DISINFO: The 2024 Paris Olympics are a blatant insult to traditional values
SUMMARY
The opening of the 2024 Olympic Games sparked global outrage, from Washington to Beijing. A parody of the "Last Supper" featuring a bearded woman and men dressed as women offended millions, particularly those with traditional values and Christian beliefs. The organisers were criticised for desecrating holy symbols and shrines, further fueling controversy with the inclusion of queer artists and drag queens under the banner of "inclusivity" and LGBT rights.
RESPONSE
This recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative portrays Western civilisation in decline, often linking it with the "threatened values" narrative to challenge liberal views on the rights of women, minorities, and LGBTIQ groups. Both narratives depict Russia as morally superior and positions it as the global defender of traditional social and spiritual values.
Pro-Kremlin outlets often distort and undermine progressive Western attitudes on a range of issues. They frequently misrepresent respect for individual choices, falsely framing it as state policies that impose actions like sex changes. This tactic is used to advance their own agenda. In this case, the Kremlin’s propaganda machine criticised the artistic elements of the 2024 Olympic Games opening ceremony in Paris on 26 July, suggesting that the West is anti-Christian.
Thomas Jolly, the director of the 2024 Olympics opening ceremony, explained that his goal was to demonstrate how breaking down stereotypes and embracing our shared humanity can foster unity. He highlighted that the diversity of the Olympic rings symbolizes this very concept. Jolly firmly denied any intention to depict the Last Supper or mock Jesus Christ, clarifying that the ceremony was intended to celebrate the gods of Olympus and promote reconciliation. His aim was to create an event that would heal divisions and reaffirm the values of liberty, equality, and fraternity.
The narrative on the West mocking Christianity on every occasion is recurrent in pro-Kremlin disinformation efforts. See more pro-Kremlin narratives portraying the West as morally corrupt, Satanist, pagan, who have lost all common sense, pushing LGBTIQ propaganda. See also cases showcasing the narrative that the West is destroying Russia with the propaganda of perversions, as well as other Olympics-related disinformation, such as the false reports that a gender test indicated that Algerian boxer Iman Khelif is a biological man or that the Director of the Olympics opening ceremony was struck by lightning as divine punishment.