The Paris Olympics are over. What an amazing ride. People had forgotten how much fun the Olympics can be, especially an Olympic games in a great time zone for binge-watching for North Americans, South Americans and Europeans. I have to admit… Paris set a new bar. The way they used their beautiful, historical buildings to stage various events, the way they highlighted the beauty of Paris, it was all amazing. NBC interviewed the guy in charge of the LA Olympics and he was like GULP, we really have to rethink all of this now.
Speaking of, at the closing ceremony, the mayor of Paris did the symbolic handover of the Olympic flag to the mayor of Los Angeles. The 2028 games are now less than four years away. It could be a real mess, but whatever, we have time to plan. The French organized a beautiful and elegant games, meanwhile Americans are like: Tom Cruise, motorcycles, Snoop Dogg, Billie Eilish, everything crazy and extra. That’s exactly what happened – Tom Cruise took part in the closing ceremony (he’s been at the games the entire time) by rappelling down the Stade de France onto the dais. The video is blocked from being embedded, but you can see it here.
As for the LA Olympics… well… the music will be good, at least. I’ll admit, it made me feel so patriotic to see how f–king extra we are. You know what? I think people EXPECT Americans to be so f–king extra.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
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- Olympic Games, Olympische Spiele, Olympia, OS Paris 2024, Olympische Spiele 2024, 26.07-10.08.2024 Schwimmen, La Defanse Arena Paris Tom Cruise USA Schauspieler, *** Olympic Games Paris 2024, Olympic Games 2024, 26 07 10 08 2024 Swimming, La Defanse Arena Paris Tom Cruise USA Actor,,Image: 893271573, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no, Credit line: IMAGO/Gladys Chai von der Laage / Avalon
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- Tom Cruise, during Final Women’s Football game between Brazil and United states, during the Olympic Games Paris 2024,Image: 897653630, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Michael Baucher / Panoramic / Avalon
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- PARIS, FRANCE – AUGUST 11 : Tom Cruise stealing the flagg pictured during the closing ceremony on day 14 of the XXXIII Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games on August 11, 2024 in Paris, France, 11/08/2024 (,Image: 897889906, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Vincent Kalut / Panoramic / Avalon
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- Tom Cruise USA, Schauspieler springt zur Uebergabe der olympischen Fahne an Los Angeles 2028 vom Stadiondach, FRA, Olympische Spiele Paris 2024, Closing Ceremony, 11.08.2024 FRA, Olympische Spiele Paris 2024, Closing Ceremony, 11.08.2024 Paris *** Tom Cruise USA, actor jumps from the stadium roof to hand over the Olympic flag to Los Angeles 2028, FRA, Olympic Games Paris 2024, Closing Ceremony, 11 08 2024 FRA, Olympic Games Paris 2024, Closing Ceremony, 11 08 2024 Paris Copyright: xEibner-Pressefoto/Memmlerx EP_MMR,Image: 897897265, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no, Credit line: IMAGO/Eibner-Pressefoto/Memmler / Avalon
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- Tom Cruise USA, Schauspieler nimmt symbolisch die olympischen Fahne zur Uebergabe an Los Angeles 2028 mit dem Motorrad mit, FRA, Olympische Spiele Paris 2024, Closing Ceremony, 11.08.2024 FRA, Olympische Spiele Paris 2024, Closing Ceremony, 11.08.2024 Paris *** Tom Cruise USA, actor symbolically takes the Olympic flag to Los Angeles 2028 on his motorcycle, FRA, Olympic Games Paris 2024, Closing Ceremony, 11 08 2024 FRA, Olympic Games Paris 2024, Closing Ceremony, 11 08 2024 Paris Copyright: xEibner-Pressefoto/Memmlerx EP_MMR,Image: 897897914, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no, Credit line: IMAGO/Eibner-Pressefoto/Memmler / Avalon
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- Tom Cruise – Ceremonie de Cloture – Closing Ceremony during the Olympic Games Paris 2024,Image: 897901459, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Baptiste Autissier / Panoramic / Avalon
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- Schauspieler Tom CRUISE USA stuerzt sich vom Dach in das Stadion Abschlussfeier, Closing Ceremony, am 11.08.2024, Olympische Spiele Paris 2024 / Frankreich Ă‚ *** Actor Tom CRUISE USA throws himself from the roof into the stadium Closing Ceremony, on 11 08 2024, Olympic Games Paris 2024 France Ă‚,Image: 897932559, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no, Credit line: IMAGO/Volker Essler/SVEN SIMON / Avalon
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- During Coldplay’s performance at the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm. Featuring: Tom Cruise Where: Somerset, United Kingdom When: 29 Jun 2024 Credit: CelebrityPhotosUK/Cover Images
European here and i agree, we do expect the Americans to be extra and over the top so the handover did not disappoint!
