Paris Olympics organisers apologise to Christians for Last Supper parody

I'm sorry that was on the screen for literally 2 minutes in the United States. It's art. It may be in poor taste, but it's art and they did this with a number of famous paintings and symbols. They took things and turned them on their edge. IF the Republicans want to go crazy about this --- OK --- but I do think our relationship w/France and other countries is more important and I think they have more important stuff to worry about than this. How dumb to be upset about this. Christian values and symbols are not threatened. They are still there if you want them or not. Something like this isn't going to destroy those values or churches. How friggen dumb to be upset over this!!

They should apologize to the rest of us as well

Has Ted Cruz tweeted about this? Or any of the other usual suspects?

Oh, puhlease. The same Republicans who call other people "special snowflakes" sure love to get offended by stuff like this

Look, everyone knows the French can be weird, but you have to accept their weirdness to get really cool stuff like this.

It was a Bacchanal, not the fucking Last Supper.

Why apologize? France abolished blasphemy laws a long time ago.

It was a dumb thing to do for the Olympics.

When the Christians stop excluding me from their imaginary Hell, I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt on this one.

Funny how they didnt parody muslims huh, guess they would be targeted for death then huh !

[quote]I'm sorry that was on the screen for literally 2 minutes in the United States. It's art.

That's right, dickhead. It's art. Until you do it to Muslims.

Christians are party poopers. They complain of persecution in countries where they dominate. Very tiresome. If you can’t bear other people’s disrespect, stop being so hypocritical and start paying attention to what Jesus taught.

"I'm sorry that was on the screen for literally 2 minutes in the United States. It's art. It may be in poor taste, but it's art and they did this with a number of famous paintings and symbols. They took things and turned them on their edge."

Well put. So not everyone likes it. Maybe it is offensive; maybe it's in poor taste, as you note. But, fuck, it's just a stab at doing something different; and it's over. Let it go. Apologizing wasn't the move.

What the fuck did it have to do with the Olympics and sports in general?

What the fuck did it have to do with France since it's an Italian painting from an Italian painter?

Just more woke bullshit.

My problem with this is not that it's blasphemous (how can it be if the artist is not a practicing Catholic?), but that it's so incredibly trite.

The trouble with artists raised in Catholic countries is that they never think it's always refreshing and original to mock Catholic imagery and symbolism, even though Fellini and Dali were doing it decades and decades ago (and even THEN it was tired).

I'll comment after Susan Dey releases her statement.

I keep thinking the fat woman is Aidy Bryant.

Once again... it's The Feast Of Dionysus! Nothing to do with Catholicism!

I was quite offended. Not but the religious symbolism but the poor execution. I expect better of Paris. They should apologize for how shitty everything was, except for Gojira and Celine. Too many ideas, none of them properly realized. And the Chrissy Metz DJ played a bunch of crap Eurodance when there’s a whole fucking catalog of French house music.

I'd argue that DaVinci painting at sacrilege and the graven image so they should be pissed about that.

[quote] When the Christians stop excluding me from their imaginary Hell

They’re including you in Hell, not excluding you.

I feel like the opening ceremony for the Olympics should be classy and family friendly. I was surprised by how tacky the whole thing was.

[quote]It was a Bacchanal, not the fucking Last Supper.

Except with a Bacchanal they wouldn't be seated at only one side of a rectangular table, with a sort Christ like figure in the middle - you know, like DaVinci's Last Supper.

It was a Bacchanalian Dionysus feast.

Dionysus is a GREEK God.

The Olympics are based in that culture.

Why are so many on this thread and others so clueless about this.

Stefan Cassadine had a Bacchanalia Ball on General Hospital in 1998.

SueEllen they very clearly mixed a Bacchanalian Feast (Dionysus is redundant) with the imagery of the Last Supper.

So the Xtians are offended by something that looked like what DaVinci imagined the last supper looked like? Uh, ok...

More grievance from the ever aggrieved Christian sects.

Happy Holidays Christians.

I didn’t see it. Is it worth looking up just to be informed? How long is it?

