Several social media users have threatened to boycott the ongoing Paris Olympics after the opening ceremony faced widespread criticism on Friday. Upset viewers expressed their displeasure on X, where the hashtags #boycottOlympics and #boycottParis2024 were trending the next day.
The outrage comes after a group of drag queens and dancers performed what appeared to be a "parody of the Last Supper" at the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony on Friday. Many, especially Christians, were offended by the appearance of a "naked blue man" in the 'Last Supper' parody. However, the Olympics defended its decision and said that the performance was meant to be an "interpretation of the Greek god Dionysus."
Public Outrage after Unimpressive Opening
Several users took to X to express their displeasure over the "naked blue man" performance. "What a disgraceful opening to the 2024 Olympics #BoycottOlympics," wrote one person.
Several users added to the pile-on, commenting: "The opening ceremony was a disgrace and a slap in the face to all Christians #boycottOlympics.
"Are you serious?!? This is blasphemous and God will not be mocked! #BoycottOlympics," wrote another X user.
"Why on earth would anyone push so much to offend as many Christians as possible? It's insane that this kind of "show" even passed proposal stage. #BoycottOlympics."
"Respect Jesus Christ and reject any mockery of Jesus' Last Supper. Retweet if you stand with #BoycottOlympics."
Another person wrote, "The spectacle was despicable, offensive and extremely vile. #BoycottOlympics #BoycottParis2024.
"Will this be the first Olympics that never was? Who will be the first country brave enough to boycott? Fingers crossed #BoycottOlympics," wrote a fourth person.
While many criticized the segment of the ceremony for allegedly mocking the Last Supper, the official X account of the Olympic Games offered a different perspective, describing the "naked blue man" as a portrayal of the Greek god Dionysus.
Dionysus, the Greek god of fertility, is unrelated to the Last Supper.
The Naked Blue Man
French actor and singer Philippe Katerine took on the controversial role and dismissed the critics, telling BFM TV: "It wouldn't be fun if there were no controversy. Wouldn't it be boring if everyone agreed on this planet?"
Despite this, the Catholic Church in France condemned the segment. The Conference of French Bishops issued a statement saying, "This ceremony has unfortunately included scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity, which we very deeply deplore."
Also, many were upset by the subsequent performance by the French heavy metal band Gojira, who played "Ah! Ça Ira," a popular song during the French Revolution. The band was joined by opera singer Marina Viotti and numerous beheaded figures representing the slain Queen Marie Antoinette.
However, the intense and fiery visuals angered Christians online, who argued that allowing the band to perform at the opening ceremony promotes satanism.
Even the controversial social media influencer Andrew Tate criticized the ceremony, calling it satanic and accusing the West of "worshipping the devil."
"Satanists control the west and they show you that they worship the devil. It's not a conspiracy theory. They literally show you. Are you blind?," he said.
The ceremony was further marred by heavy rain, with viewers complaining about poor audio quality, technical glitches, and watching thousands of athletes huddling under ponchos as they paraded down the River Seine on a fleet of boats.
One of the major blunders involved South Korea being mistakenly announced as North Korea before the Olympic flag was raised upside down.
