In a recent interview with FOX News, former President Donald Trump expressed his intention to leverage his influence over the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, should he be elected president again.
His comments came in the wake of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games' opening ceremony, which he criticized vehemently.
According to Newsweek, Trump's conversation with Laura Ingraham on FOX News saw him denouncing the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. "I thought that the opening ceremony was a disgrace, actually," Trump stated emphatically. His criticism was directed towards a particular scene involving drag artists and dancers arranged behind a long table, which drew comparisons to Leonardo DaVinci's iconic painting, "The Last Supper."
In response to Ingraham's query about the 2028 Olympics, Trump asserted, "There won't be any 'Last Supper' the way they portrayed it the other night." This statement reflects his commitment to uphold traditional values and religious respect, a stance that resonates with many conservatives.
The controversial scene was perceived by some as a mockery of Christianity. House Speaker Mike Johnson echoed this sentiment, tweeting, "The war on our faith and traditional values knows no bounds today. But we know that truth and virtue will always prevail. 'The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it'. (John 1:5)" This perspective underscores the conservative viewpoint that traditional values and faith should be respected and protected.
However, not everyone agreed with this interpretation. Two pastors defended the scene, and Thomas Jolly, the director of the ceremony, clarified that "The Last Supper" was not his inspiration. Instead, he stated that the scene was based on Dionysus, the Greek Olympic god of festivity, as depicted in Jan van Bijlert's 17th-century painting "The Feast of the Gods."
Jolly explained to French TV station BFMTV, "There is Dionysus who arrives on this table. He is there because he is the God of celebration in Greek mythology. The god of wine who is one of the jewels of France. And the father of Sequana, the goddess who is connected to the river, the Seine. The idea was to have a pagan celebration connected to the gods of Olympus." The official Olympic Games social media accounts also confirmed this interpretation.
Despite the controversy, Barbara Butch, a DJ at the center of the scene, expressed her pride in being part of the opening ceremony. However, she has been the target of numerous threats and abuses online. "She has been targeted with death, torture and rape, and has also been the target of numerous anti-Semitic, homophobic, sexist and grossophobic insults," her attorney, Audrey Msellati, wrote in a letter posted on Butch's Instagram.
Butch is currently filing complaints against these acts, and French judicial authorities are expected to review these complaints to decide whether to initiate a formal police investigation, as reported by the Associated Press. Despite the backlash, Butch remains steadfast in her commitment to her craft, stating on her social media, "As you know, my commitment has always been to make everyone dance, and in my own small way to make a nation on the dancefloor."
This incident underscores the ongoing tension between traditional values and progressive interpretations of art and culture. As the world looks towards the 2028 Olympics, it remains to be seen how these dynamics will play out on the global stage.
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