It was freak show that had nothing to do with international competition or sports.

R12 I think that the problem is that Christians feel like they are the only ones that can be ridiculed, while all the others are protected like sacred cows. And Christians are not really dominant in western countries, the banks and big corporations that are promoting woke culture took over and Christians are fighting back, so thry tend to exaggerate even there is no need to.

[quote] Was it the Last Supper? “That wasn’t my inspiration”, replies Thomas Jolly, artistic director of the Paris Olympics opening ceremony. The scene portrayed Dionysus, god of wine and festivities, at “a big pagan festival linked to the gods of Olympus”

Straight from the horse's mouth.

Oh, for fuck's sake, would one of you butt hurt queens just say it? This has nothing to do with Christianity because it's been demonstrated that this was a depiction of a feast of Dionysus. You don't think drag queens should be on the Olympics. The willful ignorance on display here is expected from right wing provocateurs, but sad when it's on DL.

They shouldn't have apologized.

R33 I believe that there was no reason to get butthurt, but I just said how things look from the prospect of working class Christians. They are frustrated, they see that the elites despise them and make them feel like strangers in their own home and the clergy and right wingers are using this frustration.

Last Supper, obvs.

It was a classic non-apology apology.

[quote] Clearly there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group. [The opening ceremony] tried to celebrate community tolerance. We believe this ambition was achieved. If people have taken any offence we are really sorry.

We’re so sorry you are a deranged lunatic.

France has always been anti clerical. Funny that in few decades the Sharia laws will rule there.

As for US, since majority of immigrants come from Latin America you will be luckier with Catholic church ruling.

I think the era of liberal Jews and other white liberal elites rule is coming to the end.

Last Supper? It looked like a tribute to the Golden Corral Buffet to me......

[quote] I feel like the opening ceremony for the Olympics should be classy and family friendly.

Yeah, that's what the French are known for, Ms Karen.

Nothing wrong with this in art shows or performances but it had nothing to do with the Olympics, particularly the 3 some thing. It just seemed like a "stick it to the religious/conservatives" moment which uis particularly grating when it's the only religion people are allowed to parody.

[quote] Oh, for fuck's sake, would one of you butt hurt queens just say it? This has nothing to do with Christianity because it's been demonstrated that this was a depiction of a feast of Dionysus.

1.) And yet, why are you the one on this thread who sounds by far the most truly butt-hurt? Please get over yourself.

2.) Why would it be only a depiction of the Last Supper OR a depiction of a bacchanale? It seems the offense was taken by mixing the imagery of the two together.

R41 its still the Olympics.

[quote] France has always been anti clerical.

Hah!

The only religion referenced was paganism. I haven't heard any pagans bitching about it.

The only thing that made it look like Da Vinci’s painting is that everyone was on one side of the table because it was being used as a fashion runway. Otherwise, it’s quite a stretch to see Jesus and his apostles. You have to be looking to be offended.

Oh, FUCK Christians! They’ve made life miserable for everyone for centuries and they’re still pulling their shit trying to make the U.S. a fascist theocracy like arussia and Hungary.

In a healthy culture, Apollonian order beats back Dionysian wild, and learns something from it in the bargain.

Muslims are offended too, since they believe that Jesus is the messenger of Allah

There was more beautiful french culture in the Disney/Pixar movie Ratatouille than in this opening ceremony. What a sad sight this was.

Qatari minister of state too

R10 The French have repeatedly parodied Muslims.

R53 and they've gotten killed for doing so, your point?

that must be the fattest girl in all of France

R55 She’s also Jewish

The point is that they have balls, R54.

Ignorance.

It was a mixture of both which is both the point of the " thing and the reason some people are taking offense. Regardless, I was expecting more from the Frenchfrom their opening ceremony, but perhaps, like many in the rest of the western world, they no longer have the potential they once did.

R56 So was Jesus (Jewish)

The controversy is silly. I was more offended by the Mona Lisa ending up tossed into the Seine.

