The glitz and grit of Parisians A tale of Olympic irony

I’m not aiming to join the chorus of voices (mostly annoyed or even outraged) commenting on the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympics. It was not a very successful creative experiment. I won’t take pleasure in the failures and mistakes that marred the spectacle of the uncertain genre either. The organizers’ tears were washed away by the rain. However, the rain was also one of the reasons behind the creators’ sobs.

What prompted me to write was a comment from Paris Mayor Madame Hidalgo. She described the genius of the ceremony as injecting "energy, humour, and emotion" to bring everyone together. According to her, many people found it brilliantly spine-tingling. So typically French! Incidentally, after Hidalgo recently took a dip in the Seine, the river's pollution levels rose. They say it was because of the rain. Well, I’m not so sure. The equally well-known French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin claimed that the ceremony highlighted France as a free country.

And you know what? I agree with them. The boundless irony that morphs into cynical sarcasm, the constant dissatisfaction with everything and everyone, where even "yes" initially means "no," and then maybe "yes," the habitual pastime of protesting turned into a hobby, the undeniable talent for pushing boundaries, the total freedom and refusal to consider anything beyond one's own self, the spectrum of emotions from stupor to nausea—these are the ugly manifestations of "Frenchness" on display in Paris 2024. And, of course, "together"—"ensembles" in French. The entire world is forced to watch this unfold.

Every nation has its negative traits. But turning them into a point of pride and flaunting them with the enthusiasm that gave Paris's mayor goosebumps—this is where the French truly stand out. The opening ceremony of the Olympics, as well as the Games in Paris, turned out to be quintessentially French. We saw this coming when we mentioned the inevitability of flies in the soup. Discontented athletes from South Korea are leaving the Olympic Village (they were particularly "lucky"—they were announced as North Koreans during the opening ceremony), the Slovaks are refusing to participate in the closing ceremony, and French TV commentators are once again expressing their love for Armenians and their dismissive (read "French") attitude towards international law by declaring Karabakh "occupied" by Azerbaijan.

Paris showcases both glitz and poverty. Those familiar with the great Balzac's work "The Splendors and Miseries of Courtesans" know that it is part of the "La Comédie Humaine" cycle, symbolizing both greatness and degradation.

Personally, I sincerely wish all the Olympians success. Tens of thousands of athletes and millions of their fans around the world deserve the right to simply enjoy a magnificent spectacle. The anthem of Azerbaijan, a country so disliked by the hosts of the games, has already been played. And our athlete, who gave a brotherly kiss on the forehead to his defeated opponent, demonstrated our greatness not only as athletes but also simply as human beings.

But, as much as I hope to be wrong, something tells me that the biggest embarrassment for the French is yet to come...

The piece was originally written in Russian