Conservative figures in Hollywood such as Rob Schneider and Candace Cameron Bure are outraged over the Paris Olympics‘ opening ceremony for featuring a tableau that seemed to evoke Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” but replaced the painting’s religious figures with drag queens and more. The Catholic Church in France slammed the visual as a “derision and mockery of Christianity.”
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Schneider said he would be boycotting the rest of the Paris games because of the controversial tableau.
“I am sorry to say to all the world’s greatest athletes, I wish you all the best, but I cannot watch an Olympics that disrespects Christianity and openly celebrates Satan,” the comedian wrote. “I sincerely hope these Olympics get the same amount of viewers as CSPAN.”
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Schneider later posted a still from the tableau and wrote: “Guys with their genitalia hanging out in front of children?! Drag Queens?! I wasn’t sure if I was watching the Olympics or if I was watching a school board meeting…”
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“Full House” alum Bure was also outraged in a video post shared to her Instagram where she said: “To watch such an incredible and wonderful event that’s gonna take place over the next two weeks and see the opening ceremonies completely blaspheme and mock the Christian faith with their interpretation of the Last Supper was disgusting. And it made me so sad. And someone said, ‘You shouldn’t be sad. You should be mad about it.’ And I’m like, ‘Trust me. It makes me mad.’ But I’m more sad, because I’m sad for souls.”
Organizers for the Olympics said the segment in which the tableau appeared was intended to raise awareness “of the absurdity of violence between human beings.” Artistic director Thomas Jolly spoke to French outlet BFMTV after the opening ceremony and denied that “The Last Supper” even served as a reference. Instead, Jolly said the idea was to “have a grand pagan festival connected to the gods of Olympus” as the tableau prominently featured a version of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine.
“It was pretty clear, is It is Dionysus who arrives at the table,” Jolly added. “Why is he there? Because Dionysus is the Greek god of festivities (…) and wine, and is the father of Sequana, the goddess of the Seine river.”
Olympics spokesperson Anne Descamps told the AP that “clearly there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group,” adding: “We believe this ambition was achieved. If people have taken any offense we are really sorry.”
I am sorry to say to ALL the world’s GREATEST ATHLETES, I wish you ALL THE BEST, but I cannot watch an Olympics that disrespects Christianity and openly celebrates Satan.
I sincerely hope THESE @Olympics get the same amount of viewers as @cspan https://t.co/M7XAbcNVJq
Guys with their genitalia hanging out in front of children?! Drag Queens?!
I wasn’t sure if I was watching the @Olympics or if I was watching a school board meeting… pic.twitter.com/JpRw4UPqDA
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