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Thomas
@aviationdoctor.eth
Some people here and on X have expressed outrage at parts of the opening ceremony of the Olympics in France. As someone who is both natively French and a "global citizen" (lived on four continents, visited 50 countries, expat for nearly 20 years), I wanted to share my dual perspective. My goal is not to pass judgment on Friday's performance, but rather set the cultural context in which it was delivered. So, don't shoot the messenger. Also, references are annotated in brackets like this: [i] for further reading at the end. The TL;DR is that the French brand of secularism (laïcité) is unique, highly idiosyncratic, and part of the core identity of the French republic; it's understandable that it does not translate well to an international audience. Now, onto the 🧵: 1/9
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Meg
@meganmichelle.eth
As a French citizen, did you feel like the show reflected France’s culture well, then? Were you proud of it?
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Thomas
@aviationdoctor.eth
I tried to stay away from sharing my opinion, because I don’t think social media needs any more of these. But, since you asked, here goes: Secularism is definitely part of French culture, but it’s also an idiosyncratic trait that’s (speaking from experience) difficult to convey abroad. Especially in a visual form where the message will be lost and interpreted in many different ways. So, had I been the artistic director, I would not have chosen this theme. Stylistically, I probably would not have picked a burlesque genre either for a PG show that caters to audiences of all ages. I don’t think that part of the show reflected French culture particularly well, but I respect the artistic license exercised by the director. As for being proud, I try to not associate pride with my own country or other people’s work. I can be proud of my own achievements but not of something I had no part in (me being French was just a matter of cosmic lottery). So, not proud, not ashamed either, more a neutral observer
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