🤣🤣🤣 exactly!! 💯
Absolutely the LA games should be extra. LA should in no way try to be Paris – the city has its own vibe, I think Paris was so successful because they leaned in to being Paris, and being French. People expected nothing less.
LA should lean into being LA, and it could be awesome. I actually thought the Tom Cruise bit was inspired (aside from him being a total tool of a human being ).
Yes! At first I was like oh please, not Tom Cruise but that quickly turned into admiration for the video.
Oh I agree so much. It was great to watch the games in Paris being extra Paris. I hope to see LA being extra LA during their olympics. We didnt get to see much of the competitions, but I appreciated so much seeing the competitions highlighted with the city background/have the city highlighted by the competitions. Beautiful
So now that I’m going to be old enough to see the Olympic Games hosted by the same city twice (the ‘84 games were the first I remember), and how blown away I was by the Paris ones ( not since the 2012 London ones) I am very much looking forward to the LA ones. And yes, please, be extra! I remember that dude flying around the stadium and the Ben Johnson/Carl Lewis rivalry and a guy from my hometown doing super well in the horse riding back then and it was sooo exciting. America seemed so exciting back then and I very much hope these games will happen under Pres Harris’ tenure!
Same! I still vividly remember going to see the Olympic torch run by. Now I live here and I am so fired up!
I had a little stuffed Eagle mascot. That’s the first Olympics I remember.
Haven’t yet had a chance to watch the whole closing ceremony, but I just watched the Tom Cruise part and the promos. Honestly, I love it. When in Hollywood, be extra. I love the beach shots, the music, and the whole California vibe. I think the world has been anxious for a decade now because of US politics. It’s nice to see glimpses of something a bit more…I don’t know if comforting is the right word? Can’t wait! Will have to try to get some tickets when the time comes.
Yes, it’s all of a sudden starting to be a little more joyful. The world. Paris Olympics were fun, perfectly Parisian.
Given that he was there for the whole games it was obvious he was going to do some sort of Mission Impossible stuff – it was all very very Hollywood. I did like the segment at the beach in LA, you just know the LA games will be ALL about the Hollywood glamour and am here for it. I fully expect the opening games to be one big action celebrity fest musical.
If anyone can top Paris’s opening ceremony its LA.
I’m wondering what Milan is thinking about the next Winter games and whether they are retooling at all? I loved that this was all over the city and countryside and the most spectacular locations and scenery! I felt like I was there and not just in a series of arenas and stadiums that could be anywhere.
It’s odd to me that they pass the torch separately between the winter games and summer games but 🤷♀️.
I really dislike Tom Cruise and this was so cheesy, but it made me smile and giggle anyway. So, well done?
I kind of like when we go a little bit extra.
I loved the Olympic rings on the Hollywood sign. Tom Cruise is the worst human being, but I give him credit for being good at what he does. It was a fun bit.
Yes, be extra, extra – and I hope the medals have extra bling. I had the same reaction as many when I saw Tom – “ugh, him again?” – but he did a great job of bringing the flag from iconic rainy Paris to the iconic Hollywood sunshine.
It was so good to see Mayor Anne Hidalgo hand the flag over to Mayor Karen Bass, via IOC president Thomas Bach.
Two huge, important cities represented by two women, one a socialist, one a black democrat.
We are not going back!
I loved the Tom Cruise bit. I love how much he seems to support the athletes. He showed up big time for the women’s events. It made sense to use him as a symbol of LA/Hollywood – he is probably the most recognizable movie star around the world still to this day. I just wish he wasn’t in a cult!
I know. I was trying to explain who he was to my kids and at the end of it all I said: and he’s in a cult. I understand why he was chosen but also feel some chagrin about him being a representative of the US
This man is always so extra and still has lots of fans.
His puffy face reminds how challenging it must be to age in HW and not utilize cosmetic interventions.
I’m sure his legal team drafted rock solid NDA’s but a tell all by Katie sure would be successful.
I saw her in Paris and she looks great.
I guess his cult membership really works for him.
I saw a comment in Bluesky in which the poster said it looked like Tom Cruise was wearing an extra Tom Cruise face.
And it really does. He is so damn creepy.
Katie isn’t going to write a tell all. It’s not her style. I do think that Suri might though.
He has rehabilitated his image in recent years by staying primarily in Europe, not spouting any Scientology crap and making fun action movies. All he has now is his career and he is Very careful not to blow that up. I wonder if he saw his daughter since Katie was in Paris? …….. naw she’s a suppressive, right?
I think that rehabilitating his image was kind of the aim of scientology the whole time because he is literally the figurehead, they need him for propaganda purposes. I’ll never get over the fact that he decided to completely cut his daughter out of his life because her mother (wisely) took her away from the cult he is participating in. We’re also talking about the guy who successfully enrolled two of his other children into scientology and people are fine with it because he makes fun actions movies ? Insane.
