The French Olympic opening ceremony

I’ve only seen excerpts, but many people are upset.  I can vouch “this is not what I would have done,” but perhaps the over the top, deviance-drenched modes of presentation are reflecting some longer-running strands in French culture.  La Cage aux Folles?  Le Bal des Folles?  The whole Moulin Rouge direction?  How about Gustave Moreau, not to mention his lower-quality followers?  Jean Paul Gaultier? (NYT, “Fashion Freak Show”)  Pierre et Gilles?

Zaza Fournier?  Even Rabelais.

In my view, these styles work best on the painted canvas, thus Moreau is the one creator on the list I truly like.  But please note these Olympics may be less of a break from traditional French culture — or some of its strands — than you may think at first.

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