2024 Paris Olympics General (non-Basketball/Track & Field) Discussion Thread

[Sofia]

Back to topic i guess. i forgot there’s no use arguing about these things on the internetz. LOL.

China still the favorites for total gold medals and total medals i presume? Or does USA have a shot this year?


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I think USA is still favourite by a fair way

[ORLMagicGirl15]

Will any Olympic ceremony top the Beijing Olympics?

Simple and direct for me 1984 Los Angeles and 1988 Seoul. Perhaps just for the instrumental orchestral music playing in the background and traditional dances.

The first opening ceremonies you watch tend to be the best. You get jaded afterward at the gimmicks.

Although the Beijing Olympics wasn’t my first, they made sure it was memorable. I remember they held it on 8-8-08 and started at 8:08pm, with Michael Phelps going for 8 gold medals, the introduction of Usain Bolt’s, and the Chinese female gymnastics rumored to be underage. It was a wild one.

[Buckets22]

Field hockey is more exciting than I remember. Netherlands and South Africa giving it all.

[Buckets22]

Fiji took it personally after that Australia try.

[Mattatron]

That opening ceremony was…atrocious.

Re-creating the last supper was wild.

I liked the creativity and concept in general, but there were parts that were distasteful. That was one of them.

Give me an example ? It's in the Olympic Charta that the Host has to show the world their History, Culture and Society. Moulin Rouge, Dragqueens are a part of it and deeply rooted in the Parisian Society. Always have been. This is Europe. Not the US. Maybe you are Distasteful.

[Mattatron]

Even Olympics cant escape this woke BS

It's in the Olympic Charta that the Host has to show the society in its own country. You cultureless american don't know anything about Europe in general.

Moulin Rouge and Dragqueens have been always a part of Parisian Society and France in general. They are a part of our European culture.

Go to McDonald's and eat some fries and burgers.

[G R E Y]

That opening ceremony was…atrocious.

Re-creating the last supper was wild.

I liked the creativity and concept in general, but there were parts that were distasteful. That was one of them.

Give me an example ? It's in the Olympic Charta that the Host has to show the world their History, Culture and Society. Moulin Rouge, Dragqueens are a part of it and deeply rooted in the Parisian Society. Always have been. This is Europe. Not the US. Maybe you are Distasteful.

That was the example of something distasteful. And given that we immigrated to Canada from Europe, I also have a good finger on the pulse there, too.

Drag queens is one thing; repurposing a key moment of a religious painting, and one specific faith, is another. Imagine seeing Mohammed reinterpreted as drag, for example.

So while yes it's about showcasing Paris, this is a global event. Of course all eyes are on it. There may be an exchange of ideas about the Last Supper and Christ represented in drag, and criticism of how/where it lands on a distasteful scale, there's a reason it stays localized to that.

All of the choices of what to include and not were carefully considered for a global audience.

[G R E Y]

Even Olympics cant escape this woke BS

It's in the Olympic Charta that the Host has to show the society in its own country. You cultureless american don't know anything about Europe in general.

Moulin Rouge and Dragqueens have been always a part of Parisian Society and France in general. They are a part of our European culture.

Go to McDonald's and eat some fries and burgers.

The opposite of drag is not uncultured. And they are not a part of all European culture as if it's a monolith of agreement.

[bisme37]

Women’s VB for me too. I find that the Men’s game just has too many insta-kills, and I love to see the women rally a little.

Don’t forget Chase Budinger is representing USA in the sand.

Yeah the men volley dudes hit the ball so damn hard it just bounces off the other guy's face or flies out of bounds most of the time. The women also smash it but there's just enough taken off that you can actually play defense and it ends up with longer more exciting rallies. Women's volleyball is a lot of fun.

[_jin]

Even Olympics cant escape this woke BS

It's in the Olympic Charta that the Host has to show the society in its own country. You cultureless american don't know anything about Europe in general.

Moulin Rouge and Dragqueens have been always a part of Parisian Society and France in general. They are a part of our European culture.

Go to McDonald's and eat some fries and burgers.

The opposite of drag is not uncultured. And they are not a part of all European culture as if it's a monolith of agreement.

Drag is not a staple of european culture but cross dressing has been a part of entertainment for centuries in Europe (and other continents as well). I think what Mattatron means is people who got offended yesterday would have a heart attack watching a pan-european event such as Eurovision which often features (and crowns) drag and LGBTQIA+ acts and is way more extravagant. Being both french and american I totally understand why some american people were shocked but it was quite standard from a french point of view.

