Hate the Paris 2024 Olympics Ceremony? Don't Punish the Athletes

In the closing song at the 2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony, Celine Dion belted out  “Hymn to Love,” written in 1949 by famous French singer Edith Piaf. Although the lyrics are about love and loss, they are mainly about not caring what the world thinks as long as love triumphs: “Je me fous du monde entier,” crooned Dion at the top of the Eiffel Tower—one of France’s most famous landmarks.

As 29 million viewers around the world watched the Olympic opening ceremony, news outlets didn’t waste time reacting to the event.

The New York Times wrote, "The show suffered from bloat similar to TV’s other spectacles,” while The Washington Post noted that the “…organizer's bold thinking…brought a shine back to an event that has seen its popularity wane in recent years.”

Britain's Guardian newspaper said the "soaring ambition was deflated by patchy delivery... Paris is known for its taste but this looked like a motley outfit thrown together," it wrote.

The Italian newspaper Il Corriere della Sera likened the show to a contemporary art performance, noting that "some (spectators) were bored, others were amused, many found the spectacle disappointing."

Social media posts were as confused and conflicted as Lady Gaga’s performance of Zizi Jeanmaire's "Mon Truc En Plumes" along the Seine River.

For some Gen-Zers, the ceremony either “ate” or “cooked” (If you’re not familiar with what those sayings mean, you may want to ask your teen or look up teen-speak on Google), or it was “basic.”

For most Christians, it was sacrilegious.

For those who are homophobic, it pushed all the wrong buttons.

For members of the LGBTQ+ community, it didn’t go far enough to showcase diversity and equality, or it was perfect.

For conservatives, the ceremony was produced by liberals.

For liberals, it was a perfect showcase of diversity and equity, or conservatives sabotaged it.

For traditionalists, the Parade of Nations on boats was not proper.

For techies, the ceremony was a genius coup of talent and out-of-the-box thinking.

For artists, it was an ode to French art culture.

Personally, despite my French background, I didn’t care for the opening ceremony. Not because I am a religious-atheist-conservative-leftist-narrow-minded-open-minded-old-young-scientist-or-artist, but simply because it didn’t hold my attention. It was long, had too much going on, and focused more on entertainment than on the athletes. Further, I don't think parading athletes on boats was a smart choice. I missed the good old Parade of Nations—simple as that.

However, will I punish the athletes for the artistic vision of the ceremony planners and boycott the events like some threatened to do on social media? Of course not.

Opening ceremonies, like other significant events, elicit mixed reviews. Let’s not be fooled into thinking that the artistic director and others involved in planning this event didn’t expect the reviews they got—they didn’t care. They pushed the envelope and did what they wanted to do—they had a vision and accomplished a dream five years in the making. Isn’t that what the Olympics are all about? Pushing the envelope and achieving dreams without caring what others will think?

And for those on social media who hated the ceremony and turned it into a political debate, threatening not to watch the competitions, I say—shame on you! The Olympics are not about celebrities or ceremonies but about the athletes—about swimming and gymnastics, cycling and beach volleyball, surfing and boxing. They are about the athletes who have worked for years to get to this level. Watching them compete is our way of supporting their efforts and respecting the spirit upon which the Olympics were founded.

France succeeded in doing two things in its less-than-traditional opening ceremony: Laughing in the face of narrow-mindedness and bringing Celine Dion back to the stage. And for that, this writer is very grateful.