How very stunning and brave. The last time there was a Muhammad caricature, it didn't go so well.

The French guy clearly stated that this was done for the purpose of supporting the inclusion of lbgtq people, bla bla bla. It had the opposite effect, gays are being blamed for this. The purpose was to indeed create shock by using stereotypes that society has of gays.

[quote] It was a mixture of both

Why? Because they were sitting at a table?!?! Fuck off.

There is a picture were the little girl was next to a drag queen that had almost all his penis out. Now they are saying all over the internet that gays are groomers. Why including minors?

The fat lady is DJ Barbara Butch, a lesbian Jew that considers herself queer. Thee people will destroy every thing that we have gained and accomplish. All the acceptance that we managed to receive and the support of straight allies is wasting away and fast. Thanks to a group of people that somehow believe that it is cool to be as transgressive as you possibly can. Reading the comments on Spanish YouTube you can read people that support gays saying that “gays” went to far this time.

Today, these idiots have made the live of someone in Africa or other homophobic country even more dangerous. These selfish assholes do not think that 99% of gays DO NOT live in countries were homosexual behavior and even the slightest sign of affeminacy are not tolerated.

If this was not a provocation to Christianity and other Abrahamic religions why including a performer playing the devil? What does the devil has to do with Greek culture? Why are there some of these drag queens trying to associate homosexuality with satanism and the devil?

If the Olympic committee had purchased an indulgence ahead of time, this situation would not have been a problem.

[quote] There is a picture were the little girl was next to a drag queen that had almost all his penis out.

One of the models had his testicles deliberately hanging out of his shorts.

God, this is ridiculous. They added all this nonsense to compensate for how utterly disastrous the event's organization was and clearly wanted people to talk about it as much as possible, as if it had been genuinely impactful. Opening ceremonies are supposed to be a celebration of the Games and the hosting country's culture, and this vignette has nothing to do with either thing. It's just vulgar provocation and now, they've successfully drawn attention away from the fact that the French Olympic Committee and the French government have delivered a completely underwhelming waste of time.

In short, people should concentrate on more important things. This is utterly irrelevant.

R24 Are you clueless or being disingenuous? Everyone recognized it as a take off on the images in Da Vinci's The Last Supper.

Amateurs.

Fundie nutbags are the worst delicate flowers.

[quote]Are you clueless or being disingenuous? Everyone recognized it as a take off on the images in Da Vinci's The Last Supper.

LMAO.

Only the sensitive delicate flower fundie nutbags see religious slights in everything anyone ever does.

"Everyone" - um, no.

Well, if people are blaming gays for going too far and being groomers, that could be a problem. People are sick of the alphabet soup after the LGB. Too bad you can't drop the T.

[quote] One of the models had his testicles deliberately hanging out of his shorts.

No, he didn’t R66. It was a tear in his tights, and it was just his thigh. You can see in other shots that the tear got bigger with movement and it’s really just his thigh. You people are so silly.

Here R66, link below. You said he did this deliberately. Where did you get that idea, I’m interested in how you’re going to explain this. Were you……making it up?

They were sitting at a table so obviously it was The Last Supper and that blue guy was Jesus!

I thought it was funny. Fuck those religious nut cases.

r29 [quote]How long is it?

Isn't that a rather personal question?

[quote] Why? Because they were sitting at a table?!?! Fuck off.

What is [italic]wrong[/italic] with you?? You clearly have problems with controlling anger.

R76 go read the comments on Spanish YouTube videos, you will get chills and won’t find it that funny any more.

[quote] What is wrong with you?? You clearly have problems with controlling anger.

I'm not angry at all, but if you are going to be so willfully ignorant, I think it's just best that you fuck off. See?

Lighten up R79. Who cares if a bunch of faux religious trolls are pissy about it. Even if it was supposed to look like the last supper, what’s offensive about that? If it’s just the identity of the performers that’s the problem then the people complaining are bigots. So why listen to them?

[quote] The only religion referenced was paganism. I haven't heard any pagans bitching about it.

