The official video of the Paris 2024 opening ceremony has been deleted from the Olympics account as backlash from viewers grows. Fans are now praising the London 2012 showcase, which remains available online. Social media users shared screenshots showing a blank screen with the caption “this video is not available.”
The ceremony video is also missing from the Olympics’ YouTube channel, despite the availability of coverage before and after the event. Full-length versions of the London 2012, Rio 2016, Beijing 2022, and even Nagano 1998 ceremonies are still accessible.
This controversy follows the event being dubbed the “worst ever” due to poor weather conditions and several contentious performances. One of the most criticized segments featured a last supper-style performance in a “festivité” scene, which included models, dancers, fashion icons, and drag queens from France. This tableau, intended to echo a nightclub atmosphere, sparked significant backlash for being perceived as a “woke” parody of Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper.
Tesla and SpaceX owner Elon Musk criticized the performance as “extremely disrespectful to Christians,” while Catholic Bishop Robert Barron called it a “gross mockery of the last supper.”
Among the performers was Drag Race icon Nicky Doll, who, along with the show’s fans, praised the performance for its nightclub vibe. However, other viewers accused the organizers of disrespect.
A later segment featured a giant platter of fake fruits and a “smurf” dressed as Dionysus, portrayed by French actor and singer Philippe Katerine. Responding to the criticism, Katerine stated, “It wouldn’t be fun if there were no controversy. Wouldn’t it be boring if everyone agreed on this planet?”
Viewers also reported poor audio due to near-torrential rain, with many performers, including Lady Gaga and 3,000 dancers, acrobats, and actors, being hard to hear.
Hundreds of thousands of spectators watched as 6,800 athletes, covered in plastic ponchos, attempted to keep their spirits high as they traveled down the Seine River in a flotilla of 85 boats. However, several gaffes, such as misnaming South Korea as North Korea, further marred the event. The International Olympic Committee issued an apology for the mistake.
The Paris Olympics organizers have yet to comment on the controversy and the removal of the video.
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