Jodie Sweetin and Candace Cameron Bure Clash Over Controversial Olympic Opening Ceremony

Jodie Sweetin, known for her role on “Full House,” appeared to respond critically to comments made by her former co-star Candace Cameron Bure regarding the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony. Bure, a devout Christian, had publicly criticized a performance featuring drag queens, interpreting it as a mockery of Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting, “The Last Supper.”

‘Full House’ star Jodie Sweetin defends the opening ceremony of the #Olympics in new post.

This comes after her co-star Candace Cameron Bure slammed the performance, calling it “disgusting” and disrespectful towards Christians. pic.twitter.com/RwNfUv2Tfe

— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) July 29, 2024

In her Instagram post, Cameron Bure expressed her dismay at what she saw as a disrespectful portrayal of a significant Christian image. “To watch such an incredible and wonderful event that’s going to take place over the next two weeks and see the opening ceremonies completely blaspheme and mock the Christian faith with their interpretation of the Last Supper was disgusting, and it made me so sad,” she wrote.

Sweetin, however, defended the ceremony, suggesting that those offended may lack an understanding of art history. She reportedly posted an Instagram story that read, “Tell me you don’t know about art or history without TELLING me you don’t know about art or history,” along with a reel that seemed to mock critics of the ceremony.

Further clarifying her stance, Sweetin explained in another post that the performance was not a parody of “The Last Supper” but rather a representation of the “feast of Dionysus,” the Greek god associated with fertility, wine, and pleasure. “The drag queens of the Olympics were re-creating the feast of Dionysus, not the last supper,” Sweetin wrote, as reported by Entertainment Weekly. She also questioned why drag queens couldn’t be considered Christian, adding, “And even if you thought it was a Christian reference — what’s the harm? Why is it a ‘parody’ and not a tribute? Can drag queens not be Christian too?”

🔗: https://t.co/rV61qfwOuB
Jodie Sweetin is shutting down criticism surrounding the #ParisOlympics. She speaks out at the link. pic.twitter.com/8EpBQsuqdl

— E! News (@enews) July 30, 2024

The interpretation given by the event organizers supported Sweetin’s explanation, stating that the performance was meant to highlight the Greek god Dionysus and raise awareness about the absurdity of violence among humans. The official Olympics X account tweeted, “The interpretation of the Greek God Dionysus makes us aware of the absurdity of violence between human beings.”

In response to the defense, Cameron Bure updated her post, maintaining her stance. She acknowledged the explanation but remained unconvinced, questioning the relevance of such a theme in the context of unifying the world through sports. “Since posting, many have tried to correct me saying it wasn’t about an interpretation of Da Vinci’s The Last Supper, but a Greek god and the festival of Dionysus; who is a god of lust, insanity, religious ecstasy, ritual madness, etc. I still don’t see how that relates to unifying the world through competitive sports and is acceptable for children to watch. In any case, I’m not buying it,” she wrote.

Paris 2024 spokesperson Anne Descamps addressed the controversy, offering an apology to anyone offended by the performance. “Clearly there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group. [The opening ceremony] tried to celebrate community tolerance,” Descamps said, as quoted by Reuters. “We believe this ambition was achieved. If people have taken any offense, we are really sorry.”

‘Full House’ actress defends Olympics ‘Last Supper’ performance after Christian co-star blasts it: “Full House” actress Jodie Sweetin appeared to throw shade at her former TV sister Candace Cameron Bure after Bure criticized the Olympics opening ceremony. https://t.co/yYCLd5cAtD pic.twitter.com/M6hzmSGdL8

— Janie Johnson – America is Exceptional (@jjauthor) July 31, 2024

Major Points:

• Bure criticized the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony, interpreting a performance involving drag queens as a mockery of Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” and expressing her dismay on Instagram.
• Sweetin defended the ceremony, suggesting that the critics, including Bure, misunderstood the artistic intent, which she described as a representation of the “feast of Dionysus,” not a parody of the Christian iconography.
• The performance was explained by organizers and Sweetin as a portrayal of the Greek god Dionysus, highlighting themes of human absurdity and violence, rather than a direct reference to “The Last Supper.”
• Despite the clarification, Bure maintained her stance, questioning the relevance of the Dionysian theme to the Olympics and its appropriateness for a global audience, particularly children.
• Paris 2024 spokesperson Anne Descamps apologized to anyone offended by the performance, stating that the intention was to celebrate community tolerance and not to disrespect any religious group.

TL Holcomb – Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News