By Mary Jones and Ben Emos | Monday, July 29, 2024 | 2 min read
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) issued a statement on Saturday, lashing out at the Olympics for being offensive to Christians. He’s not alone in feeling that the production has a Satanic vibe, echoing conservative responses to the 2023 Super Bowl when figures like Donald Trump Jr. labeled Rihanna’s halftime show as a work of the devil.
“Last night’s mockery of the Last Supper was shocking and insulting to Christian people around the world who watched the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games,” Johnson wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter), responding to the gothic, metal-themed production by opening ceremony director Thomas Jolly.
The Hill reports that the Paris Olympic opening ceremony included a controversial performance resembling Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper,” featuring performers in drag and a headless Marie Antoinette singing with the metal band Gojira. This sparked significant outrage among some viewers, who found the depiction offensive.
Natalie F Danelishen, identifying as a “conscientious objector,” expressed her disapproval on social media by sharing numerous photos of the performance, including those of drag performers, to highlight her objections.
“Reject degeneracy!” Danelishen wrote in a post, co-signed by Elon Musk, who added, “This was extremely disrespectful to Christians.” This backlash came after the Paris Olympic opening ceremony featured a performance resembling Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper,” which included drag performers and a headless Marie Antoinette singing with the metal band Gojira.
Royal FM 94.3 noted in a tweet that the Olympics and NBC were using copyright claims to remove videos of the controversial opening ceremony, which led to further outrage over the perceived suppression of criticism.
While Johnson and Musk were quick to denounce the Olympic ceremony, they have remained notably silent on issues surrounding former President Donald Trump’s legal troubles. Trump’s presidency and post-presidential period have been marred by numerous allegations and convictions, including those related to financial fraud and hush money payments to Stormy Daniels, intended to conceal an affair and influence the 2016 election.
The contrast between their vocal stance on the Olympics and their silence on Trump’s alleged crimes highlights a selective approach to moral and legal issues. Critics argue that this selective outrage undermines their credibility and suggests a political bias in their public statements and priorities.
