For the first time, an Olympic Opening Ceremony has left half the world ecstatic and the other half fuming.
In Greece, we were among the first to draw our swords. I tuned in expecting to watch a celebration, especially one held in Paris, a city renowned for its originality and audacity. With a backdrop that included the Eiffel Tower, the Seine, the Conciergerie, and Notre-Dame, something remarkable was bound to emerge, rain or shine.
I can overlook the scenes featuring Lady Gaga as a cabaret performer and the obsession with Louis Vuitton (Brigitte?).
What I witnessed at the Paris ceremony was a spectacular show: I saw Paris, primarily, as a living architectural museum that continues to evoke deep emotions. From the parkour artist leading us to the Louvre with the "missing" Mona Lisa, to Zidane’s "Zazie in the Metro" moment [a nod to Louis Malle], the library with its exquisite forest of books, the iconic bridges of the Seine.
The choreography featuring the airborne craftsmen of Notre-Dame ("rebuilding"). The wonderfully bloody Bastille with dance and barricades of the French Revolution. The striking African superstar Aya Nakamura harmoniously blending with the Garde Nationale orchestra. The references to Truffaut’s "Jules et Jim," Quasimodo, the guillotine.
Then came Philippe Katerine as a Dionysian blue Smurf, and a global anti-woke outburst erupted on Friday.
Yes, it had a bit of an excessive gay parade. It was insistent on showcasing woke culture and the LGBTQ+ community, but so be it. Thomas Jolly, Paris’ master of ceremonies, attempted something new that Athens did not: he let Paris tell its story, both ancient and contemporary.
The result might have had more inclusivity than the average person can handle, but that's no reason to crucify the creator and his city.
After all, this is France. From the Impressionists to Surrealism, they have always used their art to make bold statements.
We have come to the point of debating whether the source of artistic inspiration was Da Vinci's famous painting of the Last Supper or Jan Harmensz van Biljert's "The Feast of the Gods," depicting a Dionysian banquet.
As if the problem is a table with queer individuals sparking outrage because it resembles a religious portrayal.
The uproar was naturally ignited by Le Pen’s niece and followed by far-right factions from the US and Europe: Fox News, Salvini, Hungary’s ambassador to the Vatican, Senator Green. Even the official Catholic Church of France, along with Catholic and Jewish organizations, protested.
The French, however, were honest with themselves.
Whether we like the result or not is our problem. Yes, it was certainly a show that lacked reverence in many aspects.
But isn’t that the dominant trend of our times?
Thomas Jolly’s performance encapsulated these modern demands and signaled a new era. It was as if he was declaring: world, shout all you want, but the future is already here—colorful, inclusive, and audacious—new, in any case.
Ultimately, Paris, despite its excesses, once again showed us why the entire planet wants to live at the heart of this "decadent" West. It is in these "decadent" Western democracies that the future progresses, not in the rest of the world that protests our exuberances.
Translated by ANTHEE CARASSAVA