Olympic Paris 2024’s Opening Ceremony: Ambitious but Full of Controversies
The opening ceremony of the Olympic Paris 2024 has been a topic of debate due to its various ambitious yet controversial elements.
The Olympic Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony recently concluded with a flood of controversial opinions. Unlike previous Olympics, where the opening ceremony was held in a central stadium, the Paris 2024 opening ceremony took place along the Seine River, passing through numerous historic sites over a 6 km stretch. This vision was promising yet challenging, showcasing the Olympic Paris 2024 Committee’s long-standing ambition.
The entire program, directed by artistic director Thomas Jolly, immediately sparked unprecedented controversy. The highlight video of the opening ceremony moments was even hidden from the official Olympic YouTube channel. Several sponsors began to withdraw, accompanied by the outrage of many, particularly the large global Christian community.
Celebrating French Culture in Various Forms but Overall Disjointed, with Rain Limiting Many Aspects
The program was divided into 12 segments, differing from the usual Olympic opening ceremony structure. Typically, Olympic opening ceremonies include mandatory parts (national flag ceremony, Olympic flag hoisting, parade, speeches by the host country’s leader and the IOC president) conducted in a unified sequence within a stadium. However, the French romantic spirit “stirred” the script, turning the entire Olympic opening ceremony into a massive parade across Paris. The parades on the Seine followed the alphabetical order of countries, interspersed with performances at famous Paris landmarks.
The French indeed infused their personality into this opening ceremony: romantic, freedom-loving, and liberal, even disregarding standards and incorporating social viewpoints. However, for a global audience with high expectations for this opening ceremony, it turned out to be a “double-edged sword.”
Using Paris as a massive stage was ambitious, but the weather, stage connectivity issues, and excessive elements left many feeling touched. The extensive organizing space diluted the program’s content.
In the end, the audience ended up experiencing a “village fair” along the Seine, with some watching performances from bridges, others from palaces or streets. None of the acts were sufficiently strong to leave a deep impression.
Lady Gaga opened with a performance of “Mon truc en plumes”, a French Hit from the 1950s by Zizi Jeanmaire. While familiar to the French, this genre was relatively unknown to the global audience, leading to disappointment. Many felt Lady Gaga’s performance should have been moved to a later segment after the audience acclimated to French culture. Additionally, Gaga, not fully accustomed to this genre, couldn’t deliver her best energy, despite her known stage prowess.
Meanwhile, performances in the rain warmed Hearts, but heavy rain hampered performances needing synchronization and large numbers of performers. In particular, the French orchestra played live in the rain, risking their expensive instruments, but the heavy rain prevented optimal performance. Notable was the can-can dance, disrupted by the rain, affecting the dancers’ synchronization.
After lighting the Olympic torch, Celine Dion, dazzling like a goddess, appeared at the Eiffel Tower, singing “L’hymne À L’amour,” a classic French love song by Édith Piaf. This marked Dion’s grand return after battling illness, and she became the ceremony’s brightest highlight.
This depiction included a half-naked man (played by French actor Philippe Katerina) surrounded by fruits and delicacies, symbolizing Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and revelry. This sparked religious controversy and led many sponsors to consider withdrawing.
Global Media and Audience Reactions
Media reactions varied. French outlets like *Le Monde* praised director Thomas Jolly’s immersive program, while *Le Figaro* noted the ceremony’s excessiveness, especially provocative images like the clear reenactment of “The Last Supper” with drag queens.
On the other hand, The New York Times criticized the ceremony’s disjointedness, likening it to a TV drama scene. The Washington Post acknowledged the organizers’ bold thinking, while *The Guardian found the aesthetics chaotic. Finally, China’s Xinhua noted the challenge of maintaining continuity over such a large distance.
Despite media praise, global netizens expressed disappointment, calling the ceremony disjointed and comparing it unfavorably to past openings, especially the legendary Beijing 2008 Olympics.
Source: K14
