Olympics
2024 Paris Olympics: US Tech Company Suspends Ads Over Alleged Mockery Of ‘The Last Supper’
A controversy has been ignited following a contentious opening ceremony performance prompting a tech company to pull its advertising from the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Indeed, stakeholders were stunned when C Spire, a Mississippi-based telecommunications and technology business, stated on X that it had withdrawn all of its advertising from the Olympics due to the ceremony’s parody of a painting depicting a biblical period important to the Christian religion.
The show, which took place on the Debilyl Bridge with the Eiffel Tower and the Seine River in the background, began with three French drag queens and other performers standing at the base of a runway.
A bejewelled woman stood in the centre, wearing a big silver headgear that resembled a halo as seen in paintings of Jesus. She grinned and formed a heart shape with her hands while her peers glanced at the camera before breaking into a choreographed performance.
C Spire did not define the advertising they planned to broadcast during the Olympics, nor did they reveal the financial implications of their decision to withdraw.
The company’s decision appears to have been motivated by unfavourable feedback from numerous sources, who saw the performance as insulting to religious symbolism.
According to C Spire, “We were shocked by the mockery of the Last Supper during the opening ceremonies of the Paris Olympics. C Spire will be pulling our advert.”
Addressing a press conference, Thomas Jolly, the event’s artistic director, defended his creative choices for the ceremony, adding that the performance was intended to represent “inclusion” and display a diverse spectrum of cultural expressions.
C Spire President and CEO Suzy Hays, in a statement, said: “C Spire is supportive of our athletes who have worked so hard to be a part of the Olympics.
“However, we will not be a part of the offensive and unacceptable mockery of the Last Supper, which is why we’re pulling our advertising from the Olympics.”
Earlier report stated that Nigeria’s Sports Minister John Enoh is upbeat that the Super Falcons will bounce back against World Champions Spain despite losing to Brazil at the ongoing Paris Olympics.
About The Author
