The official video of the Paris 2024 Olympics opening ceremony appears to have been removed from the Olympics account, as backlash grows from viewers flocking to praise the London 2012 display that remains online.
Social media users shared a screenshot of the organization’s video, which showed a blank screen with the caption “this video is not available.”
Meanwhile, the show also doesn’t appear to be on their YouTube channel, despite there being coverage of the games before and after the ceremony.
Full versions of the London 2012, Rio 2016, Beijing 2022 and even Nagano 1998 ceremonies are also available.
This comes after the event was dubbed the “worst ever” and sparked backlash because it took place amid appalling weather.
Among the various artistic paintings named after French values such as liberty, fraternity and equality, it was the depiction in the style of the Last Supper in the atmosphere of a “festivité” (or party) that caused the most controversy.
Social media users shared a screenshot of the organization’s video, which showed a blank screen with the caption “this video is not available.”
This comes after the event was dubbed the “worst ever” and sparked backlash because it took place amid appalling weather.
Meanwhile, the show also doesn’t appear to be on their YouTube channel, despite there being coverage of the games both before and after the ceremony.
Full versions of the ceremonies for London 2012, Rio 2016, Beijing 2022 and even Nagano 1998 are available.
Complete with models, dancers, fashion icons and drag queens from the host country, the performance took place on a bridge over the capital’s river around a table that also served as a catwalk.
In the center was a woman in front of a DJ set wearing a gold halo-style crown, surrounded by several drag queens and dozens of dancers and performers.
A fashion show featuring clothes designed by some of France’s most promising young designers took centre stage, while those seated on either side performed elegant choreographies.
Among those in attendance was Drag Race icon Nicky Doll, who appeared on the French franchise, RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs The World and now hosts the French version.
Although also hampered by difficult-to-listen music, many young people and fans of the popular TV show took to social media to praise the picture, which was meant to reflect the atmosphere of a nightclub and featured dancing and lip-syncing on the soaking-wet stage.
But others were less impressed, accusing organisers of creating a “woke” parody of the Last Supper, a painting by Leonardo da Vinci depicting Jesus’ final meal with his disciples.
Elon Musk, the owner of Tesla and SpaceX, who has been criticized for his conservative beliefs, including toward his own daughter, wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that the performance was “extremely disrespectful to Christians.”
And he added: “Christianity has become ineffective.”
French actor and singer Phillippe Katerine played the role of the Greek god of wine Dionysus in a reenactment of the famous biblical scene of Jesus Christ and his twelve apostles sharing a final meal before the crucifixion.
The artistic imitation of the Last Supper, which also included a troupe of drag queens and a transgender model, has caused offence among some Christians for making a “crude mockery” of religion.
Representation of the last supper by Leonardo da Vinci, with Jesus in the center surrounded by his disciples.
Reacting to the event, American Catholic Bishop Robert Barron posted a video online and said: “I love the Olympics, so I turn on the opening ceremony of the Olympics. And what do I see now? It’s in Paris, France, a city I love, I spent three years as a PhD student there.
“I see this crude mockery of the Last Supper and I will not describe it further.”
Later in the show, the strangest moment of the night saw a giant tray adorned with fake fruit and other food, with a ‘smurf’ resting among them.
The man, dressed in a tight-fitting blue suit that left very little to the imagination, was dressed as the Greek god of wine, partying and theatre, Dionysus, who was later revealed to be French actor and singer Phillippe Katerine.
Today he laughed off the criticism, telling BFM TV: “It wouldn’t be fun if there was no controversy. Wouldn’t it be boring if we all agreed on this planet?”
Spectators reported poor audio quality caused by the near-torrential rain and even joked online that organisers should “stop the boats”.
Hundreds of thousands of spectators watched as 6,800 athletes covered in plastic ponchos tried to keep their spirits high as they travelled down the River Seine in a huge flotilla of 85 boats.
Performances by Lady Gaga and some 3,000 dancers, acrobats and actors were difficult to hear over the sound of rain, and spectators called it “the worst Olympic opening ceremony in living memory.”
Elon Musk took to X to reveal his discontent with last night’s ceremony
Meanwhile, US Catholic Bishop Robert Barron criticised the opening ceremony as a “crude mockery” of Christianity.
Blunders over country names, the placement of the Olympic flag and bizarre scenes in which a headless Marie Antoinette was seen singing peppered the spectacle last night as the sport gets underway in earnest this morning.
At one point, as the long line of boats filled with athletes moved down the Seine, an embarrassing moment occurred when the announcers labeled South Korea as North Korea.
As the South Korean delegation sailed down the Seine River, they were introduced to North Korea’s official name: “Republique populaire democratique de Coree” in French, then “Democratic People’s Republic of Korea” in English.
The IOC said in a post on its official Korean-language X account: “We deeply apologize for the mistake that occurred when introducing the South Korean team during the broadcast of the opening ceremony.”
The Paris Olympics have been contacted for comment.