The Olympics ended in Paris Sunday night with one of the weirdest closing ceremonies I have ever witnessed—a mishmash of ingredients that made for something odd and disjointed and left me slack-jawed.
It was an open-air party that combined elements of science fiction with a bevy of musical performances, climaxing with Tom Cruise proving once again that he does his own stunts by jumping off the rim of the Stade de France to take the Olympic flag from LA Mayor Karen Bass and decorated gymnast Simone Biles. As H.E.R.—a talented sunglasses-wearing guitar player who doesn’t have a single song anyone knows—laid down riffs that resonated through the stadium, Cruise roared off on a motorbike to deliver the flag to a sunny West Coast.
Then came the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Their fearless leader, Anthony Kiedis, aged 61, ran around the beachside stage with his shirt pulled over his head as they performed “Can’t Stop.” Billie Eilish, in Nike boots, did her hit “Birds of a Feather.” And the face and comedic lead of the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad, Snoop Dogg, gave us “Drop It Like It’s Hot” and “The Next Episode,” joined for the latter by Dr. Dre, all via pre-tape from Long Beach. Back in France, Parisian legends Phoenix—who brought out their countrymen Air, as well as Kavinsky and Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig—were the sole bright spot.
The rest was a bizarre Grammy-night production number via Cirque Du Soleil that everyone on my timeline seemed to enjoy. Not me. The artistic director Thomas Jolley, who was also responsible for the abysmal opening ceremony, took every opportunity to make things clunky and overly conceptual. I know these ceremonies aren’t made for me; they are meant to please the most significant swath of people possible while also making the host country look good—but I am unsure who this was for. People are generally excited by the Olympics, which brings most of us together. I was in Copenhagen at a gym, and the staff was gathered around to watch Denmark win a gold medal in badminton. It was a touching moment. They were genuinely proud.
But I can’t help but think of the athletes who have worked toward a singular dream for their entire lives for usually zero money. They have one, maybe two chances at best, to win a medal and then most likely go back to a regular job. Only a few make it to the Wheaties box or the Sports Illustrated digital cover. Most athletes in the stadium last night didn’t have much to celebrate, and Tom Cruise rehabbing his image didn’t help.
The summer games will be held in Los Angeles in 2028. I am very interested to see how it unfolds. A sprawling metropolis with awful public transport and record-breaking traffic could be a recipe for disaster. Let’s just hope they go in a different direction with the televised ceremonies. We do not need a repeat of 2024.
