C Spire, the sixth-largest telecommunications and technology company in the United States, has announced its decision to withdraw all advertisements from NBC’s Olympic coverage following the controversial opening ceremony, which many believe mocked Christianity.
The opening ceremony in Paris featured a controversial rendition of the Last Supper, depicting Jesus’s final meal with his disciples before his arrest, scourging by Pontius Pilate, and crucifixion on Calvary Hill. This reenactment, inspired by Da Vinci’s famous painting, included drag queens and transgender performers arranged in the iconic formation, along with an unusual presence of young children, sparking widespread criticism for being highly inappropriate.
Additionally, the ceremony referenced the book of Revelation with a depiction of the white horseman of the apocalypse, symbolizing death, riding across water with a dramatic pyrotechnic display.
In response to these displays, C Spire pulled its advertising within 24 hours, announcing on X (formerly Twitter), “We were shocked by the mockery of the Last Supper during the opening ceremonies of the Paris Olympics. C Spire will be pulling our advertising from the Olympics.”
The decision was met with gratitude from commenters, who praised the company for upholding their values. Comments included, “Have never been more proud of a company. Thank you for representing the values of your customers,” and “THANK YOU! As a Mississippian, I already know what you stand for, and now I know what you value. Together, this is how we win. It’s us vs [them]—good vs evil. May we all continue to stand for what is right—thank you for leading the way on the corporate front. :)”
The controversial opening ceremony also drew criticism from other Christian leaders and viewers. Bishop Robert Barron of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester remarked, “This deeply secularist, post-modern society knows who its enemy is. They’re naming it. And we should believe them. They’re telling us who they are. We should believe them. But furthermore, we Christians, we Catholics, should not be sheepish. We should resist, we should make our voices heard.”
A group of French bishops released a statement on Saturday expressing their outrage over “scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity, which we deeply deplore,” and thanked members of other religious denominations for their solidarity. “This morning, we think of all Christians on all continents who have been hurt by the outrage and provocation of certain scenes,” the statement continued.
Archbishop Charles Scicluna of Malta also voiced his “distress and great disappointment at the insult to us Christians during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics when a group of drag artists parodied the Last Supper of Jesus” in a post on X.