Director of ceremonies for the 2024 Olympics Thomas Jolly is filing a lawsuit against several individuals for cyberbullying. The Opening Ceremony for the 2024 Olympics set in Paris, France, has been a subject of discussion for quite a while now. The scene was meant to evoke a Dionysian feast, bringing the Greek god of wine and ecstasy to the games. Upon its airing, it was met with backlash by right-wing Christians, claiming it to be a mockery of the Leonardo da Vinci painting The Last Supper. Not only did these Christian conservatives make themselves heard online, they directly harassed Jolly.
They have been charged with aggravated assault, death threats, and cyberbullying. The attacks contained homophobic and antisemitic slurs against Jolly. There have been arrests made with more to follow, and a possibility of fines and prison time for those involved. They range in age from young adults to the elderly, the oldest involved being 79. When Jolly initially filed the complaint on July 31, he said he was “the target of threatening messages and insults on social networks criticizing his sexual orientation and his wrongly-assumed Israeli roots.” His intention was to bring a queer perspective to the opening ceremonies, and to tie in its Greek roots.
While outraged right-wing Christians wrongfully assumed the performance was a mockery of The Last Supper, anyone with an ounce of knowledge of Greek mythology could see it was an homage to Dionysus. It featured French singer Philippe Katerine painted blue to represent Dionysus himself, surrounded by drag queens and dancers. It surely was a Dionysian sight, and those with a sense of humor understood and appreciated the art. The official Olympics account even clarified that it was an interpretation of the god, highlighting “the absurdity of violence between human beings.”
Other performers involved in the ceremony, such as DJ Barbara Butch and French drag queen Nicky Doll, were similarly harassed and are also pressing charges.
