The Paris 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony: Hit or Miss?-s2ep30
In the latest episode of The Life of a Bon Vivant, Beeta shares her thoughts on the Paris 2024 Olympic opening ceremony. Though she’s not a regular Olympics fan, this particular opening ceremony was not your regular Olympics ceremony. The ceremony faced much controversy and garnered mixed opinions, which Beeta comments on in this week’s episode. If you’re curious to hear what she thought about the ceremony and learn more about this one-of-a-kind event, be sure to tune in!
I’m sorry that my comment came across as saying that you don’t care about protecting children, since that’s not what I meant. I think you can agree that parents carry the responsibility of protecting their children in every way even more than society which unfortunately is plagued with a moral relativism that doesn’t serve our children. It says my truth, your truth, but wether we like it or not there’s an absolute truth that if we all were to seek it, the world, especially children would benefit from it, things wouldn’t be murky as they are. I suppose I am speaking for the parents who were not expecting to be exposed to that spectacle, plagued with sexual imagery and innuendo. So thank you for, like you say, holding space for me to voice why that opening ceremony was problematic for many around the world.
I listen to your podcast because I enjoy what you share, many of the things you talk about I find interesting and edifying that’s why I continue to listen. As we respectfully agree to disagree, I will continue to listen as there are many things we can agree on. Blessings and good will to you Beeta.
Respecting and understanding your opinion, which very much conforms with the fact that you are not a Christian or a religious person at all, I would have to disagree with mostly everything you said. Taking pride in one’s country and culture has nothing to do with offending people’s deeply held beliefs and faith, I wonder why they didn’t mock Mohamed or the Muslim faith. No one does, it wouldn’t be pretty. If the United States wants to have cowboys in the opening show, who would they be offending? It’s part of our cultural history. Mocking people’s faith, it’s very different. I I am a Francophile but I also do my best to judge things critically, I don’t just consume what I’m being fed without following my moral compass. What we saw in that unfortunate opening ceremony reflects more the disintegration of the moral fabric in France, than their cultural pride. Like you said , it spoke of their promiscuity loud and clear, that’s not culture, it’s just the sad state of affairs, not only in France but in many places around the world. I hope that we Americans do better at remembering what the Olympics are all about when it’s our turn to host the world to this otherwise, wonderful event.
Hi Marisela, thank you for listening to the podcast and for your comment. I think your comment actually portrays exactly what I was trying to convey in the podcast, which is that what is considered offensive or inappropriate is actually subjective to one’s personal beliefs and moral values. This is why even two Christians can vary in their opinion about the opening ceremony, for example. What I was hoping to get across is not to just consume anything and everything but rather to accept that there are people, cultures, countries etc. that can have different beliefs, morals, religious values than us, and we can recognize those differences and not assign judgement onto or superiority over them. We can accept that they are different, and though they may not align with our personal views and values, they exist in the world and represent that of another’s. This is the only way in which we can co-exist in the world. It is virtually impossible to please everyone. There are many people who absolutely loved the ceremony, and there are others who detested it. But who’s to say which group is “right” in their feeling or opinion?
Hello Beeta,
To answer your question, we both have a difference in opinion, and it’s based on what informs our moral values. As a Christian, I am against anyone mocking my God and my religion. As a mother, I find it repulsive to see how the innocence of children is attacked. For you these things may not matter because you are not religious and because you are still not a mother who wants to protect your children from anyone attacking their innocence, believe me, it hits differently when they are your own children. We both are on the opposite sides of the spectrum on these issues because we hold different world views and experiences in life, I understand that and we can respectfully agree to disagree. Ultimately is not the “right” opinion that we should try to figure out, it’s more important to discern right from wrong taking in consideration, in this case, what was done very much on purpose. What happened at the opening ceremony, from the complete disregard for the convictions of Christians to what parents choose to protect their children from, to the cultural and moral sensibilities of their guests and the world at large, just to mention a few examples, all of that was disrespectful and therefore offensive. The French in charge missed a unique opportunity to highlight what is true, good, and beautiful in their country, they chose to exchange it for the shock effect, they sure succeeded as far as that goes, but unfortunately for them, they didn’t impress the world, they only showed what is wrong with it. When the sacred is done away with, ugliness takes its place.
I can only hope that the United States is wise enough to learn from this and be faithful to the spirit of the Olympics, which is to celebrate what is good and admirable in humanity and in the host country, highlighting our greatness and not our decadence.
That’s the beauty of holding space for others; you can agree to disagree and still treat each other with respect. I do take issue, however, with your sentiment that I may not care about protecting the innocence of children just because I do not have children of my own. I would argue that that sentiment is prejudiced and insinuates that I do not have the capacity to care for children as deeply as someone who is a mom. The difference lies in what we see as an attack and what we regard as their innocence, not in my ability to care. There are many moms who have messaged me saying they loved the ceremony and comfortably watched with their children. They don’t believe there was any attack on children’s innocence in that production. That’s why I stress that we can all have different opinions, moral and cultural values, and religious beliefs, and all of that can make it incredibly challenging to dictate what is “right” or “wrong.” And when we attempt to make those labels for an entire society from the basis of our own personal beliefs, we are no longer holding space for others but rather embracing ethnocentricity.
Fantastic commentary on the opening ceremony. I love how you were enthusiastic, objective and factual.
Thank you so much, Susan! I really appreciate it! 🙂