I haven't really followed the Olympics since I was a boy. Even then, I only watched the downhill and ski-jumping events, so I was never one to get excited at the prospect of another Olympiad.
I will admit that the proximity of the 2002 Winter Games intrigued me, and a buddy and I ambled over to Park City just to take in the ambiance. We caught a tiny case of Olympic fever and decided that we would probably never be so close to an Olympics again, so we bought tickets to the only event we could afford: a matchup of Germany and China in women's hockey.
Before you scoff, it was a great game. I have watched many hockey games in my life, and that game was far and away the most exciting one I have ever seen. The opening ceremonies were impressive, even moving. From "Call of the Champions," composed by John Williams, to the athletes bringing in the American flag, everything about the ceremonies was beautifully done. I was surprised and proud to see my former father-in-law offer a Native American blessing over the games.
And then there was Paris.
I'll spare you the descriptions since you have probably seen and heard enough of the sordid display. And you also know that it did not go over well with Christians and many other people who thought the affair was offensive and in bad taste. But it didn't bother everyone. Many people were positively giddy over the ceremonies. KUTV reported that many of Utah's leaders, including Gov. Spencer Cox, expressed their offense and disappointment at the spectacle. Unsurprisingly, Sen. Mitt Romney, who helmed the 2002 Games, had this to say in a tweet.
The @Paris2024 Opening Ceremony showcased the world’s most beautiful city. Imaginative, inventive and memorable. The performance by Celine Dion touched hearts. She epitomized the Olympic spirit with her determination, courage and incomparable talent.
I admit that an article in The Free Press by Suzy Weiss titled “Was the Opening Ceremony Demonic, or Just Cringe?” surprised me. One of Weiss' objections seems to be that the focus was not on the athletes or excellence but something else that no one seems to be able to quantify. Another appears to be that the ceremonies were poorly done. Maybe the word I am looking for is "tacky." Weiss does note the objections:
That section is what’s caused the most controversy; it appears the performers were lined up to emulate da Vinci’s Last Supper, except gay. The speaker of the house called it “shocking and insulting to Christian people around the world.” Elon Musk called it “extremely disrespectful to Christians,” while American bishops declared it blasphemous. I don’t think the display was offensive to Christians so much as embarrassing for France. The fashion show kiki was certainly gratuitous, but it wasn’t edgy, or interesting. As Matt Taibbi pointed out, “this is like Robin DiAngelo’s idea of daring.”
She concludes with:
Be offended for the people of France, not the people of faith, for this sad display. Because under the glitz and set pieces, and cheeky sexuality and overt sexuality, I’m still not sure what this Olympics opening ceremony was trying to say.
I don't think that Weiss meant her comments as an intentional slight. The comments section was full of offended people and those who saw the ceremonies as a triumph. But one comment stood out to me:
Suzy, you don’t think the parody of the Last Supper was offensive to Christians … because you’re not a Christian.
I agree that it was also embarrassing to France, but let’s just substitute a parody that offended Muslims. The ensuing riots would have given “embarrassment” in France a whole new meaning.
The commenter implies that Weiss lacks the cultural context to understand the reasons for the offense. I have no idea what Weiss' spiritual views are, but the commenter makes a valid point. In many cases, the people who thought that Friday night's production was wonderful and that Christians just needed to lighten up and not be offended would be the first to become apoplectic at the merest perceived slight of their politics, sexuality, or life choices.
As the AP reported, the ceremony’s artistic director, Thomas Jolly, explained that the production was meant to celebrate diversity, saying, “My wish isn’t to be subversive, nor to mock or to shock. Most of all, I wanted to send a message of love, a message of inclusion and not at all to divide.”
During a Sunday press conference, Olympics spokesperson Anne Descamps stated:
Clearly, there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group. On the contrary, I think (with) Thomas Jolly, we really did try to celebrate community tolerance. Looking at the result of the polls that we shared, we believe that this ambition was achieved. If people have taken any offense, we are, of course, really, really sorry.
When my wife works the night shift, I have about 2.5 hours of daylight to do anything in the yard that may make noise. Saturday night, as I worked, I listened to the reactions of various YouTubers. There was an interesting trend. YouTubers complained that when they posted footage of the ceremonies, the platform hit them with copyright strikes, threatened them with suspension or some other sanction, and took down the videos in question. Someone, somewhere, didn't want critics using that footage, Fair Use Act or not.
If the production was a celebration of diversity, French culinary history, and Greek mythology, why the apologies? Why bar content creators from using the footage?
Why? The production was meant to offend. It was meant to be an insult. This was an attempt to test the limits and see how far the creators could push the envelope until someone objected. Once the people behind this had an idea of their limits, they began walking the thing back and doing damage control.
Despite its origins in the Middle East and its long history of growing in other places before it came to the shores of Europe, Christianity's enemies equate it with white patriarchy. Therefore, it is fair game. The people behind this spectacle felt justified in what they did, and they knew exactly what they were doing.
Jilian Michaels even commented (language warning):
Dear fellow gays… We demand tolerance and respect but then make a mockery of something sacred for over 2 billion Christians. This type of hypocrisy and lack of understanding is a bad look. We get outraged when the extreme right bashes us, but then we do this shit. What kind of… pic.twitter.com/9rmDH9NAsp
— Jillian Michaels (@JillianMichaels) July 27, 2024
Christians do not need to get over it or lighten up and take a joke. This production was meant to be dismissive, demeaning, and offensive. It's right to take offense because offense was the intent.
