Ready for a bit of a chuckle? Or perhaps a hefty eye-roll? Well, buckle up, because the Tokyo Olympics Closing Ceremony served up a scene that left viewers collectively scratching their heads and raising their eyebrows.
Viewers watching the Closing Ceremony all had the same thought process
Ah, the Olympics. A time of great athletic prowess and… questionable entertainment choices? The 2024 Paris Olympic Games began with a bang on July 26th and wrapped up on August 11th. And while there were myriad spectacular performances, the one that had everyone talking—well, more like sighing—was the so-called ‘stunt’ by none other than Hollywood’s very own Tom Cruise.
As if the world wasn’t already feeling the Monday blues on a Sunday evening, Tom Cruise made a grand entrance—or at least, that was the intention. From zooming down a wire rope from the roof of the Stade de France, Mr. Mission Impossible himself landed on stage to collect the Olympic flag from the LA mayor Karen Bass and Team USA gymnast Simone Biles.
And then, as if that wasn’t enough, a movie played showing Cruise gallantly flying over the Atlantic, skydiving out of a plane, and raising the flag over the Hollywood sign. Wow, right? Or maybe not.
Let’s just say, the Internet had thoughts. Lots of them. And none too flattering. “Um, is this Tom Cruise’s big stunt?” one puzzled viewer tweeted. Another exasperated soul actually wrote: “Tom Cruise entrance was underwhelming.” And just to drive the point home, yet another chimed in: “That Tom Cruise thing was underwhelming to be honest.” Ouch. Tough crowd.
Oh, but the plot thickens. This isn’t Tom’s first Olympic rodeo. Back in 2004, he carried the torch through Los Angeles during a worldwide relay event. Because if there’s one thing Tom Cruise loves, it’s making an entrance. Or trying, anyway.
Elsewhere in the Closing Ceremony, there was another peculiar spectacle that had viewers thoroughly befuddled. What was that confounding stage design all about? Was it a geometric cat? A horse? Slices of pie, perhaps?
After much deliberation and many perplexed looks, the world finally had a collective “Aha!” moment. Turns out, the stage was designed to resemble—wait for it—a world map. Yep, you read that correctly. “Is this stage designed loosely like a world map?” one person hesitantly tweeted, followed by another insightful comment: “Took me a good 15 minutes to work out that stage is a world map.”
Even family living rooms were having debates: “’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 fencing.” Now that’s some quality family time.
So, what do we make of all this? It seems Tom Cruise’s attempt at delivering a mind-blowing stunt wasn’t quite the blockbuster hit he might have envisioned. And if anything, the stage design offered a more intriguing puzzle than the spectacle itself. Sometimes, folks, the unintended comedy is the best kind of comedy.
In an era where we’re constantly bombarded with over-the-top dramatics, sometimes it’s these underwhelming moments that truly stand out—albeit in unexpected ways.
It’s Karen’s firm belief that while high-flying stunts and flashy special effects can be thrilling, they often miss the mark of genuine connection. What truly resonates are those unpredictable, humorous, and sometimes baffling moments that bring us together in collective bemusement. So, here’s to more of those quirky, head-scratching events that leave us laughing in disbelief. Cheers, Tom!
