Why was there a semi-naked blue man at Paris Olympics opening ceremony?

A semi-naked blue man, served up on a giant fruit platter, made up perhaps the strangest part of the Paris Olympics opening ceremony on Friday.

A semi-naked blue man, served up on a giant fruit platter, made up perhaps the strangest part of the Paris Olympics opening ceremony on Friday. The rain-soaked ceremony saw the blue man, dressed sparsely in flowers and leaves, singing “Nu” (“Naked”) as he floated down the River Seine.

Who was the semi-naked blue man at the Paris Olympics?

French singer Philippe Katerine during the Paris Olympics opening ceremony (X/@Scipionista)

That would be French singer and actor Philippe Katerine. Katerine, 55, became popular in France in the 2000s with his dance beat “Louxor, j’adore.”

His bizarre performance during the Paris Olympics opening ceremony saw him lying on a giant fruit platter, naked aside from blue paint, gold dust and a smattering of foliage to cover the important bits. It led to some social media users comparing him to a Smurf or an Avatar.

But why?

Dionysus is one of the major gods in Greek mythology, associated with wine, fertility, theater, and ecstasy. He is often depicted as a youthful man with a glass of wine and a frenzy of followers.

Since Dionysus is rarely depicted as blue in classical art, Philippe Katerine’s choice of colour remains a mystery.

The social media reactions

The French, delighted by the performance, were also aware of the reactions his bizarre appearance would elicit.

“I'm thinking of the billion viewers outside France who have just discovered Philippe Katerine painted in blue and in slibard this evening,” reads one viral post on the social media platform X.

“How are we going to explain Philippe Katerine's concept to the rest of the world?” another X user asked.

“1 billion human beings who discover Philippe Katerine in this way, that’s my France,” a third said.

(With inputs from Associated Press)