French singer Philippe Catherine performs on the giant screen at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics. AP
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has removed the video of the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics from its YouTube channel after the IOC and Paris 2024 organizers faced a global backlash over the video, which they said was an LGBTQ-themed parody of “The Last Supper,” a scene widely considered blasphemous by Christians.
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As of Monday morning, the 26-minute video titled “LET THE GAMES BEGIN! | #Paris2024 Opening Ceremony Highlights” was not available to watch in India on the Olympics’ YouTube channel.
The IOC has not yet officially announced its reasons for the move.
The video was apparently removed after numerous politicians, social media users and influencers expressed outrage over its footage, which features a group of drag queens, gays and transgender people posing at a table that resembles Jesus Christ and the Apostles from Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper.”
Paris 2024 spokesperson Anne Decquin apologized on Sunday (July 28), explaining that “there was clearly no intention of disrespect towards any religious community” and that the ceremony was “intended to celebrate the community’s tolerance.”
She added: “We believe this ambition has been achieved and we are truly sorry if anyone was offended.”
Meanwhile, the official Olympic page has issued a message to social media users: [of the ceremony] When asked “Which was your favorite?”, the event was met with criticism, with responses ranging from “really awful,” “embarrassing,” and “disgusting” to “blasphemous” and “a bizarre show.”
Religious conservatives condemn the spectacle
Religious conservatives around the world condemned the scenes, with the French Catholic Bishops’ Conference deploring “scenes of mockery” that mock Christianity, a sentiment echoed by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. The Anglican Church in Egypt expressed “deep regret” on Sunday and said the ceremony could cause the IOC to “lose its unique sporting identity and humanitarian message.”
Thomas Joly, the ceremony’s artistic director, said after the ceremony that the scene was meant to celebrate diversity and pay tribute to feasting and French gastronomy, distancing the scene from any similarities to “The Last Supper.”
“My desire is not to be disruptive, not to ridicule or shock,” Jolie said after the ceremony. “Above all, I wanted to send a message of love, a message of inclusion, never a message of division.”
CSpire to eliminate all advertising
Following the backlash, C-Spire, one of the largest telecommunications companies in the US, decided to pull all its advertising from the Paris Olympics.
The telecommunications giant aired its displeasure on social media platform X.
“We are shocked by the mockery of The Last Supper during the Opening Ceremony of the Paris Olympics. C Spire will be withdrawing our advertising from the Olympics,” the post read.
“CSpire supports the athletes who have worked so hard to qualify for the Olympic Games, but we will not participate in the offensive and unacceptable mockery of The Last Supper, which is why we are pulling our advertising from the Olympics,” the company’s CEO Susie Hayes said in a statement, reported 16 WAPT.
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves supported C Spire’s decision, saying, “I am proud of Mississippi’s private sector for standing up and taking a stand. God is not mocked. C Spire drew the common sense and appropriate line.”
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