'Last Supper' parody: Olympics deletes opening ceremony videos after global backlash

PARIS, FRANCE: The Paris 2024 Olympics opening ceremony has stirred a massive controversy, leading to the deletion of its official video from the Olympics' YouTube channel, as reported by The Daily Mail.

This move comes as the backlash from viewers intensifies, with many taking to social media to express their discontent and compare it unfavorably to the widely praised London 2012 showcase.

Paris 2024 Olympics' opening ceremony video vanishes from official channel amidst backlash

One X user remarked, "People power wins over dark forces of the Paris Olympics opening ceremony. French bishops have joined together to address the feelings of Christians on all continents, for the outright mockery of Jesus Christ. The official Olympics YouTube channel has deleted the video but is yet to make a public statement on the gargantuan PR fail."

Another user commented, "The Olympics is now trying to memory hole Last Night’s Opening Ceremony that included: -Mockery of Christians -Grown men exposing themselves in front of children -Open degeneracy. They REMOVED the video on their YouTube and are using DMCA takedowns to get rid of reposts."

One user wrote, "You know that the Olympic Opening Ceremony was a massive success because the organisers are spending the rest of the weekend having the video removed from social media posts...." A user sarcastically wrote, "The official Olympics opening ceremony video on YouTube has been removed. I wonder why?"

A user observed, "The Olympics deleted their own video of the opening ceremony because it was being criticized too much." Another user added, "Paris Olympics have deleted all video evidence of their Opening Ceremony - embarrassing, weird and a mockery of Christianity. Disgusting."

A user noted, "The Olympics YT account deleted their opening ceremony video? LMAO." Someone else commented, "The Olympic official account deleted the video of the Paris opening ceremony, which was called the 'worst opening ceremony ever.'"

Despite the removal, there remains no official statement from the Olympics or the Paris 2024 organizers explaining the decision.

The absence of the video is particularly noticeable given that the full-length versions of the ceremonies from London 2012, Rio 2016, Beijing 2022, and even Nagano 1998 are all still available on the official channel.

Backlash result of several controversial elements within opening ceremony

The backlash stems from several controversial elements within the ceremony, which was carried out amid challenging weather conditions.

Among the various artistic tableaux, which were themed around French values such as freedom, fraternity, and equality, it was the Last Supper-style performance in the 'festivite' or party scene that sparked the most outrage.

This performance featured models, dancers, fashion icons, and drag queens from the host nation, set on a bridge over Paris's river around a table that also served as a catwalk. At the center was a woman with a golden halo-style crown, positioned in front of DJ equipment, surrounded by several drag queens and numerous dancers and performers.

The scene, intended to evoke the atmosphere of a nightclub, included a fashion show highlighting designs by some of France's most promising young talents, with performers executing intricate choreography on a soaking-wet stage.

'Drag Race' icon Nicky Doll, known for appearances on the French franchise, 'RuPaul's Drag Race UK vs The World', and as the host of 'Drag Race France', was among the notable figures participating in the tableau.

Despite some praise from younger viewers and fans of the TV show for its nightclub ambiance and vibrant performances, the scene drew severe criticism from others who accused the organizers of creating a parody of Leonardo da Vinci's painting of the 'Last Supper', depicting Jesus' final meal with his disciples.

The opening ceremony was further marred by a series of mishaps, including errors with country names and the Olympic flag being accidentally raised upside down.

Among the high-profile critics was Tesla and SpaceX owner Elon Musk, who has faced backlash for his conservative beliefs, including his stance toward his daughter. Musk took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to label the performance "extremely disrespectful to Christians" and added, "Christianity has become toothless."

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