens made a demonic mockery of the Last Supper.
We’re in a spiritual battle. 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/s6Y7vakggW
— Lori Love (@thereallorilove) July 26, 2024

The French have parodied the Last Supper at the opening ceremony of the Olympics in Paris.
Only Christians face this level of constant ridicule and mockery, as our enemies fear the gospel.
Enough is enough. pic.twitter.com/kOe4MQw1zy
— Disciples Of Christ (@ChristSavesUK) July 26, 2024

Just so you know… during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, Macron and his team parodied the Last Supper scene with drag queens and a fat woman crowned with an aureole…#Olympics pic.twitter.com/8KwEB59AiD
— Hermine (@olilunee) July 26, 2024

Personally, I've found the "EVERYTHING IS SATANIC!" argument to be an exhausting eye roll most of the time.
That said ––this Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony "Last Supper" Recreation ain't beating the allegations. pic.twitter.com/jX8RrYxiHv
— Julian Dorey (@julianddorey) July 26, 2024

Is it just me, or does it appear as though the Paris Olympics opening ceremony had drag queens recreating the last supper… pic.twitter.com/vSBISAPAPe
— AnnaZ (@AnnaZ) July 26, 2024

wtf? the Olympic opening ceremony just used drag queens to mock the The Last Supper
pic.twitter.com/1luXHmhvWd
— Andy Powlas (@andypowlas) July 26, 2024

Even a French member of the European Parliament made a point to offer an apology of sorts:

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. #notinmyname
À tous les chrétiens du monde… pic.twitter.com/GusP2TR63u
— Marion Maréchal (@MarionMarechal) July 26, 2024

Stay tuned… I’m sure this won’t be the last of it…

Michael Phelps Gets Fired Up After Australian Swimmer Bashes Team USA

Michael Phelps racked up twenty-three gold medals during his unprecedented, unmatched swimming career in the Summer Olympics. Beyond the freakish athleticism, tireless competitive drive, and endurance it takes to be in peak physical form for that long, Phelps had the added incentive of rivalries created with other countries.

Team USA dwarfs all other countries when it comes to swimming medals, but let’s be honest, it helps that the U.S. as a territory is so much bigger than most nations. Australia is second on the all-time medal table, so naturally, a rivalry has sparked between the countries in this particular Olympic discipline over the years.

At the 2023 World Aquatics Championships, Australia emerged with more golds (13 to seven) than Team USA. However, the Americans had more medals with a 38-25 edge, prompting Australian swimmer Cate Campbell to take serious issue with how the U.S. was portraying their version of events.

Here’s a brief bit of what Campbell had to say about Team USA being sore losers during that 2023 interview, as reported by The Sydney Morning Herald:

“Australia coming out on top of the world is one thing, but it is just so much sweeter beating America. […] Bring on Paris. That’s all I have to say to the US. Stop being sore losers.

When we’re right next to each other in the warm-up area, the US has this infernal cowbell that they ring, and as someone leaves to go to the competition pool, they ring out ‘U-S-A, U-S-A’ and I have never wanted to punch someone more and steal that cowbell.”

Now that the final Olympic trials are underway ahead of the incoming Paris Summer Games, Campbell’s video is making the rounds. A clip of it made its way to Phelps, who immediately got irked with a raw, impromptu reaction:

“I would make them eat every word they said about me.”
Michael Phelps got FIRED UP about the USA vs. Australia swimming rivalry ahead of the #ParisOlympics. pic.twitter.com/57cKaLvgtE
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) June 21, 2024

Phelps said he would “lose it” if someone said that to him, and I don’t blame him. He also makes reference to the times Aussie adversaries like Ian Thorpe would talk trash before a race, only to watch the evergreen result of Phelps raising his hands in triumph at the end play out.

Unfortunately for Campbell, she missed out on the 2024 Olympics for failing to qualify, leading to her recent retirement at age 32. Australia’s big hitter on the women’s side is Kaylee McKeown, who’s a world record-holding backstroke specialist and has a shot to win in the 50m, 100m and 200m. McKeown took gold in all those events at the 2023 World Championships.

Regarding the substance of Campbell’s criticism, it just sounds like somebody who has years of jealous rage built up due to Phelps and USA swimmers of his ilk dominating Australia more often than not. In each of the last eight Summer Games, the United States has finished as the top nation in swimming. That’s gotta sting! I get it.

