MY THOUGHT. Associated Press: “Opening ceremony controversy: Paris Olympics organizers say they meant no disrespect with ‘Last Supper’ tableau.” / New York Times: “An Olympics Scene Draws Scorn. Did It Really Parody ‘The Last Supper’?”
My share/reactions in Facebook banters. In Friends’ Page/s.
[ ] I watch the games because it is called the Olympics. Sports. I didn't even watch the opening ceremonies. Like, movies. I don't watch awards nights anymore. All these culture war shenanigans and political correctness grandstanding rob movies and sports of their entertainment or fun value. And that's how I see in sports and cinema. Entertainment. Fun. 😏😒🤨
[ ] Culture war rabblerouse proliferates in Social Media. And many bite the feed. Yet there are so many issues that we should put our collective, tactically aligned energies into that are ignored or less discussed. Such as wars in Gaza and Ukraine and social strife/hunger in Africa.
Sports and Olympics are meant to forge friendships, usher friendly gestures to global understanding amidst cultural diversity. While having collective fun. What is the point in placing both pictures/visuals in a singular post? But to ignite more quarrels, loud caterwaul.
Influencers know how to poke at Christianity's hornet's nest, of course. Why don't we leave religions alone as is. You see, not many malign Islam due to obvious reasons. But would pissing off (via silly, immature or frivolous response) cut down their number? Christianity is still the majority religion in the world. Nope. But we can stop wars and hunger, whatever religion, politics or culture suffering people have.
Meanwhile, rabble rousers just found a perfect venue or platform: The Olympics. I am not saying don't diversify the showtime part. Just don't use it to start another culture war fire. Then just enjoy the games. 😏😒🤨
[ ] Influencers are so good at instigating a ruckus or something. Brilliant even. That is why they are immensely paid. Oh well. This new shenanigan gets more social media woo-hoo than the actual games. People really are mostly entertained by culture war.
FACEBOOK Friend: “It’s sad that so much time has been wasted over something being so ridiculously misunderstood.”
ME: The objective (of the Social Media feed from the Olympics opening rites) is to coax people to engage so "misunderstood" is an understatement. Influencers know what they're doing. I mean, what if instead of a classic art (Greek whatever) the trajectory hints of Islam or Buddhism? Muslim is risky and Buddhist, it'd be ignored. But Christianity fits the culture war dare. And I mean who takes time to google a visual from centuries ago? The intent of the two visuals placed side by side is obvious. Yet what's the big deal?
FB Friend: “Art was my Major in college. `The Last Supper’ never crossed my mind because I know better. People shouldn’t jump to conclusions when they lack knowledge or their determination will most likely be flawed.”
ME: The internet is a flash. Last Supper, Crucifixion, Gethsemane etc were rendered in art in different readings per particular time. Works by Da Vinci can suggest works by Lorenzetti, di Bondone, van Eyck and others around Leonardo’s time. But who digs deeper? Visuals here cross our eyes like passing fancy. But as I said the intent to ignite a culture war caterwaul is clear, as exemplified by other memes or visuals that ridicule or poke fun at Christianity. This “new” feed isn’t actually new. There's even a crucifixion with Trump nailed. That is low. Insult or disrespect not really of Trump but of Christians.
So this new shenanigan is in this vein, just a bit murky hence up for ruckus. This parallel painting is not the last supper, so? The intent is no brainer. Influencers know what they’re doing. The pitch: Internet fight. Divide to divide and rule. That is the sinister goal of culture war. 😏😒🤨
ANOTHER FB Friend: “I always wondered if Jesus Christ had a sense of humor. If he had jokes and laughed at jokes. If he was a mischievous person and played pranks on his disciples.” Etc etcetera.
ME: I don't think it is “sense of humor” when we throw a joke at The Religious. We can probably toss "political humor" as shaming-cool but religion gets the devout, reeling so bad and offended. We know, we Filipinos are almost 90 percent Catholic. We didn't really poke fun at the Church the way we do now. This time, we have this easy venue to do so and when the ridicule is placed alongside partisan politics, we think it's okay or fun. Insults and ridicules and disparagement in the guise of a “harmless” joke?
Yet all religions, I believe, profess universal good, regardless of cultural differences. Religion is essentially an expression of a people's culture. (Example: What moves China isn't really how Communism governs its massive humanity, but how the people's majority Han Buddhism faith abides.)
Christianity has been demonized big time in social media, especially as a buffer for political insult, that some Christians now overreact. Christianity is still the world's #1 religion yet--while some white (religious) supremacists anchor their zealotry in violence--still those don't match the hatred that Muslim extremists wield in global terrorism. Hence rabble rousers tend not to poke at Islam's hornet's nest than they do Christianity. (France knows better per past tragedies.)
Yet still social media is the theater and arena for this juvenile mischief, which is basically igniting the flame of "culture war" to rage. Amazing how people spend so much time researching this and that Greek art and stuff to inflame an overreaction. Once the yellowjacket of ire has already flown and bit, it's hard to avoid it. But people simply, ignorantly enjoy the fight. Sick. 😏😒🤨
Photo credits: The Christian Century. The Guardian. Artchi.