I’m no fan of his, but that stunt and action sequence was so damn fun. The whole time my husband and I were watching, we kept saying “an then Tom Cruise repels down from the roof!!”… AND THEN HE DID!! Plus Snoop and Dre? Sign me up for 2028! I can’t remember the last time I had this much fun watching the Olympics. The whole thing was a blast.
I showed up wanting to hate on it but it was so well done and so FUN, I just got amped up. The whole thing on the Hollywood sign was awesome. I hope they really do that, put the Olympics rings on the sign, it’s charming.
Laughed my socks off seeing the Tom Cruise stunt. Not so much rappelling as being dangled all the way down 😂
Right?!? They should have gotten Pink to do some of her aerial stunts instead of an old man cultist deadbeat dad who literally was just lowered to the floor.
@BlueNailsBetter that was my response, too – that’s not rappelling, that’s just dangling, and not all that gracefully.
He looked like a mannequin on a string.
I thought the US part of the show would be in Paris. I didn’t love it was remote in LA. I get why they did it. But it threw the vibe off for me. And people were posting videos how upset they were. Since it was promoted so heavily like they would be in Paris.
But other than that, I absolutely loved the opening and closing ceremonies. And it felt this year the world was rooting everyone on. Not just country specific.
And personally, I hope in 2028 we get more dong coverage 🙂
I agree! It felt like less of a blatant nationalism vibe and more of an international camaraderie vibe. I thought it was just me!
So the mascot and huge funder for a dangerous and violent cult represents the U.S.? Oh, but his movies make a lot of money. I guess that is on brand for Murica. Freaky Filler Face here looked like he was mostly trying not to throw his back out throughout his ridiculous stunt. I’m embarrassed that he’s representing us on the world stage.
I couldn’t agree more.
It’s a big nope to anything Tom Cruise for me.
Not representin’ this ‘Murcan, tell ya what. I didn’t vote fer ‘im.
(Know who I did vote for? Tim Walz! I have hope!)
All I could think of while he was pretending to cover the Hollywood sign with Olympic rings was, “Doesn’t he have Scientology underlings to do this kind of manual labor?”
For me, he just ruins whatever he appears in.
I think LA will do a great job with the Olympics, and as someone who lives here yeah we dont’ have the historic and old buildings like Paris, our city isn’t as old but LA is a GORGEOUS city, it is jut its natural landscape that is so pretty. And yeah we will be extra and lean in to all the glamour of Hollywood.
Plus we might be avenging Jordan. People still talk about how the 84 Olympics was one of the best (i don’t know was barely alive) so I have no doubt these will be great, and I loved the Hollywood sign, and Snoop and Dre on the beach, got a real kick out of closed captioning changing some words.
I remember the 84 Olympics it was splashy, go big 80’s Hollywood production. My favorite part was the Rocket Man. Flying through the air on the air jet pack. That was revolutionary for its time. And as a kid. I thought we would have flying cars by now. So, a little disappointed about that.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/BWgZCZRYZng
That is so cute, it is surprising we haven’t gotten to the jetson lifestyle yet. I still wish we had that stand on a moving sidewalk and they’d get you ready thing haha.
I think the opening ceremonies and Olympics will be amazing. I mean knowing how we do our haunted houses this should be truly extra.
I think seeing what Paris did will definitely push LA to new heights. Sorry but their little pre recorded beach video just looked lame in comparison. Paris definitely hit a new standard of what the games can look like, using existing infrastructure and iconic monuments. I was in Paris this weekend and even if I didn’t see any events I was incredibly impressed by the organization and detail to security. Bravo Paris 👏
France did very well with hosting the Olympics until they kissed that cult leader’s ass by giving him a role in their closing ceremony.
France is know for its (normally strong) stance on cults, especially the one this person is a high-ranking member of. It’s shameful and grotesque the olympic organizing committee thought this a**-kissing, give-a-cult-leader-the-world stage BS was appropriate.
I wonder how all the French survivors of this cult felt seeing this? (Nevermind all the other survivors around the world(!!)) The whole thing was sickening.
Come on, LA, we have so many celebrities and such amazing talent in America to choose from. Kick the cult leader to the curb.
I’m from LA and we set the standard after the 1984 games which were super successful as it was managed efficiently, everything went with the flow and it was financially successful. We have the infrastructures including state of the art SoFi and Intuit stadium/arena. UCLA will be the athletes Olympic Village with state of the art facilities. And we’ll have the Pacific Ocean and our rolling hills and mountains as our backdrop instead of monuments. I love Paris but LA will be amazing. We have diversity all around – the people and our natural surroundings. And The ocean breezes will be the natural air conditioning (except for sporting events in the Valley).