Many social media users expressed outrage at parts of the July 26, 2024 opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics in France. I have summarized and responded to the most common reactions below. As someone who is both natively French and a well-traveled global citizen, I wanted to share my dual perspective. My goal is not to pass judgment on Friday's performance, but rather set the cultural context in which it was delivered. My main argument is that the French brand of secularism (*laïcité*) is unique, highly idiosyncratic, and part of the core identity of the French republic; it is, therefore, understandable that it does not translate well to an international audience. >[!tip]+ That show was blasphemy! >The concept of blasphemy (the action of speaking sacrilegiously about a god or the sacred) may speak to you, but it explicitly does not exist in secular France ("Hate speech laws in France", 2024). In France, religions are treated as mere ideas, and like all ideas, they can be examined, praised, criticized, and even mocked. In the eyes of the secular French republic, no text or religious icon deserves special protection, no matter how holy to some. That aspect of freedom of speech is as foundational to the French as the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution is to Americans. Of course, people whose identity is rooted in faith might take offense at that, which leads me my next point. >[!tip]+ That show was disrespectful to Christians! >It is culturally accepted in France that mocking religions is not the same as mocking believers. It follows that it is possible to criticize ideas (which religions are) while not disrespecting people who hold them. > >I understand this is a contentious distinction for the non-French, including foreign spectators of a show, or recent immigrants unaccustomed to the local culture. In France, everyone is free to believe in whatever deity they like, of course, or none at all; but if someone gets offended, that's on them, and the most likely retort they will receive is "deal with it". > >In fact, there is a long and proud French tradition of mocking religion, which leads me to the next point. >[!tip]+ Why pick on religion though? >I can't speak for the artistic director (Thomas Jolly)'s decision to address religion in the show. But one clue is that France has had a long adversarial history with religion. Until the Revolution of 1789, the Catholic church ruled over all of French society. The clergy ran civil registries, public schools, higher education, tax collection, and courts. You had better be a good Catholic or you would be subject to arbitrary abuse, including massacres of people of other or no faith. > >All that changed not just in 1789 but also as recently as 1905, when a law put a final end to Catholicism being the state religion of France ("1905 French law on the Separation of the Churches and the State", 2024). The French people revolted, fought, and died for the right to criticize religion. > >Furthermore, the show also picked at another ancient French institution, the royalty, by prominently displaying a beheaded Marie Antoinette. The French maintain a certain pride in having ousted their king and clergy simultaneously, and have kept a deep distrust of both ever since. >[!tip]+ Why pick on Christianity and not Islam? >My first reaction to this question was surprise at how uncharitable it is, coming from a presumably religious poster on X. That person seems to be comfortable with religions being mocked except their own, which is hardly morally consistent. > >The likely answer, though, is that the French mocking Catholicism (as the historically dominant religion) is akin to the French mocking themselves and their own past, which is considered acceptable. Conversely, it would be quite odd to a French audience if the show randomly mocked a "foreign" religion, whether Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, etc. with no historical basis for doing so. Remember that Islam is much more recent to France than Christianity (8th century notwithstanding ["Battle of Tours", 2024]), and remains a minority religion in the country. > >Furthermore, French artists *have*, in fact, criticized Islam before; and some have paid a heavy price ("Charlie Hebdo shooting", 2024). Laws have also been updated to extend secular rules to Islam ("French law on secularity and conspicuous religious symbols in schools", 2024). So, it's not like other religions get a free pass under the French republic. >[!tip]+ The show was a grotesque and lewd display of trans people! >That part of the show was burlesque, a genre intended "to caricature the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects" ("Burlesque", 2024) — in this case, the Last Supper. > >It is definitely not a mainstream choice for the show considering its extravagant display of, well, atypical sensuality. The ceremony's director exercised his artistic license in full by subverting classical expectations here. > >But (AFAIK) it wasn't a "woke display" nor a hidden agenda to promote DEI; the burlesque genre long predates the 21st century histrionics over gender identity that are so acute in the US (and far less so in France). >[!tip]+ That blue Smurf at the Last Supper was a disgrace. >The blue character (played by French comedian Philippe Katerine) is an interpretation of Nietzsche's Dionysus, used here as an antagonist to "the Crucified" (Jesus). > >It's not as randomly degenerate as it seems; it is a burlesque and highly symbolic representation of a pretty deep theme with historical and philosophical undertones. > >Here's a great Reddit explanation that I found from years ago that explains that context very well: > > >[!quote]+ > >Nietzsche chose Dionysus as his god because he felt that Europe was lacking the Dionysian in its art and culture — that is to say, it had become rigid, theoretic, optimistic and worshipful of reason as an end unto itself. Dionysus is a force of dissolution, and accordingly Nietzsche called into question and attacked all of those values. This isn't because he wanted to destroy European culture, but strengthen it. The triumph of a certain way of thinking and the elimination of its adversaries doesn't strengthen that way of thinking, but rather weakens it - one needs attacks on their convictions to be healthy. > > > >The real question is why anyone would choose "the crucified" as their god. Couldn't that drive a person insane? — the notion that greatness is achieved through being tortured and martyred, that the lowly and persecuted ought to be revered, that life is about suffering and the enduring of suffering? The west has at least been driven half-insane by those values... and even as Christianity fades away, we still have the adherents of those sick values in the secular world, going crazier than ever. My prescription is much the same as Doc Nietzsche's: a strong dose of Dionysus. (essentialsalts, 2020). >[!tip]+ Even with all this context, the show was not appropriate for the Olympics. >Surprisingly, this is the one argument I have *not* seen posted online, and yet it is the one I might actually be most sympathetic to. Flaunting the über-French concept of *laïcité* ("Secularism in France", 2024) to a worldwide audience of all cultures was an incredibly ambitious and idiosyncratic choice, and one very likely to result in misunderstandings. It's hard enough to explain it even to a mature audience with the appropriate context. > >Yet, that particular brand of secularism is very core to the French identity. So, should the show have portrayed France as it truly is? Or should it be consensual entertainment, sticking to Amélie Poulain clichés that a foreign audience might expect? > >On the one hand, the show was made in Paris, by a French director, to celebrate France hosting the games. On the other, the Olympics belong to all of humanity, and a neutral tone should prevail. You may decide for yourself, but I hope this post provided useful context. <div style="font-size: x-large; text-align:center;">❧</div> ## References - Hate speech laws in France. (2024, August 28). In *Wikipedia*. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hate_speech_laws_in_France&oldid=1240768201 - 1905 French law on the Separation of the Churches and the State. (2024, August 28). In *Wikipedia*. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1905_French_law_on_the_Separation_of_the_Churches_and_the_State&oldid=1238094440 - Battle of Tours. (2024, August 28). In *Wikipedia*. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Battle_of_Tours&oldid=1232836739 - Charlie Hebdo shooting. (2024, August 28). In *Wikipedia*. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Charlie_Hebdo_shooting&oldid=1242243548 - French law on secularity and conspicuous religious symbols in schools. (2024, August 28). In *Wikipedia*. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=French_law_on_secularity_and_conspicuous_religious_symbols_in_schools&oldid=1237194173 - Burlesque. (2024, August 28). In *Wikipedia*. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Burlesque&oldid=1240170743 - essentialsalts. (2020). *Dionysus versus the crucified*. https://www.reddit.com/r/Nietzsche/comments/eq1f9z/comment/fen2q8g/ - Secularism in France. (2024, August 28). In *Wikipedia*. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Secularism_in_France&oldid=1241456219