They were too busy dry humping trees

I didn’t even notice any of this until delicate people started losing their shit being offended about an opening ceremony for the Olympics.

I don't think they are delicate, they have just been waiting for a cause to fire back, like Germany with Sarajevo asasination.

The Last Supper is s painting, not a photograph. Calm down society of the aggrieved.

R64 This, absolutely.

And just to join the outrage club: I found this the most offensive. (I know these were replacement instruments from China or something but fuck, why? They could have donated those instruments instead of wilfully destroying them.)

The Whinge Olympics

Butch posted to her instagram comparing it to the Last Supper before deleting it. If you're gonna be an iconoclast, don't pussy out. Say "yes I made Jesus a great big fat lady and replaced his apostles with drag queens made out of every color of the piggy rainbow and by the way here's a drawing of Muhammad licking out her big Jewish clit. Because fuck you, and fuck Christians and fuck Muslims, and the world would be a better place if all the Christians, Muslims and Jews fucked off and died from herpes just like Muhammad when he gets with a grown woman and not a little girl like Aisha. Did you know Muhammad is canonically a pe_dop_hil&e? Wait til you find out the rates of inbreeding in the Muslim world. Hail Satan. Happy Olympics".

Take your meds, friend

Take a bow, friend.

[quote]R64: If this was not a provocation to Christianity and other Abrahamic religions why including a performer playing the devil? What does the devil has to do with Greek culture? Why are there some of these drag queens trying to associate homosexuality with satanism and the devil?

Where was this? Got a pic of the 'devil' you're talking about?

Doing an online search, the only thing I managed to find was a headless woman with her head in her lap, with flaming red garments and hair.

France is a nation of pussies.

Google: Tableau Vivant. You dumb Xstain troglodytes.

Well the fat lady said it was the last supper, she sang it.

The entire opening ceremony left a lot to be desired. Sorry Paris. No gold medal for you.

This was not a parody of da Vinci's "Last Supper." It’s carnivalesque, and its symbolism is rooted in the rich culture of the French court in the Renaissance and Baroque periods, which deployed pre-Christian motifs and symbols in their masques, banquets, and ballets all presided over by the “Most Christian” Kings of France from Francis I to Louis XIV. The headdress of the woman presiding over the Bacchanal is not a saintly halo. It is more reminiscent of the headdress often worn by the “Sun King,” Louis XIV, as he sought to identify himself with the sun god Apollo in ballets and other celebrations at Versailles. The woman wearing the sunburst headdress is also plump, reinforcing the carnivalesque of the tableau. She is surrounded by Drag Queens, which I interpret as allegorical of the court of Henri III, who surrounded himself with mignons, who all often dressed in women’s clothes. At the end of the tableau who appears but Bacchus himself -- richly decorated in color, as he would be. The tableau again reinforces the carnivalesque, which is at the heart of the modern Olympic Games.

That's book larnin'

Please don't cast fat people in your parodies. It triggers me.

The painting on which the Tableau Vivant in question is based is obviously a parody of Da Vinci’s “Last Supper” - six persons on each side of the central figure who sports a golden aura; long table with everyone on the backside/sides; the hand/body positioning of the figures. The good news coming out of this brouhaha is that more people are now aware of art and art history.

Pissing off Christians is a good thing.

Happy Holidays, fuckers.

R87 I find that photo offensive

I find the Olympics like watching paint dry, would rather die than watch. But what idiot thought this was ok?

Imagine if they got all “meta” and satirical with some other religion. It would be world war three.

And it couldn’t be worse in terms of timing. Across the western world, rightwing forces are using this sort of garbage as a lever to get themselves into power. And then they start doing some real damage. So, perhaps we shouldn’t hand them ammunition? Just a thought.

It is not a reference to the Last Supper. Militant Christians were just looking to be offended and, let’s face it, we’re actually offended by the presence of homosexuals and transgender people at all. They then created the allegations of blasphemy to justify their feelings.

Do pay attention.

