A major US tech firm has cancelled all of its Olympic Games advertising to protest what it is calling an “insult toward Christians” during the opening ceremonies in Paris.Mississippi-based tech firm, C Spire on the weekend pulled its advertising sponsorship following intense backlash over a performance during the opening ceremonies that featured drag queens mocking Leonardo Da Vinci’s the Last Supper.The French Bishops’ Conference, which represents the country's Catholic bishops said in a statement that the scene was a "mockery and derision of Christianity" and it was "hurt by the outrageousness and provocation of certain scenes.".That sentiment carried over to the US where House Speaker Mike Johnson said it was “shocking and insulting” to Christian people.Back in the US, several companies including John Deere and Harley-Davidson have been targeted for promoting DEI policies. Initial reports suggest viewership numbers are down as much as 30% over the prior games in Tokyo.Some are comparing it to the Bud Lite backlash on a global scale.Thomas Jolly, the opening ceremony’s artistic director, said at the International Olympic Committee's daily briefing at the Olympic Games on Saturday that the moment was not meant to "be subversive or shock people or mock people" but stopped short of a formal apology by saying it "makes us aware of the absurdity of violence between human beings.”Despite the controversy, French President Emanuel Macron praised the performance and told organizers: “Bravo, you made France shine.”.“The idea was to have a pagan celebration connected to the gods of Olympus. You will never find in me a desire to mock and denigrate anyone,” he said.Dionysus is the Greek god of fertility and has no relevance to the Last Supper. But that didn’t stop social media from accusing the Olympic organizing committee of being ‘satanic’. Controversial social media influencer Andrew Tate raged that the opening ceremony was satanic and accused the West of 'worshipping the devil'..“Satanists control the west and they show you that they worship the devil. It’s not a conspiracy theory. They literally show you. Are you blind?” he said.Tesla and SpaceX owner Elon Musk also chimed in to say the scenes were “extremely disrespectful to Christians,” adding: “Christianity has become toothless.”“Unless there is more bravery to stand up for what is fair and right, Christianity will perish.”Musk reportedly unfollowed the Olympics on Twitter (“X”) despite earlier posting glowing reviews of the light show.No word if Tesla has any ads planned or if they’ve been yanked.
A major US tech firm has cancelled all of its Olympic Games advertising to protest what it is calling an “insult toward Christians” during the opening ceremonies in Paris.Mississippi-based tech firm, C Spire on the weekend pulled its advertising sponsorship following intense backlash over a performance during the opening ceremonies that featured drag queens mocking Leonardo Da Vinci’s the Last Supper.The French Bishops’ Conference, which represents the country's Catholic bishops said in a statement that the scene was a "mockery and derision of Christianity" and it was "hurt by the outrageousness and provocation of certain scenes.".That sentiment carried over to the US where House Speaker Mike Johnson said it was “shocking and insulting” to Christian people.Back in the US, several companies including John Deere and Harley-Davidson have been targeted for promoting DEI policies. Initial reports suggest viewership numbers are down as much as 30% over the prior games in Tokyo.Some are comparing it to the Bud Lite backlash on a global scale.Thomas Jolly, the opening ceremony’s artistic director, said at the International Olympic Committee's daily briefing at the Olympic Games on Saturday that the moment was not meant to "be subversive or shock people or mock people" but stopped short of a formal apology by saying it "makes us aware of the absurdity of violence between human beings.”Despite the controversy, French President Emanuel Macron praised the performance and told organizers: “Bravo, you made France shine.”.“The idea was to have a pagan celebration connected to the gods of Olympus. You will never find in me a desire to mock and denigrate anyone,” he said.Dionysus is the Greek god of fertility and has no relevance to the Last Supper. But that didn’t stop social media from accusing the Olympic organizing committee of being ‘satanic’. Controversial social media influencer Andrew Tate raged that the opening ceremony was satanic and accused the West of 'worshipping the devil'..“Satanists control the west and they show you that they worship the devil. It’s not a conspiracy theory. They literally show you. Are you blind?” he said.Tesla and SpaceX owner Elon Musk also chimed in to say the scenes were “extremely disrespectful to Christians,” adding: “Christianity has become toothless.”“Unless there is more bravery to stand up for what is fair and right, Christianity will perish.”Musk reportedly unfollowed the Olympics on Twitter (“X”) despite earlier posting glowing reviews of the light show.No word if Tesla has any ads planned or if they’ve been yanked.
