Barbara Butch, the LGBTQ activist who was the center figure in the controversial “Last Supper” Paris Olympic scene is threatening to sue those criticizing her. Butch played the role (wearing a Christ-like halo) viewed by many as a spoof on Christ in the Last Supper. The creators insist that they were going for a type of “pagan party” of Olympic gods and sent a message of tolerance. Art experts have supported the creators and pointed to paintings that inspired the pagan motif. That is not exactly what was seen by millions of Christians who were deeply insulted by the parody.
The question is not the intent of the creators, but the intent of critics in denouncing the display and its participants.
The threat of legal action would not be especially serious in the United States where opinion is given robust protection in both criminal and civil cases. In France, however, free speech is in a free fall with the left pushing for the censorship and criminalization of an ever-expanding range of political and religious speech.
The ceremony itself had some truly powerful and stunning elements. I enjoyed the mix of music and imagery as well as the effort to show the diversity of France.
However, other elements were more divisive or excessive. For example, the producers decided to use the ceremony to feature such elements as three young people hooking up for a “ménage à trois.” With many families watching with kids, many of us thought the scene was inappropriate for such an event. However, it was the supper scene that led to protests from clerics and critics. While claiming a message of “tolerance,” the scene was taken as yet another slap at religious elements in society.
That is a debate that has continued to rage, particularly on the Internet.
Audrey Msellati, Butch’s attorney, posted a statement on Butch’s Instagram account that the DJ and activist will seek legal action after being “the target of an extremely violent campaign of cyber-harassment and defamation.” She is promising to file “several complaints against these acts.”
Clearly, any direct and intentional threats of violence against Butch should be prosecuted, as they can be prosecuted in the United States. However, the French laws sweep far more broadly in criminalizing opinion and what I have called “rage rhetoric.”
In France, such complaints are often criminal matters. In my new book, “The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage,” I discuss the collapse of free speech rights in France as well as other European countries. This anti-free speech wave has now reached our shores. It has many allies in our own anti-free speech movement. American leaders such as Hillary Clinton have actually enlisted the help of European censors to seek to silence American citizens.
Once the cradle of individual liberty, France long ago became a global leader in the crackdown on free speech.
These laws criminalize speech under vague standards referring to “inciting” or “intimidating” others based on race or religion. For example, fashion designer John Galliano has been found guilty in a French court on charges of making anti-Semitic comments against at least three people in a Paris bar. At his sentencing, Judge Anne Marie Sauteraud read out a list of the bad words used by Galliano to Geraldine Bloch and Philippe Virgitti, including using ‘dirty whore” in criticism.
In another case, the father of French conservative presidential candidate Marine Le Pen was fined because he had called people from the Roma minority “smelly.” A French teenager was charged for criticizing Islam as a “religion of hate.”
I also wrote earlier about the prosecution of famous actress Brigitte Bardot for saying in 2006 that Muslims were ruining France in a letter to then-Interior Minister (and later President) Nicolas Sarkozy. Bardot, an animal rights activist, was repeatedly hit with such criminal complaints for criticizing different groups.
While wildly popular with many in Congress, French President Emmanuel Macron has consistently worked against free speech rights.
That is why the homage in the Olympics to Liberté rang hollow for many of us in the free speech community. The French leaders have long been hypocritical in claiming to support free speech, such as marching in support of the Charles Hebdo magazine after the massacre after cracking down on its editors and writers.
Thomas Jolly, the artistic director for the opening ceremony of the Olympics, clearly wanted to be provocative in these scenes. He succeeded. Clearly, such provocative elements will spur debate and discussion, including heated opinions. Use of criminal sanctions for those expressing opinion would make a mockery of the display of fealty to French liberties that Jolly features in his ceremony.
If France has examples of people being prosecuted for talking about Muslims, I guess I would have to ask why “it” and the creator of this aren’t being sued for offending millions. Turn it back around onto them.
You forget that these things operate only in one direction. Just as in the USA.
Understand this: “Tolerance” is not virtuous. Tolerance is not a virtue.
They themselves do not tolerate dissent.
We do not need to learn “tolerance” in the face of degeneracy, perversion, debauchery, wickedness.
We need “fortitude.”
That grotesque cow/steer/whatever is an evangelical sexual deviant and like all evangelicals would best serve the world by STFU. It is an equal and opposite reaction to christian and muslim religious fundies that feel the right to insert their emote their particular brand of fantasy on others.
Don’t take your eye off the ball. The International Olympic Committee sponsored and touted this event as a means to “celebrate community and tolerance”. By making fun of Christians and having child rapist participate in their games?? Will the IOC’s ‘drag queens’ be doing skits making fun of Islam as well? Let me guess: they really don’t have the balls for that kind of ‘celebrating of community and tolerance’. Wow, how woke can you get? And now their surrogates threaten any critics with legal action? And that is ‘tolerant’?
Let the drag queens have their day in French court attempting to suppress free speech in defense of remarkably bad judgement and poor taste. It will draw the attention of the world away from the Olympic Games and focus it on the lack of liberty in “Liberté, égalité, fraternité”. How many black eyes do you want to earn from this debacle, eh France?
