The Paris Olympic Games came to an end Sunday with a Closing Ceremony that featured the a glittering Golden Voyager descending from the sky, a confusing stage design and, inevitably, Tom Cruise rappelling into the arena. Social media reactions to the ceremony ran the gamut from confusion to acceptance.
Artistic Director Thomas Jolly designed the ceremony around the idea that in a dystopian future world, the Olympic Games no longer exist… until a mysterious Golden Voyager ushers in a new era of athletic competition. But as @HausOfFiona wrote on X, the Golden Voyager was a little reminiscent of another golden hero. One who lives in a pineapple under the sea.
Rock bands Air and Phoenix delighted attendees, but the true unsung hero might be the guy who was eating noodles side-stage during their performances.
Several people were confused by — or perhaps concerned about — the stage setup for the Closing Ceremony. As Netflix video editor Simone Malec said on X, the stage was “giving the hunger games ‘it’s a clock’ arena.’”
Writer Ariadne Griffin, along with the rest of the world, finally deciphered the stage shape. “‘OH! It’s a map!’ the entire living room says at the same time after debating if it was a horse, chess pieces, a Star Trek Diorama or slices of pie competing in the fencing,” she tweeted.
Of course, Tom Cruise’s entrance into the ceremony delighted plenty of viewers.
As @TechnicallyRon put it, “France: ‘This was nice let’s do some art and some weird stuff to close the show and it’ll be nice’ America: ‘STAR SPANGLED BANNER. TOM CRUISE. GUITARS. MOTORBIKES. RED HOT CHILLI PEPPERS.’”
Even the official NBC Olympics X account got in on the fun, playfully pointing out one of the more eyecatching acrobatic wonders of the ceremonies:
When things were finally wrapped, Lisa Lucas asked the question on most people’s minds: “What exactly are we supposed to do when the Olympics end?” (Lucas clarified that she meant after the Paralympics, which conclude on Sept. 8.)
