The opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics — which attracted criticism for its apparent reinterpretation of the Last Supper featuring drag performers — proved a gift for Russian propagandists. They jumped on the opportunity to rehash one of their favorite talking points — the decadence of a liberal Europe that has no respect for “traditional values.”
- State TV channel Rossiya 1 said the ceremony was “a tasteless show for the needs of the day, featuring trans people and transvestites in a mockery of Bible stories (that) shocked many in France.” Talking heads described the ceremony overall as a “Walpurgis night,” a Pagan-esque festival that supposedly marks the night when witches would gather to perform rituals.
- State-run news agency RIA Novosti described it as a “freak show with transvestites.” It complained about the inclusion of the LGBT+ community and the fact that Russia is barred, while Israel is allowed to compete. They adopted their long-standing practice of using “public” comments to highlight “outrage” at the ceremony — without providing any actual sources, thereby making it impossible to verify.
- Rossiyskaya Gazeta, the Russian government’s official newspaper, quoted a French pensioner who allegedly complained about “Bacchanalia with transvestites [in which] not even Christ and his apostles were spared.”
- Russian officials also criticized the opening ceremony. State Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin called it “France’s shame.” While foreign ministry press secretary Maria Zakharova said it was “a mockery of a subject sacred to Christians,” adding that “since the Olympic rings are multicolored they in Paris think they can turn everything into a full-on Gay Pride parade.”
Why the world should care:
Russian propaganda never misses a chance to criticize the west, and the Olympics opening ceremony was a great example. Narratives about an erosion of everything sacred are regularly trotted out to promote the agenda of “traditional values,” which Russia purports to be a defender of.