“The creators insist that they were going for a type of “pagan party” of Olympic gods and sent a message of tolerance.”
I fail to understand how a vapid, childish display of self-indulgence and lack of discipline is a message of tolerance, just like filing a lawsuit is not a form of tolerance.
If you do not want to be ridiculed, do not be ridiculous. Being a gigantic, unhealthy, blob is ridiculous everywhere, particularly at the Olympics.
If Jolly really wanted to express “tolerance” and “inclusivity,” why didn’t he spread the parody over several religions and include Judaism and Islam in his little “tolerance” skit? Why single out Christianity for his queer attack? Frankly, not being a religious person, I’m more irritated that this kitsch-maker desecrated one of da Vinci’s masterpieces. But all fancy talk about tolerance, inclusivity and “pagan motifs” aside, the goal of the trans movement is and always has been the mainstreaming of sexual perversion to bring down western civilization.
Remember that it was a Jewish seder that has been called and celebrated as the Last Supper. So the drag queens and those who put them in this event also mock Jews.
Remember that it was a Jewish seder that has been called and celebrated as the Last Supper.
If that is so, then no, it won’t be remembered. Most here wouldn’t even know what a seder is without doing a web search, much less have knowledge of what you’re claiming everybody should remember.
I doubt the person who scripted this knows that either, nor the fat Alphabet Sex Pride Pig.
It’s the French. What do you expect. They have been at the forefront on art and freedom of expression. The parody obviously offended many Christians, but then what doesn’t offend them these days. Anything they find offensive to them is a call to violence or censorship. Just because their feelings were hurt.
There have been Christians offended by one phrase in the Deadpool movie and they have called it blasphemy. The phrase…..”Marvel Jesus”. Really?
Mocking religion when it takes itself too seriously has always existed. Free speech allows us to mock, ridicule, parody, and yes even blaspheme. Christians can complain and whine and threaten all they want. They too have their free speech rights. It’s all they can do. Complain.
Sounds like all you are doing is complaining.
Irony. Self awareness.
Douchebag.
No complaining. Just pointing out the ridiculous reaction to a parody. I’m totally fine with it. Christians can have all their angst and offense they want. It’s not going to do anything to the religion. They are just…butt hurt over an artistic performance. Similar to “Jesus Christ Superstar” the musical. There is always going to be a Christian that gets offended.
There you are, complaining again.
While saying you’re not complaining.
Beahahahahaha
Pathetic
That’s not complaining. You seem to still have reading comprehension problems. I am not surprised.
Now you are complaining about my “comprehension problems”.
I am not surprised.
<I’ve no problem with Christians
——Svelaz George the complainer
Anonymous has no idea how to distinguish a complaint from an opinion.
Christians expressing their opinions is just complaining
—–Svelaz George the complainer
Cheap Fake American George: There is always going to be a Christian that gets offended.
Can you say “Charlie Hebdo – Paris France”?
Can you say “Salmon Rushdie”?
Need a long list to remind you of your ridiculous offense only being set off by Christians and not by violent murderous Muslims?
Ooooohhhh… but George is offended because Christians dare to use free speech to say they’re offended – rather than automatic weapons like Muslims did at Charlie Hebdo to express their offense.
There is a world of difference between butchs last supper is interesting and provocative art and it is appropriate for the Olympics
Would it be acceptable for butchers to to have similarly parodied Muhammad fondling preteens ?
How do you think that would have gone over ?
The artistic criticism likely would have involved ak47s
Do you have any self awareness?
It is butch going to court to silence her critics
She is deeply offended that they dared speak negatively about her work which was intentionally offensive
Art is often supposed to be offensive
Parody is free speech. Complaining is not
——Svelaz George the brilliant pointer outer
That’s not what he said.
Its in quotes.
Christians can complain and whine and threaten all they want. They too have their free speech rights. It’s all they can do. Complain.
While Muslims who feel offended show their hurt feels with the Charlie Hebdo terrorist slaughter in Paris France. Says it all that less than ten years later, with the Olympics in Paris, 17 slaughtered and 11 wounded by Muslims offended by a parody of Islam escapes George’s laser sharp focus on offended religions
Meanwhile, the ongoing hunt to carry out their Mad Mullah’s death sentence on Salmon Rushdie goes on, and so on.
But here’s Cheap Fake American, George, our resident Confederate constitutional racist, here to explain that he can’t help but notice Christians dare to speak up and complain about a fat Alphabet Sex Pride Pig deliberately degrading their religious beliefs.
George and the Alphabet Sex Pride Pig should be grateful that the pig who he regards as a hero didn’t direct their insult towards Mohammad and Islam. While France’s Muslim extremists that regularly riot in their streets might not be able to one way airmail that pig from the Paris roof tops to the streets below as they do in Gaza, Iran, etc, it wouldn’t take long for it to have a Charlie Hebdo moment.
Why are you saying they were mocking religion? They were invoking tolerance, just ask them. If they were mocking religion we would expect another Charlie Hebdo reaction from “The French,” right?
