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The opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics has been described as a colossal flop, or more accurately, a flop under the rain. The much-anticipated celebration was marred by heavy rain, making the outdoor event along the Seine not only difficult to follow but also disjointed. Athletes on barges seemed almost to disappear in a ceremony that was supposed to spotlight them.
One of the main criticisms of the organization was precisely this: relegating the athletes to a marginal role in the event. This is absurd considering it was the opening of the Olympic Games, the pinnacle of sporting events. Not to mention the absurd and shameful images that were shown.
Bizarre Scenes
The Paris 2024 Olympic opening ceremony had everything: drag queens, men dressed as Smurfs, gay kisses, and much more. Many people, both in Italian politics and on social media, questioned what they were witnessing. Was it the Olympic opening ceremony or a Gay Pride parade? One of the most discussed scenes was of a man painted blue and dressed as a Smurf, which sparked numerous jokes on social media. “Over a billion people are watching the opening ceremony of the Olympics. And this is the best France can do: a man dressed as a Smurf surrounded by drag queens and an oversized woman with a giant crown,” read one particularly sarcastic tweet.
The religious issue and the triumph of trash
Another controversial aspect was the ideological approach of the ceremony. What was meant to be a celebration of sports and its values was perceived by many as a celebration of the woke regime. The parody of the “Last Supper” in drag queen version was seen as an attack on Christian values. Matteo Salvini, Deputy Prime Minister and national secretary of the League, spoke of “insulted Christians” on X, where he concluded with “squalid.” Nicola Procaccini, co-President of ECR, and Alfredo Antoniozzi, deputy group leader of FdI, echoed his sentiments, accusing Macron’s and Mélenchon’s France of “showing the worst of itself.” “A truly secular state respects religions, but today’s pro-Islamic France has forgotten its roots.” Procaccini added with bitter irony on social media, “I really liked the Gay Pride ceremony. Do you know when the Olympics ceremony is scheduled?”
Carlo Fidanza, head of the Fratelli d’Italia delegation in the European Parliament, was also harsh: “Between a decapitated Marie Antoinette, ostentatious rainbow kisses, and soldiers forced into embarrassing dances, ‘The Last Supper’ in drag queen version couldn’t be missed. The decay of customs and morals (yes, it can still be said!) and blasphemy (yes, it disgusts us!) marry with ‘transgenderism’ elevated to absolute value, just when the entire sports world sees it as a threat and discrimination against women. Faced with this worldwide disgrace, we must find the courage to be outraged and fight with increasing strength to reaffirm that heritage of values that have forged Europe and the West over the centuries.”
Italian Deputy Prime Minister and League leader Matteo Salvini also commented: “Opening the Olympics by insulting billions of Christians around the world was a very bad start, dear French. Squalid.” Mario Adinolfi, leader of the Popolo della Famiglia, also expressed his disappointment: “Inclusive Olympics for everyone, with only one enemy to repeatedly offend: Christians.”
Criticism from Elon Musk to Republicans
There was widespread criticism of the drag queen performance, both in France and internationally. Valerie Boyer, a senator from Les Republicains, harshly criticized the entire ceremony, saying the “queer” section represented “a vision of our history that seeks to ridicule Christians.” Elon Musk also weighed in, speaking of the “ridiculing of Christians.”
Heads of State in the rain, Macron protected
In the midst of the opening event, it started to rain. While Macron was comfortably sheltered in the stands, the heads of state, including Italy’s President Mattarella, had to endure the rain: yet another example of poor organization.
What went wrong
Adding to the organizational disaster were the cardboard beds and plastic mattresses for the athletes in the Olympic village. Every Olympics has its controversies—villages often resemble student residences more than 5-star hotels—but the solution adopted by Parisian authorities seemed particularly unusual. To make matters worse, the air conditioning (at least until yesterday) was absent. Quite a mess for Macron’s France.
In addition to the numerous gaffes and tensions over the TAV line, there were also serious statements from left-wing figures aiming to govern the country. According to La France Insoumise, Israeli athletes were “not welcome” in Paris. Tel Aviv’s athletes were booed. Of the revolutionary triad, liberté, égalité, fraternité, only the first remains: the freedom to offend and do whatever one wants. Adieu grandeur.
The South Korean blunder and apologies from the IOC
Not to be forgotten is the blunder regarding South Korea, which forced the IOC to formally apologize to the nation. South Koreans were presented as athletes from the “Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,” the official name of North Korea. This happened twice, both in the French and English presentations. North Korea, on the other hand, was presented correctly. The response came from South Korea’s Ministry of Sports, expressing regret for “the announcement made at the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where the South Korean delegation was presented as the North Korean team.” They also asked their Foreign Ministry to “strongly protest with the French side.” The Deputy Minister of Sports, former Olympic weightlifting champion Jang Mi-ran, requested a meeting with IOC President Thomas Bach.
The Korean Olympic Committee also intervened, scheduling a meeting with the Paris 2024 Organizing Committee and the IOC to formally present their grievances and ensure the mistake does not happen again. “We deeply apologize for the error that occurred during the presentation of the South Korean team during the broadcast of the opening ceremony,” the IOC wrote in Korean on X.
The need to find the courage to be outraged
Faced with this worldwide disgrace, it is necessary to find the courage to be outraged and to fight with increasing strength to reaffirm that heritage of values that have forged Europe and the West over the centuries. The opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics has certainly sparked debate and will continue to be a subject of controversy and discussion for a long time. Complaints against all this are welcome, especially against those who pretend to speak of freedom but instead target a specific audience and aim to indoctrinate the weak, making those who disagree appear as monsters.
The prophecy of G.K. Chesterton in “Heretics” seems to be increasingly becoming a reality in this society: “The great march of intellectual destruction will go on. Everything will be denied. Everything will become a creed. It is a reasonable position to deny the stones in the street; it will become a religious dogma to assert them. It is a rational thesis that we are all immersed in a dream; it will be a sensible form of mysticism to assert that we are all awake. Fires will be kindled to testify that two and two make four. Swords will be drawn to prove that leaves are green in summer. We shall be left defending not only the incredible virtues and incredible sanity of human life but something more incredible still, this huge impossible universe which stares us in the face. We shall fight for visible wonders as if they were invisible. We shall look on the grass and the skies with a strange courage. We shall be among those who have seen and yet have believed.”