Paris Olympics heading towards disaster
The globe turned to see the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. For the first time in the history of the Olympics, the Games were launched outside of a stadium, more precisely on and along the Seine River. Viewers hailed it for its great and distinctive aspect.
But not everyone was impressed by the majesty and originality, as some spectators had criticisms about the event. The representation of the famous Leonardo da Vinci artwork “The Last Supper” was the main point of controversy.
The Last Supper controversy
Italian painter Leonardo da Vinci’s 16th-century work, “The Last Supper,” portrays the scene during Jesus Christ’s last dinner when he prophesies that one of his followers would betray him.
A scene that resembled “The Last Supper” was shown during Friday’s ceremony, and it featured LGBTQ+ icon and DJ Barbara Butch surrounded by drag performers and dancers.
The scene’s clips quickly became viral on social media and ignited a lot of criticism. Christian conservatives criticized the Olympic organizers for offending them, not just in Europe but also in other parts of the world.
wokeism in the olympics
A social and political movement that aims to confront and address discrimination, inequality, and social injustices is known as wokeism. It places a strong emphasis on identifying and tackling systemic problems like sexism, racism, and other types of oppression.
After the opening ceremony, there has been a great deal of discussion about “wokeism“ in relation to the Paris Olympics. Drag queens, LGBTQ+ activists, and other elements were included in the ceremony, which some conservative French politicians criticized for encouraging “woke ideology”. This phrase, which is frequently used disrespectfully, describes progressive movements that prioritize social justice and anti-discrimination.
Moreover, there was criticism of the official Paris Olympics poster for allegedly erasing Christian and French identity symbols, a move some attributed to “wokeism”. The ongoing cultural and political conflicts in France about progressive values and national identity are brought to light by these controversies.
Gender Stupidity
After only 46 seconds of competition, an Italian boxer at the Paris Olympics withdrew from her fight, citing a heavy punch from an Algerian opponent who had been disqualified from the world championships the previous year due to eligibility issues in women’s sports.
After receiving a strong blow to the face from her Algerian opponent Imane Khelif, Italian boxer Angela Carini decided to withdraw. After pausing briefly, Carini turned to face Khelif and proceeded to her corner. Her coaches gave a swift signal that she would not continue, and the fight was taken down by the referee.
Boxing officials had blocked Khelif ,from competing in women’s events last year, bringing up her lack of eligibility. Despite this, she was allowed to compete at the Olympics. Lin Yu-ting, an athlete who was similarly disqualified from the world championships the previous year, has also been given the go-ahead to compete in Paris.
The boxers’ disqualifications were ordered by the International Boxing Association, which oversaw the championships and provided little explanation for their removal. In a statement, the organization stated that the boxers were disqualified because “the athletes did not undergo a testosterone examination but were subject to a separate and recognized test.”
conclusion
Notable controversy troubled the Paris 2024 Olympics, especially in relation to the gender eligibility of boxing and the “Last Supper” tableau in the opening ceremony. The tableau’s creators expressed regret for any offense the piece may have caused and emphasized that their goal was to promote tolerance and diversity in the community. There was also a great deal of discussion about the gender eligibility issues in boxing.
These incidents draw attention to how difficult it is still to strike a balance between respect for different viewpoints and social equality in world stage.
