Olympics: Closing ceremony accused of ‘demonic’ imagery – but right-wingers are wrong again

The Paris 2024 Olympic Games concluded with the closing ceremony on Sunday (August night, in a display which featured performances from acrobats and a “golden voyager”, Billie Eilish and Snoop Dogg (because Los Angeles will host in 2028), and – if right-wingers are to be believed – something truly “demonic”.

The accusations relate to the aforementioned “golden voyager” and a headless winged angel, the former being described by one Twitter/X user as “an effigy of Lucifer” appearing during what they called “the most demonic and satanic Olympics in history”.

Another said it was a “celebration of satanism and demonic forces”.

Crikey.

Except, the International Olympic Committee itself has explained the character is “inspired by references from French history, including the Spirit of the Bastille” and sees the character land “in a world that is deserted and mysterious, ready to explore”.

As part of the performance, the “golden voyager” then comes across the goddess of victory (Niké – yes, like the shoe brand) with its wings and lack of a head which Twitter/X has claimed is a headless angel.

In actual fact, it’s similar to the statue of the Victory of Samothrace (also known as Nike of Samothrace), found in the iconic Louvre.

On its website, the museum explains the statue is “broken and incomplete” with its head and arms missing.

“The statue … represents the goddess of Victory about to alight on a ship whose sailors have just won a sea battle. It probably dates to 190 BC and was commissioned to celebrate that victory.

“The winners, perhaps the inhabitants of the island of Rhodes, erected it in Samothrace to thank the Great Gods of the island, the Cabeiri, who were worshipped throughout the Greek world,” it adds.

In a rather full circle situation (fitting, really, given the rings), Conservatives getting upset over a “demonic” scene in the closing ceremony, which isn’t actually that demonic, comes after they levelled the same accusation at the opening ceremony too.

When that took place weeks ago, right-wingers fumed the Paris 2024 organisers had featured a “satanic” version of The Last Supper featuring drag queens and a person coated in blue paint but the performance was actually depicting an “interpretation of the Greek God Dionysus”.

“[It] makes us aware of the absurdity of violence between human beings,” the official Twitter/X account for the Olympic Games Tweeted.

Nevertheless, broadcaster Piers Morgan branded it an “appalling decision” and a “mockery”, while Donald Trump Jr branded the event “leftist insanity”.

Embarrassing, really.

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