Da Vinci, Trump, Biden, and The War for Your Eyes

If you tuned in to the Paris Olympics opening ceremony on Friday… sorry about your eyes. 

Yikes.

Heck, even if you didn’t tune in you’ve likely seen the now-viral image of drag queens, naked models, and even a child (?!), in a reenactment that freakishly resembled the Last Supper.

Initially, everyone seemed to agree that was exactly what was being portrayed, with supporters of the show calling it art, and others calling it blasphemy. Then, a new narrative began to emerge, and those who had been chiding Christians for being thin-skinned or not understanding artistic license, immediately adopted it.

Now, it was not, in fact, an artistic interpretation of da Vinci’s famous painting but a tribute to a lesser-known depiction of Greek gods on Olympus.

The debate raged on until Yahoo News ran a story headlined: Paris Olympics Producers Say ‘The Last Supper’ Inspired That Opening Ceremony Scene: ‘Many Have Done It Before’

That seemed to settle it. 

But then, they updated the article Sunday evening to include comments by the architect of the show that confirmed the Olympus story. 

Thomas Jolly, the ceremony’s designer, and the Paris 2024 producers still can’t seem to agree on what was being depicted. 

Jolly swore it was a depiction of Dionysus, the god of wine and festivity, while the producers claimed it was the Last Supper.

And the clash of explanations and accusations rages on.

My takeaway from all of this is less about what was being depicted (because regardless of intent it was all just awful) and more about recognizing a powerful illustration of something bigger: 

How easily people are manipulated into adopting changing narratives in real time.

Think about the recent assassination attempt on Donald Trump. 

Despite numerous live reports and eyewitness accounts, some now question whether it even happened at all while others say that Google is suppressing search results in an attempt to obscure the truth.

It reminds me of this quote from George Orwell’s 1984:

“The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.”

It sure does feel like we’re being asked more and more to deny what we see and hear, and instead, accept a version of things that conflicts with what we observe to be true.

Examples are everywhere once you start to notice.

Look at President Biden’s health.

Despite countless videos over several years showing him in apparent physical and mental decline, we’ve been constantly told he’s perfectly fit to serve. 

We’re quite literally being gaslighted on a grand scale—conditioned to ignore what’s right in front of us.

Of course none of this is new.

History is riddled with examples of governments and media conspiring to manipulate the truth.

Our Tuttle Twins Guide to True Conspiracies covers 20 proven conspiracies that were once dismissed as crazy.

From the Gulf of Tonkin incident, which escalated the Vietnam War based on a fabricated “attack”, to Operation Northwoods, where the U.S. government plotted false flag operations against American citizens to justify military action in Cuba, the history of lies and manipulations by governments and their lapdog media conglomerates is long and sordid. 

These true stories offer stark reminders of how narratives are twisted to serve specific agendas.

So, what’s the truth behind the events we’re watching play out right now?

Honestly, I have no idea. 

But one thing I’m absolutely certain of is that controlling and manipulating the narrative is a timeless strategy for those in power.

Governments and media have an uncanny ability to shape our perceptions, even when the evidence contradicts their stories—even in nearly real-time.

As parents and grandparents, it’s our job to provide the kids we love with the tools to understand what’s happening around them. The Tuttle Twins Guide to True Conspiracies is an perfect resource for helping them learn the history of government and media cooperation and manipulation.

We don’t teach this stuff to make people afraid or to breed a generation of paranoid conspiracy theorists. We teach it to help kids learn to start thinking critically about what they see and hear.

Even when what they hear comes from so-called “official” sources, and especially when what they’re being told to think conflicts with what they know to be right and true.

We want to help parents raise kids who can discern truth from propaganda, who question the narratives they’re fed, and who understand that sometimes, what we see and hear is deliberately distorted.

In a world where reality is often twisted, the courage and ability to think critically truly is power.

— Connor

P.S. True Conspiracies is a must-read for parents who want to foster a healthy skepticism in their kids. Grab your copy today and help your kids navigate these confusing times with confidence!