PARIS,- A parody of Leonardo Da Vinci’s renowned fresco ‘The Last Supper,’ featuring drag queens during the Olympic opening ceremony in Paris, has ignited outrage among the Catholic Church and far-right politicians, while supporters have lauded its message of tolerance.
The unprecedented ceremony, staged on the Seine River and watched by millions worldwide, celebrated the French capital’s vibrant nightlife and its reputation as a hub of tolerance, pleasure, and subversiveness. The performance reimagined the iconic biblical scene of Jesus Christ and his twelve apostles sharing their final meal before the crucifixion, substituting the figures with drag queens, a transgender model, and a nude singer styled as the Greek god of wine, Dionysus.
The Catholic Church in France condemned the segment. “This ceremony has unfortunately included scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity, which we very deeply deplore,” stated the Conference of French Bishops.
Far-right politicians in France and abroad expressed their indignation on social media. “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,” tweeted far-right politician Marion Marechal.
Italian counterpart Matteo Salvini added, “Opening the Olympics by insulting billions of Christians in the world was really a very bad start, dear French. Sleazy.”
American billionaire Elon Musk also criticized the performance, calling it “extremely disrespectful to Christians.”
France, proud of its rich Catholic heritage, also upholds a strong tradition of secularism and anti-clericalism. Blasphemy is not only legal but is seen by many as a fundamental aspect of free speech in a democratic society.
“In France, people are free to love how they please, are free to love whoever they want, are free to believe or not believe,” remarked Thomas Jolly, the ceremony’s artistic director, when addressing the criticism.
Some commentators suggested that the controversy was another instance of modern culture wars amplified by the 24-hour news cycle and social media.
“Everyone has to take offence, it seems,” observed David Aaronovitch, a BBC Radio 4 presenter, on X. “Leonardo is one of the most famous images in the Western world and has been pastiched, parodied, and altered tens of thousands of times.”
One of the scene’s participants, Philippe Katerine, remained unapologetic. “It wouldn’t be fun if there were no controversy. Wouldn’t it be boring if everyone agreed on this planet?” Katerine, who portrayed the blue nude figure, told BFM TV the day after the show.
Source: Reuters