R97, the French Court's pageants, carnivalesque féeries and ballets royaux were monumental allegoric events in which the utmost attention to detail was paid, so as to ensure that a the crown's power was represented through sheer splendour. This opening ceremony has been badly organized, incompetently choreographed and clumsily delivered. The carnivalesque féeries were spectacular affairs that were painstakingly organized and magnificently performed to dazzle their audiences; conversely, this has simply been a tacky attempt to generate controversy so the lack of quality in everything else could be obscured by the scandal.

Your explanation is very informatively and beautifully written, but you're giving far too much credit to the French organization, which has done a truly awful job in this ceremony.

Thank you, R105. I was not commenting on the quality of the tableau, just my interpretation of it.

If you have to explain your creative idea, it’s a failure.

If these people thought that gays were going to approve of this mess they were very wrong. Most gays found it totally disrespectful and completely offensive. We are tired of having our sexuality used by clowns to weaponize it for political purposes and support of trans/queer identities.

They only have to explain it because a bunch of assholes don’t understand that the entire world does not have to conform to their religious sensibilities.

These “Christians” recognize that the world is turning its back on their faith and they are angry and looking to blame the world. The blame lies with them. They distort the teachings of Jesus and seek to paint their petty prejudices with holiness. Their hypocrisy, and the hypocrisy of the Christian institutions, are what has alienated the rest of the world.

Their faith is dying. And it’s their fault.

[quote] Most gays found it totally disrespectful and completely offensive.

Where did your conclusion come from?

Oh, never mind—I smell ass.

[quote]Most gays found it totally disrespectful and completely offensive.

LoL, r108, no we did not.

Maybe it wasn't a reference to The Last Supper (just looked amazingly like it, but apparently is based on a different painting). But I'm offended by all the unattractive people.

R21 I wish there was an edit button.

I didn’t look a thing like the last supper.

Is there evidence that predates the Opening Ceremonies that proves that the very obscure painting by a Dutch artist, which is in a museum in Dijon, not Paris, was the actual inspiration for the scene? If not, it appears that someone somehow knew of the painting and floated the idea and others retrofitted the explanation. The painting didn’t even have a Wikipedia page before today, and I have in the past found a lot of existing Wikipedia articles for minor, obscure art works, so this would be really obscure. Maybe the explanation is valid, but there would need to be evidence that clearly existed before Friday that proves it.

[quote] I didn’t look a thing like the last supper.

Get some friends, grow your hair long and get a really long table.

But did Peyton Manning like it?

[quote] But I'm offended by all the unattractive people.

Thank you!

[quote]It looked like a tribute to the Golden Corral Buffet to me.

That's what really would have tied this all together: a margarine fountain.

[quote]The woman wearing the sunburst headdress is also plump

"Plump"? Bless your heart, Charlie. You are far too kind!

People are saying it was, others like r104 that it wasn’t (and then begs the question by sneering “do pay attention” — there’s a way to influence people!), but just by looking at the images in the media, yes it does look like the iconic painting.

I mean, these militant Christians are keen to find disrespect and outrage everywhere, while at the same time going out of their way to act more like the Pharisees that Christ condemned.

But again, why give them ammunition? The whole thing looks nauseating and yes it does look like a satire of the painting.

If you want to starve a monster, feeding it isn’t the best way to do that.

Put Santa in there and tell them STFU.

[quote] Get some friends, grow your hair long and get a really long table.

All male friends, clustered into 4 groups of 3.

Yes, why did they have to seat people at a table? Why give them ammunition? From now on, people eat standing up so as to not invite comparison to the Last Supper!

It does NOT look like the painting. Jesus does not have a halo in the painting. The others are 12 seated men, arranged in groups of three.

The only thing similar is that everyone is seated on one side of the table. It’s not “ammunition”. It’s insanity.

[quote] and then begs the question by sneering “do pay attention” — there’s a way to influence people!

I’m not trying to influence you, honey. I’m mocking you. The “people are saying” it resembles the last supper is pathetic. They are either ignorant or looking to be offended because it fits their “war on Christians” ideology which is nothing more than an excuse for Christian Nationalists to seek to impose their interpretation religion on everyone else

I just don't like the way that blue guy's looking at me.

