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Who is Thomas Jolly? Olympics opening ceremony's art director defends ‘Last Supper act’ amid massive backlash
Thomas Jolly, the Art Director responsible for Paris Olympics opening ceremony, opened up after facing both praise and criticism for the the ‘Last Supper’.
The Art Director responsible for Paris Olympics opening ceremony has opened up about the “beautiful responsibility” that he has as an “artist” after facing both praise and criticism for the the ‘Last Supper’.
Thomas Jolly, a French native from Normandy who works as a theater artist, deserves all the credit for organising the 2024 Olympics opening ceremony.
Jolly was the driving force for the incredible performance of French metal band Gojira, who stood ‘outside the windows of a castle’ and performed ‘Ah, Ca Ira’. Opera soprano Marina Viotti drifted down the Seine along with the band.
Though Jolly is commended for bringing out the event in spectacular manner, he faced severe condemnation for directing the ‘Last Supper,’ a spoof act in which drag queens sat behind a table in imitation of how Christ and his followers sat down for the holy ritual.
Viewers and religious authorities have harshly condemned the presentation as well as other contentious acts. While organisers maintain that the scene was meant to draw attention to the absurdity of violence, many contend that it ridicules Christianity.
Kicker Harrison Butker of American football criticised the act, saying, “This is crazy, Be not deceived. God is not mocked.” Meanwhile, many social media users claimed that the provocative act, featuring drag queens recreating Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper, was offensive to Catholics worldwide.
“This is outrageous. Kicking off your event by replacing Jesus and the disciples with men in drag is unacceptable,” wrote Clint Russell, the host of the Liberty Lockdown podcast on X. “With 2.4 billion Christians across the globe, the Olympics has sent a clear message that they are unwelcome,” he added.
Jolly says he mocked 2.4 billion Christians with drag queens so ‘everybody feels represented’
Sharing an interview of Jolly, Collin Rugg, the co-owner of trending politics, wrote that the Art Director stated that he mocked 2.4 billion Christians with drag queens so “everybody feels represented.”
“How do you write a show in which everybody, at one point, feels represented and a part this bigger thing, this bigger 'us'? For an artist, it is a beautiful responsibility to have,” Jolly said.
“It's ambitious but also complex because one has to broaden one's own imagery, one's own outlook and include everyone, understand everyone so that no one feels left behind,” he added.
Reacting to his interview, one X user commented, “Trying to be inclusive by disrespecting and excluding 97%+ of the globe?”
“He’s a disgusting pedophile. It was the most horrible ceremony I’ve ever seen,” another wrote.
“That’s probably the most twisted, leftist nonsense I’ve heard in a while. These people have serious issues,” one more chimed in.
Who is Thomas Jolly?
In 2022, Thomas Jolly was chosen to serve as the art director for the 2024 Olympics. Tony Estanguet, the president of Paris Olympics 2024, stated, “Jolly was a bold choice but was consistent with our vision.”
The opening ceremony was conducted along the Seine River, the city's principal thoroughfare, in the heart of the city rather than in a stadium. Jolly, who started out in popular theatre, gained notoriety in 2014 when he performed a play by William Shakespeare for up to 14 hours at a stretch.