My personal opinion on cowbell, though? You can never have enough of it.

FAQs

Paris Olympics Draws Outrage After Opening Ceremony Mocks The Last Supper With Drag Queens? ›

Though many found the moment an inclusive celebration for the LGBTQ+ community, others took to social media to call the imagery a “mockery” and “insulting to Christian people” following the performance. On July 28, Paris 2024 spokesperson Anne Descamps apologized “if people have taken any offense.”

Find Out More ›

What was the point of the drag queen last supper at the Olympics? ›

Although the ceremony's artistic director, Thomas Jolly, and other participants have repeatedly said the scene wasn't inspired by “The Last Supper,” critics interpreted that part of the show as a mockery of Leonardo Da Vinci's painting showing Jesus Christ and his apostles.

Read On ›

What is the mockery of The Last Supper at the Paris Olympics? ›

There is a wave of controversy around a particular performance at the Paris Olympics 2024, where Christians have reportedly taken offence to a performance on a tableau, claiming that it resembled a paining by Leonardo da Vinci on 'The Last Supper.

Know More ›

Did the Olympics opening ceremony mock The Last Supper? ›

The painting depicts the final meal of Jesus with his apostles, the night before the crucifixion. On Sunday, the artistic director for the ceremonies said the scene was not meant to resemble The Last Supper, but a scene based on the Greek god Donysus.

Learn More Now ›

Did the Olympics parody The Last Supper? ›

“We wanted to talk about diversity. Diversity means being together. We wanted to include everyone, as simple as that,” he said on Saturday. This article was amended on 29 July 2024 to clarify that the interpretation of the scene being a parody of the Last Supper was unintentional.

What is the controversy with the Olympics opening ceremony? ›

Catholic leaders in France called the scene a “mockery of Christianity” in a statement, Reuters reported. “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.

Know More ›

What was the offensive opening ceremony at the Olympics? ›

Paris Olympics organizers apologized to anyone who was offended by a tableau that evoked Leonardo da Vinci's “The Last Supper” during the glamorous opening ceremony, but defended the concept behind it Sunday. Da Vinci's painting depicts the moment when Jesus Christ declared that an apostle would betray him.

Keep Reading ›

Is the Last Supper in the Bible? ›

The story of the Last Supper on the night before Christ's crucifixion is reported in four books of the New Testament (Matthew 26:17–29; Mark 14:12–25; Luke 22:7–38; and I Corinthians 11:23–25).

Discover More Details ›

Did the Paris Olympics apologize for Last Supper? ›

Organizers of the Paris Olympics have apologized for what some critics described as a parody of “The Last Supper” during the lavish opening ceremony on Friday.

Explore More ›

What are the criticism of the Paris Olympics 2024? ›

There are various concerns and controversies related to the 2024 Summer Olympics, including security concerns, human rights issues, and controversy over allowing Israel to participate amidst the Israel–Hamas war, and allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as neutrals amidst the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

What was the backlash of the Olympics ceremony? ›

Paris Olympics games organisers on Sunday issued an apology after receiving backlash from the public, particularly Christian groups over the “inappropriate” depiction of a key “biblical scene” in its opening ceremony.

Learn More Now ›

What was the purpose of The Last Supper at the Olympics? ›

Thomas Jolly, the artistic director behind the flamboyant opening ceremony, said the scene had not been inspired by "The Last Supper" and depicted a pagan feast linked to the gods of Olympus. "You will never find in my work a desire to denigrate anyone or anything," Jolly told broadcaster BFMTV.

Get More Info ›

What was the Olympic Drag Show about? ›

The queens were joined by other models and performers, including disc jockey Barbara Butch, who wore a silver headdress resembling a halo. The performers were "dressed as Greek gods in Louis Vuitton costumes to celebrate the history of French art and fashion", according to Christian Holub of Entertainment Weekly.

What was the controversy at the Olympics opening ceremony? ›

Updated on August 27, 2024 at 6:42 am. NBC Universal, Inc. Paris Olympics organizers apologized Sunday to anyone who was offended by a tableau that evoked Leonardo da Vinci's “The Last Supper” during the glamorous opening ceremony.

Get More Info ›

What was the controversial picture at the Olympics? ›

In a rare weekend release, the Vatican responded Saturday to the controversial drag performance that depicted Leonardo da Vinci's “Last Supper” painting during the 2024 Paris Olympics' opening ceremony last week.