What should’ve been a celebratory moment has instead turned into the center of multiple controversies after the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony featured a colorful ensemble of “Drag Queens,” men in underwear, and other characters performing what many perceived to be a reenactment of the famous mural by Leonardo da Vinci, The Last Supper.
Highlights
- Drag artist Barbara Butch plans to sue after receiving death threats and hateful insults over the performance.
- Paris 2024 organizers apologized, emphasizing that their intent was to celebrate community and tolerance, not to offend any religious groups.
- The scene in question was inspired by The Feast of the Gods, not The Last Supper, according to the show's director and a historian.
The central figure in the act, a drag artist known as Barbara Butch, has since decided to sue a non-disclosed number of people after being the object of insults and, most importantly, death threats for what detractors believed to be a “disrespectful mockery” of their religion and values.
“Since the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, artist, DJ, and activist Barbara Butch has been the target of an extremely violent campaign of cyber-harassment and defamation,” the lawyer’s statement reads.
“She has been threatened with death, torture, and rape, and has also been the target of numerous anti-Semitic, homophobic, sexist, and grossophobic insults. Barbara Butch condemns this vile hatred directed at her, what she represents, and what she stands for.”
A drag performer has decided to pursue legal action after receiving death threats and insults after the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony
Image credits: Olympic Games
The drag artist followed up the lawyer’s statement on Instagram: “All my life, I have refused to be a victim: I will not remain silent. I am not afraid of those who hide behind a screen, or a pseudonym, to vomit their hatred and their frustrations.”
Featuring an ensemble of cross-dressing performers dancing and posing while wearing intricate outfits, the piece sees Butch taking the place of what many believed to be Jesus at the center of The Last Supper while wearing a head ornament similar to the halos seen in many Renaissance depictions of Christian saints.
Fellow artists, such as a drag queen going by the name Nicky Doll, offered support by writing on Instagram, “The opening ceremony did ruffle some feathers… and I love it. You know why? Because the Olympics are the biggest stage in the world and us queer people have always been the audience of other people’s lives and achievements and it is time that we are welcome in this space.”
Another participant, Hugo Bardin, also remarked on the importance of being unapologetic, stating, "An apology means recognizing a mistake, recognizing that you deliberately did something to harm, which was not the case."
Paris 2024 was forced to apologize after the performance drew the ire of conservatives, Christians, and the French Catholic Church
Image credits: Olympic Games
Organizers were quick to apologize after seeing the reception the show garnered, especially from the French Catholic Church, Christian groups, conservative personalities, and segments of the audience.
“There was clearly never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group,” Anne Descamps, a Paris 2024 spokesperson, said at a news conference.
“On the contrary, I think we tried to celebrate community, tolerance. We believe this ambition was achieved. If people have taken any offense, we’re of course really sorry.”
"The opening ceremony offered the world's last wonderful moments of beauty, joy, rich emotions, and universal acclaim," the French Bishops' Conference wrote in an official statement, "but included scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity, which we deeply deplore."
Following the ceremony on July 26, 2024, Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to express his annoyance at the performance, labeling it as “extremely disrespectful to Christians” and stating that “Christianity has become toothless.”
Other conservative-leaning personalities, such as three-time Super Bowl champion Harrison Butker and Donald Trump, also expressed their disagreement with the depiction, labeling it a “disgrace.”
The show’s director debunked a theory that the piece was inspired by The Last Supper. Instead, it was based on a completely different painting: The Feast of the Gods
Image credits: Wikipedia.
Despite the criticism, the performance was received to be what many considered a mockery of The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci and its associated importance to the Christian world. Thomas Jolly, the director of the opening ceremony, insisted that the mural wasn’t the inspiration behind the scene.
“Dionysus arrives at the table because he is the Greek God of celebration and that sequence is called ‘festivity,’” Jolly said in an interview with CNN.
“The idea was to create a big pagan party in link with the God of Mount Olympus,” he explained. “You will never find in me, or in my work, any desire to mock anyone.”
Image credits: barbarabutch
Walther Schoonenberg, a Dutch historian and vice president of an association dedicated to historic preservation, took to X on July 28, 2024, to explain that the opening ceremony wasn’t trying to depict The Last Supper at all. Instead, it showed a completely different painting: The Feast of the Gods by Jan Van Bijlert.
“The scene shows the pagan gods gathered on Olympus for a feast. Apollo is recognizable by the halo of the sun, Bacchus (Dionysus) by the grapes, Neptune (Poseidon) by his trident, Diana (Artemis) by the moon, Venus (Aphrodite) by Cupid,” he explained.
Nevertheless, the historian also explained that confusion was to be expected since The Feast of the Gods was directly inspired by The Last Supper. “The similarity between them is explained by the fact that Jan van Bijlert was apparently inspired by the fresco in 1635 to depict the pagan feast.”
The show elicited a variety of reactions, with many perceiving the act as an insult to conservative and religious values, while others were appalled by the intensity of the backlash directed at the performers
Image credits: barbarabutch
The controversial segment divided the public, garnering comments from viewers criticizing the show’s messaging and lamenting the apparent mockery of Christian values.
“All I can do at this point is worry about my own family and not let them fall victim to this indoctrination. What the rest of society chooses to do is beyond my reach,” said one concerned viewer.
“The Olympics opening night used to be a classy affair that united the world. Now it's another excuse to trot out the fashionable decadence of the Left. We are in the last days,” expressed another.
“Why did this have to be about religion? What do they get out of it? Terrible I will not watch any of the Olympics, I'm boycotting the event,” stated a reader, swearing to never watch the show again.
Image credits: J Sims/Getty
Image credits: Dave Benett/Getty
Others took to Instagram to show support for the drag queen’s performance in the wake of the personal attacks the team has been subjected to, which led to Butch’s decision to pursue legal action.
“Be courageous, you stand for magnificent values and are stronger than all the hate haters can ever spill,” expressed one of Butch’s supporters.
“I'm horrified at all these hateful comments, so stupid and with a violence that knows no bounds. All my support, thank you for existing, thank you for facing up, thank you for contributing to our visibility,” said another.
“I can't believe it's still 2024 we’re still shaming people for their religion, sexual orientation or body shape. You were exceptional at the opening of the games! Keep your head up high, we know your worth!” wrote a fan of the artist.
Reactions remain divided, with some people showing support for the artist and others criticizing the performance, while some tried to calm the heated discussion