Do not forget the scene of the theee queers wearing makeup and having a trio together.

I wonder why not a heterosexual trio? Why not having straight couples doing lascivious sexual acts? It is very clear to me, there is an agenda trying to associate same sex attraction to debauchery, perversion and promiscuous behaviors., and the queers and non binaries are more than willing to go along.

Sweethearts, I wish I could see gays being truly promiscuous but 42 years of being gay, have made me seen a completely different picture about gays. They are mostly loners, with very very few opportunities of having sex, let alone stable sexual partners. 95% of gays are late bloomers who’s first sexual relation was after 20. 95% of gays who want to have sex have to, at some point, go against their very own morals and pay someone to suck a cock. Promiscuous behavior is only had by straights. They go from one partner to another , they break up and one month later than can easily start a new relationship and if it is a straight woman even faster.

[quote] I wonder why not a heterosexual trio?

Wow you’re fucking stupid R128.

Just because you don’t live by the truck stop, R128…..

The whole thing looked lighthearted and fun to me.

But yes, intentional or not, the tableau did suggest a take off of The Last Supper.

Barbara Butch (the fat lady playing Christ) is threatening to sue everyone who "defamed" her. That's half of Twitter!

I thought that was the worst Olympics opening ceremonies on record. Very little grand spectacle and a penchant for scandal that was at best perplexing and felt divorced from the occasion.

WARNING

Fundie xtian snowflakes have been TRIGGERED.

They've stated their boundaries. RESPECT them.

[quote]R134: They've stated their boundaries. RESPECT them.

Nope.

Respect is earned. Nobody owes it to them, especially over their religious views.

And what they're demanding is not so much 'respect,' but more like 'deference' (what Simon Blackburn called 'respect creep').

Just 𝑛𝑜.

R129 don't be so strict. Threesome can not be technically heterosexual, but a guy with two girls is practically heterosexual. It is mostly girlfriend or wife playing along with male heterosexual fantasy and two women often feel no attraction whatsoever.

[quote]Fundie xtian snowflakes have been TRIGGERED. They've stated their boundaries. RESPECT them.

Muslim clerics have also condemned the show.

[quote][R134]: They've stated their boundaries. RESPECT them.

[quote]Nope.

New here?

The "stating of boundaries" is a standard DL mockery. You may want to look into how DL uses such terms.

R137, same answer as at R135.

[quote]R138: New here?

No.

[quote]The "stating of boundaries" is a standard DL mockery. You may want to look into how DL uses such terms.

I'm aware of that. I was reacting to the unreasonable demand to 'RESPECT THEM.' It's not funny, especially since the religious think it's their due. (And there are some of them here at the DL.)

There cannot be any prevarication on this issue, not even for the sake of humor.

Now that putrid president of Turkey is saying that it is the lgbt lobby.

Nothing guys, make no mistake about it, the TQ and their supporters will make sure to bring homophobia back against gay men with their outrageous behavior.

Suuuure, R140.

[quote][same user as R140]: If this was not a provocation to Christianity and other Abrahamic religions why including a performer playing the devil? What does the devil has to do with Greek culture? Why are there some of these drag queens trying to associate homosexuality with satanism and the devil?

Link to this supposed 'devil.

[quote]Except with a Bacchanal they wouldn't be seated at only one side of a rectangular table, with a sort Christ like figure in the middle - you know, like DaVinci's Last Supper.

Except in Feast of the Gods and similar paintings, the diners are indeed seated on one side of a rectangular table, while revelers get busy on the floor in front of them. DaVinci was influenced by the style; he wasn't the originator of it. Apollo had been depicted with halos in paintings long before The Last Supper existed.

The self-anointed protectors of Christianity, mostly Americans, are still prattling on about this on social media instead of celebrating the success of American athletes in Paris, and Tahiti, where the U.S. won another gold medal yesterday in surfing.