[bisme37]

I don't know how I missed this live yesterday lol. Derrick White IS the United States.

[ItsDanger]

Opening ceremony was an absolute travesty. Just saw some if it on replay. Inexcusable.

[Optms]

Even Olympics cant escape this woke BS

It's in the Olympic Charta that the Host has to show the society in its own country. You cultureless american don't know anything about Europe in general.

Moulin Rouge and Dragqueens have been always a part of Parisian Society and France in general. They are a part of our European culture.

Go to McDonald's and eat some fries and burgers.

That's cool and all but what does that have to do with mocking an entire religion as was displayed?

Lets see them do that with Islam and see how it goes. I'm not even religious, not an ounce, but have some damn respect for others. The hypocrisy is hilarious. If that's what France is about, good thing the majority of us don't live there. We are good here, Mickey D and all.

[_jin]

Even Olympics cant escape this woke BS

It's in the Olympic Charta that the Host has to show the society in its own country. You cultureless american don't know anything about Europe in general.

Moulin Rouge and Dragqueens have been always a part of Parisian Society and France in general. They are a part of our European culture.

Go to McDonald's and eat some fries and burgers.

That's cool and all but what does that have to do with mocking an entire religion as was displayed?

Lets see them do that with Islam and see how it goes. I'm not even religious, not an ounce, but have some damn respect for others. The hypocrisy is hilarious. If that's what France is about, good thing the majority of us don't live there. We are good here, Mickey D and all.

Why is it mocking? The Last Supper has been replicated in countless movies/shows like the Sopranos, the Simpsons or South Park. It was intentionally mocked in some of those episodes. Why is it mocking in that instance and not in the others? My wife is very religious and Catholic and she liked it, she wasnt offended one bit. I think people's opinion on drags and the overal queer community has a lot of influence on how they felt about it.

Also it's ironic that you mention Islam when you're not even aware of recent history.

[Mattatron]

I liked the creativity and concept in general, but there were parts that were distasteful. That was one of them.

Give me an example ? It's in the Olympic Charta that the Host has to show the world their History, Culture and Society. Moulin Rouge, Dragqueens are a part of it and deeply rooted in the Parisian Society. Always have been. This is Europe. Not the US. Maybe you are Distasteful.

That was the example of something distasteful. And given that we immigrated to Canada from Europe, I also have a good finger on the pulse there, too.

Drag queens is one thing; repurposing a key moment of a religious painting, and one specific faith, is another. Imagine seeing Mohammed reinterpreted as drag, for example.

So while yes it's about showcasing Paris, this is a global event. Of course all eyes are on it. There may be an exchange of ideas about the Last Supper and Christ represented in drag, and criticism of how/where it lands on a distasteful scale, there's a reason it stays localized to that.

All of the choices of what to include and not were carefully considered for a global audience.

Ever heard of Satire and Charlie Hebdo ?

This is common in France. The Host is France, and the global audience have to respect their values.

[Mattatron]

Even Olympics cant escape this woke BS

It's in the Olympic Charta that the Host has to show the society in its own country. You cultureless american don't know anything about Europe in general.

Moulin Rouge and Dragqueens have been always a part of Parisian Society and France in general. They are a part of our European culture.

Go to McDonald's and eat some fries and burgers.

That's cool and all but what does that have to do with mocking an entire religion as was displayed?

Lets see them do that with Islam and see how it goes. I'm not even religious, not an ounce, but have some damn respect for others. The hypocrisy is hilarious. If that's what France is about, good thing the majority of us don't live there. We are good here, Mickey D and all.

Charlie Hebdo did that with Islam/Mohammed too, and some radical fanatics killed everyone during the attacks. And you know what !? Satire lives on and will forever.

[ItsDanger]

Give me an example ? It's in the Olympic Charta that the Host has to show the world their History, Culture and Society. Moulin Rouge, Dragqueens are a part of it and deeply rooted in the Parisian Society. Always have been. This is Europe. Not the US. Maybe you are Distasteful.

That was the example of something distasteful. And given that we immigrated to Canada from Europe, I also have a good finger on the pulse there, too.

Drag queens is one thing; repurposing a key moment of a religious painting, and one specific faith, is another. Imagine seeing Mohammed reinterpreted as drag, for example.

