An Olympic Mess: Paris, Podiums, and Pagan Picnics
Bienvenue, Y’all! Long time, no see!
Good news, everybody!
Your academic betters want you to know the Last Supper Motif wasn’t the sole purpose of the disastrous Olympic vignette…just a happy by-product…intended to be provocative and controversial.
It wasn’t only a choregraphed pose to mimic religious art (art reflecting a sacred and significant moment in Christendom)—which it absolutely was and did—it was ALSO depicting a bacchanalia festival. Whew!
In other words, take a breath zealots and prudes. It’s not offensive at all.
For those of us who opted for majors that would make us employable, as opposed to Decadent Art of French Reason/Renaissance or Non-binary Leisure Studies…Bacchanalia is a pagan festival marked by drunkenness, debauchery, and ecstasy. It is an orgy of excess, sexual extremes, and violent rites and initiation by both sexes AND for all ages.
Hence the child present.
And the blue guy? Papa Smurf on a bender? You may or may not have seen him, but it was Dionysus…the god of drunkenness, pleasure, fertility…religious ecstasy, and ritual madness. The song he sang was about nudity and why everyone should be naked. Tremendous.
Which is so funny (not ha-ha funny, more odd funny…like being trapped in an asylum) because in some of the stills online you can clearly see a man’s…ahem…berries or bits… or bit singular I should say.
I say again…WHILE A CHILD IS PRESENT.
Don’t we all feel better now? Nothing offensive here. Everything is fine. Return to whatever water event is already in progress now that we know this couldn’t possibly have been in painfully poor taste (because it’s art and stuff.)
But here’s the thing–this was the goal. This was the win. To offend, enrage, divide, and alienate. GOOOOOOOOOOOOLD!!!! I mean they podiumed in manipulation.
Keep in mind, we in the states didn’t even see the worst of what was produced and broadcast to the rest of the world. Did you know that? We didn’t see all of it because NBC KNEW it would be received exactly as it was. THE ART WE ARE SO IGNORANT ABOUT?? We never even saw. Really think about the implications of that in terms of intentionality and predictability of outrage.
And…it’s NOT just American white, conservative, evangelicals, who were offended.
It was the Catholic Church of France, the Archbishop of Canterbury, archbishops across Europe, representatives from the Vatican…they too issued rebukes along with Catholics and Christians AROUND THE WORLD.
Do you really think EVERYONE misunderstood?
Or do you think EVERYONE understood perfectly—because it was what it was and that was the intention all along?
Research who the art director is. This is what he does—walk exactly on the line of blasphemy and debauchery, using religious iconography, sexuality and hedonistic themes.
And when it’s recognized and not celebrated (womp womp)…pleads innocent with a wink and nod from his glittering Grecian crown.
Watch the games. Don’t watch them.
No one knows and no one is going to care. No medal will be given or withheld for those who do or don’t. Heck, I likely will when I get over being good and mad.
But we should be able to objectively discern what is good or bad, whether presented artistically or not. Alluding to a menage a trois on Saturday morning Olympics broadcast? Baaaad. Good answer!
It was bad before we ever got to the last supper that was or wasn’t. **Update: it was. It’s been acknowledged by the creators and apologized for…by the city.
Lots can be true at once. We can NOT judge others WHILE lacking judgment. We can be un-offended by the wrong thing AND totally miss the offense that SHOULD HAVE registered from the “right” thing.
It is unfortunate for all. It is unfortunate for what it says and reveals about the world and the church…and Kid—it’s not nothing.
It’s unfortunate that actions have consequences. But alas they do. The foolishness and boorishness of some DOES in fact impact others. Like athletes. And minimizing those consequences for the offender isn’t entirely helpful and doesn’t change behavior.
Unfortunate mess, indeed.
But the church didn’t do this.
The leadership of France did when they allowed it. And whatever negative impact, if any, should be placed squarely with whomever those decisions laid.
What gaslighting behavior to purposefully mock and offend a group and then blame the group for being ignorant or overly sensitive when they “noticed” they were being mocked.
If it was a pagan orgy that was only reminiscent of religious art…is that really better? You can say it aloud we all know the answer. “No,”
Unholy is unholy.
Sigh with relief for the picture they say it wasn’t. Then grieve for the repudiation of the many commandments it very much was.