Your posts mock logic and reason, btw.
…”another Charlie Hebdo reaction from “The French,” right?”
Your posts mock logic and reason, btw.
Have you no self awareness?
By rushing to court butch exposes herself as no different from those she is calling out
I am not aware of Christian’s calling for violence only the inappropriateness of this for family audiences
And they are correct
No one is taking an ak47 to bush’s performance company
I am not aware of anyone suing her for offending their religion which is a serious thing in France
But she has gone to court to silence her critics
I am sure Leonardo would have done the same
People get offended by all kinds of things
That is life
It is even important
Taking offense is part of the social controls the diminish peodophila racism misogyny
Creating offense is part of what breaks down social constraints that are wrong or outdated
Olympic protesters legitimately challenge societal values they deem in error
That is not a legitimate purpose for the Olympics itself
Globalist, Left wing Radicals, Woke tells anyone that disagrees with them to “SHUT UP” do as we say or we will ruin you.
Interesting. Would she be classified as a public figure in any defamation suit in the US?
Whig-no she would just be a large public figure
This display is just another example of the never-ending work by the left to disrespect and delegitimize Judeo-Christian religions. The purpose is obvious: Western Civilization is largely based on the principles from these religions. If you can successfully make these religions illegitimate, you can dismantle much of what governs civil society.
Thi
If this is acceptable for the opening of the Paris Olympics can you imagine what the opening of the Los Angeles Olympics will be like? I’m curious how Break Dancing is now an Olympic sport, what’s next a Drive By Shooting event?
We can call it the urban biathlon. Drive by and looting. Points given for the tire squeal and the pursuit evasion. Metholympics 2028.
Barbara Butch, the obese woman who played Jesus in the parody admits that the entire scene was a parity of the Last Supper
https://catholicherald.co.uk/drag-queen-confirms-it-was-a-parody-of-last-supper/
Looks like “NewsGuard” is already having its intended consequences on Mr. Turley.
DJ Barbara Butch: ‘I’m a fat, Jewish, queer lesbian, and I’m really proud’…
Johnathon Turley: Barbara Butch, the LGBTQ activist…
That would be one of the two displaying class.
Care to guess which one is not?
100 years ago in Patis, when there was, apparently, more sense and dignity:
https://youtu.be/nT76Kh0wXhQ?si=ukH03PRnudMayiu8
Paris.
Nice sentiment, but the link is NOT to anything from 100 years ago, but rather to a fictionalized version of the Parade of Nations portion of the 1924 Olympic Games opening ceremony from the 1981 “Chariots of Fire,” which is a great film, although my favorite character, Andrew, Lord Lindsay, is entirely a fiction, much-medaled Douglas Lowe having refused all cooperation with the film after reading the script. But the Parade of Nations is always lovely. It’s the rest of the pageant which comes under question.
Yes, I have heard that about the movie. However, is the portrayal that far off from reality. The following pictures indicate that dignity ruled the day:
https://tumblrpics.com/pics/3676786.html
“ringed hallow” ???
Sounds like a dialect-slang expression for “saint,” halo and all.
Not hard to see this smut you found stunning was geared towards children, the primary colors, the music and dancing. The pagan excuse is BS and everyone knows it.
It does not matter
There are places for this
The Olympics is not one of them
The controversy in the Olympics should be over the athletes
To hell with Barbara Butch. Like most loud-mouth lefties, she can dish her own highly offfensive diatribe — under the guise of artistic license — but runs for the hills (or to the courts) when SHE is confronted.
You realize that you posted that comment in a tort lawyer’s comment section, right?
Turley’s entire existence is predicated on encouraging people to run to the courts, and teaching others how to encourage people to run to the courts.
And free speech….but only the speech the cult likes
^^^^idiot
He’s not wrong
^^^Another idiot
Anonymous Soviet Democrat Marxist Useful Idiots claim Prof. Turley is a tort lawyer, NOT a constitutional lawyer.
You realize that you posted that comment in a tort lawyer’s comment section, right?
If offended Soviet Democrats could not lie, there would be few Anonymous comments posted here on Turley’s blog.
BTW, you don’t have to lurk hidden in the shadows, posting as a feckless lying Anonymous coward. Unless you want to…
Signed,
Old Airborne Dog
Turley is a constitutional lawyer not a tort lawyer
This is a law blog
With a focus on constitutional law
Especially free speech
I personally prefer torts to law as a means of regulating free exchange
Torts are supposed to be limited to instances of actual harm
Hurt feelings are not actual harm
Bad reviews are not actual harm
Defamation needs to go as any harm is indirect and the right response to false speech is more speech
at that weight she is very close to her last supper
Sorry I can’t post a great meme going around: Her Fatness with the Olympics logo and the words “Ozempic Games”
Sorry, thought I was signed in.
“…. the LGBTQ activist who was the center figure in the controversial “Last Supper” Paris Olympic scene is threatening to sue those criticizing her. ”
Just like the real Jesus and the way he sued the Pharisees for compensatory AND punitive damages, as well as court costs and attorney fees.