The opening ceremonies are on.

[Mik]

On the whole, France knocked it out of the park.

[Copper]

Celine Dion was terrific.

Her accompanist is going to have to dehumidify that piano.

There must be a story about putting the piano there.

[Mik]

There were several Steinways getting rained on like that. Plus one that was on fire.

[LuFins Dad]

@Mik said in The opening ceremonies are on.:

There were several Steinways getting rained on like that. Plus one that was on fire.

Boohoo…

[George K]

When these people did it, it was funny.

When these people did it, it was...

[Renauda]

@George-K

Vulgar and artless.

[LuFins Dad]

@Renauda said in The opening ceremonies are on.:

@George-K

Vulgar and artless.

And that is the perfect descriptor for drag shows.

[George K]

@Renauda said in The opening ceremonies are on.:

@George-K

Vulgar and artless.

If they wanted to be fair and balanced, they would have mocked Mohammed and the Quran, right?

[Mik]

The drag queens, meh. But this is what one can expect with Paris high fashion. But the chandeliers and the lighting was great.

[George K]

@Mik said in The opening ceremonies are on.:

The drag queens, meh.

Why don't we have drag kings?

[Renauda]

@George-K said in The opening ceremonies are on.:

@Renauda said in The opening ceremonies are on.:

@George-K

Vulgar and artless.

If they wanted to be fair and balanced, they would have mocked Mohammed and the Quran, right?

I don’t think they wanted or cared about being fair and balanced. Their intent was to gain attention and spark harumpfing indignation from certain groups and individuals in the West.

It appears that they succeeded in their demonstration of vulgar artlessness.

Personally I don’t like the lampooning of Da Vince’s art and genius more than anything else.

[Sweet Meteor]

I'm on it!

[Mik]

@George-K said in The opening ceremonies are on.:

@Mik said in The opening ceremonies are on.:

The drag queens, meh.

Why don't we have drag kings?

We kind of did.

[89th]

I’ve watched a bit of it so far. I liked the boating entrance for the athletes, and enjoy NOT having a stadium with a massive digital display on the floor like the last few games. Always felt like a lazy production approach.

[George K]

I thought, "Nah. Photoshop."

Here's the video. Go to 0:55 to 0:58

I suppose it could be something else, but what?

[Mik]

I am kind of surprised at the reaction to the runway bridge thing as parodying The Last Supper. I don’t believe there was any intention to portray The Last Supper, it was just the camera angle and Mike Tirico made a comment that it looked like that painting. It was a runway, not a table and there were people on both sides of it just like a runway fashion show.

I also find it difficult to believe that Paris, a city shot up several times for images of Mohammed, would deliberately try to offend Christianity.

[LuFins Dad]

@Mik said in The opening ceremonies are on.:

I am kind of surprised at the reaction to the runway bridge thing as parodying The Last Supper. I don’t believe there was any intention to portray The Last Supper, it was just the camera angle and Mike Tirico made a comment that it looked like that painting. It was a runway, not a table and there were people on both sides of it just like a runway fashion show.

I also find it difficult to believe that Paris, a city shot up several times for images of Mohammed, would deliberately try to offend Christianity.

Supposedly, the program for the ceremony titled the scene “The Last Supper”.

Multiple media (and regular media, not conservative) have referred to the scene as reportedly “deliberately evocative” of the painting.

https://sports.yahoo.com/2024-olympics-opening-ceremonys-last-supper-tribute-draws-criticism-from-harrison-butker-others-130734205.html

I can see your point, Mik, but I think it’s quite probable that the scene was meant to do both.

[Mik]

I'll believe that when I see the program. The organizers denied it. That's good enough for me. There were drag queens on both sides of the runway vamping.

[LuFins Dad]

@Mik said in The opening ceremonies are on.:

I'll believe that when I see the program. The organizers denied it. That's good enough for me. There were drag queens on both sides of the runway vamping.

I get that, too. I didn’t see it that way until @Renauda pointed it out. I saw it as crass and vulgar, and I didn’t think the Olympics an appropriate venue, but I honestly didn’t see the connection until others mentioned it. But again, there are reports that the program referred to the scene as The Last Sipper, and I could certainly see the director having a double entendre.

[Mik]

I could see the participants trying to slip it in without the knowledge of the organizers.

And yes, it was crass and vulgar, but that's where we are as a society now.