Jodie Sweetin is coming out in defense of the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony, which has been taking heat from conservative commentators over a portion of the event that featured drag performers.
Some outspoken critics voiced their vitriolic anger toward the opening ceremony for what they believe was an attempt to mock Leonardo Da Vinci’s iconic painted mural of “The Last Supper,” with drag performers taking the place of the religious figures depicted in the artwork.
However, as explained by Thomas Jolly, the opening ceremony director, the scene was actually an homage to the painting “The Feast of the Gods,” a 17th century work by Dutch artist Jan Harmensz van Biljert, which resides in the Musée Magnin in Dijon, France, and depicts the Greek god Dionysus.
Sweetin took to her Instagram Story to repost a video explaining the connection to Dionysus, and wrote above the clip, “Tell me you don’t know about art or history without TELLING me you don’t know about art or history.”
The controversial scene that took place during Friday’s ceremony on the Debilly Bridge in Paris, France, and featured DJ and producer Barbara Butch — a famed LGBTQ+ icon — who rocked a headdress that resembled a halo, and was surrounded by drag performers on either side of her around a table. This led some to believe that the performance was mocking the religious painting.
However, Butch was in fact portraying the Greek god of wine, festivities, drunkenness, madness and fertility. The painting, “The Feast of the Gods,” depicts a gathering of Greek gods on Mount Olympus for a lavish banquet to celebrate a marriage.
While it clearly makes more sense — what with the connection to the Greek roots of the Olympics and that the painting being recreated is a treasure of a French museum — that didn’t stop many outspoken conservatives and religious figures from decrying the performance.
Notably, Sweetin’s former Full House co-star, Candace Cameron Bure — with whom Sweetin has publicly clashed in the past — was one of the vocal critics of the event.
“To watch such an incredible and wonderful event that’s gonna 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,” Cameron Bure wrote.
“And it made me so sad. And someone said, ‘You shouldn’t be sad. You should be mad about it.’ And I’m like, ‘Trust me. It makes me mad.’ But I’m more sad, because I’m sad for souls,'” she continued.
Cameron Bure was later presented with the information about the inspiration, and the actress simply rejected the explanation, stating she’s “not buying it,” and that it was not “acceptable for children to watch.”
Cameron Bure drew backlash in November 2022 when she told WSJ. Magazine that she was excited to be a part of the Great American Family Network — on which she serves as chief creative officer — and that they would focus on “traditional marriage” stories — meaning there would be no plans to feature same-sex couples in their movies.
A number of celebrities spoke out — from Maren Morris to Jeffrey Dean Morgan — after Cameron Bure’s comments, and a source told ET that the actress and Sweetin, who played sisters DJ and Stephanie Tanner on Full House and Fuller House, were in a “pretty serious” disagreement following the controversial remarks.
As for where Cameron Bure and Sweetin’s friendship stands, the source told ET at the time, “Candace’s quote about traditional marriage impacted a lot of people. Jodie does not agree with Candace’s remarks and wanted to show where she stands. Candace is upset that Jodie chose to do this in a public way instead of talking to her one-on-one.”
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