So while yes it's about showcasing Paris, this is a global event. Of course all eyes are on it. There may be an exchange of ideas about the Last Supper and Christ represented in drag, and criticism of how/where it lands on a distasteful scale, there's a reason it stays localized to that.

All of the choices of what to include and not were carefully considered for a global audience.

Ever heard of Satire and Charlie Hebdo ?

This is common in France. The Host is France, and the global audience have to respect their values.

Yes. But that platform isn't suitable for satire. And having some papa smurf lookalike on a table is just **** weird.

[Nuntius]

How can we know that the piece of art of one faith over another wasn't a consideration given one is a safer choice?

Of course the art was recreated. But it's a looking away from a central aspect of the choice that the choice of one art, or of one depicting a crucial scene in a faith's tenet, or religious oeuvre, if you will, isn't a factor.

After all, it's not da Vinci that is considered as being blasphemed, my earlier quip about it notwithstanding.

How many pieces of religious art are as iconic to a Western and, especially, French audience as the Last Supper? Are there any non-Christian pieces of religious art that are instantly recognizable to Western (and, again, French) audiences?

Would the recreation/homage/lampooning (If someone wants to view it in a hostile light) work if the piece of art chosen wasn't as widely known as the Last Supper? Would the general audience understand what it is?

The Last Supper was indeed the safer choice but what made it safe wasn't what you're implying. What made it the safer choice is that everyone in the West can recognize it. Religious or not. It's one of those works of art that is considered universal because of how famous it is. That's why it was chosen.

Besides, when any artist tries to recreate/pay homage or lampoon something, it's natural to draw from their own experiences and the culture that they were brought up in. France is a Christian-majority country so it's only natural that the religious art recreated was Christian. It would actually be pretty weird if it wasn't.

Remember the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics? Did they reference Christian religious art at any point? No, of course not. Because it wouldn't make any sense of them. It wouldn't be part of the country's culture (which is something that they're supposed to showcase). But it did heavily reference video games, noh theatre, kabuki and Japanese game shows. Because, you know, all that is part of the culture that they were supposed to showcase.

That is exactly what this opening ceremony did. It showcased the culture of France and Paris. That's the goal and, imo, they absolutely nailed that. Because, yeah, beheading royalty, lampooning religious institutions and generally mocking authority are all parts of French and Parisian culture.

Are there no other famous works of art, non-religious, from which to choose? Are there sensitivities around other religious works that, had they been recreated/lampooned instead, would have been as safe to do so - in today's France? That's a lot of good points that work a big circle around the hub, which is that is IS a centrally religious symbolic piece of art. As you acknowledge. But there's also a reason France has banned all religious exterior symbols in schools (paraphrasing) and only one religion was lampooned, despite it being a country of many faiths, of course. Something is being ignored-to-minimized here, even as I support the right to blaspheme in general.

Are there famous non-religious works of art? Of course there are. Would recreating/paying homage to/lampooning a non-religious work of art showcase France's laïcité? No, it wouldn't.

Remember, the whole point of Olympic opening ceremonies (other than to officially indicate the start of the Games) is to showcase the host country's culture. Laïcité is a key component of French culture. Laïcité is the reason why the use of religious symbols in public places was banned. Laïcité is part of what makes France, well, France.

I realize that this could be seen as offensive to Americans (or people from other similarly religious countries) but France does have the right to showcase their culture during the opening ceremony they are hosting.

[Tor_Raps]

Opening ceremony was an absolute travesty. Just saw some if it on replay. Inexcusable.

What were your issues in particular?

[Mattatron]

That was the example of something distasteful. And given that we immigrated to Canada from Europe, I also have a good finger on the pulse there, too.

Drag queens is one thing; repurposing a key moment of a religious painting, and one specific faith, is another. Imagine seeing Mohammed reinterpreted as drag, for example.

So while yes it's about showcasing Paris, this is a global event. Of course all eyes are on it. There may be an exchange of ideas about the Last Supper and Christ represented in drag, and criticism of how/where it lands on a distasteful scale, there's a reason it stays localized to that.

All of the choices of what to include and not were carefully considered for a global audience.

Ever heard of Satire and Charlie Hebdo ?

This is common in France. The Host is France, and the global audience have to respect their values.

Yes. But that platform isn't suitable for satire. And having some papa smurf lookalike on a table is just **** weird.

Hey, let Papa Smurf out of this.
Thats a matter of perspective, I find the view of some people overseas very prudish in general.