If you’re looking for a bar or restaurant in Cleveland or Columbus, Ohio, to watch the 2024 Paris Olympics at, you can go ahead and cross TownHall off your list.
Taking to Instagram on Tuesday, the popular Ohio-based bar/restaurant announced that it will be boycotting the remainder of the Olympics due to the Games’ controversial opening ceremony. As a result, neither TownHall — which has locations in Cleveland and Columbus — nor its sister restaurants Green Goat Cafe (Cleveland), Mandrake (Columbus) or REBol (both cities), will be airing the Olympics at their establishments.
“We are protesting the 2024 Paris Olympics,” a shared message posted to the four restaurants’ Instagram accounts reads. “The portrayal of ‘The Last Supper’ was handled with an irresponsible level of irreverence, insulting the Christian faith. We unapologetically uphold a standard where all religions, races, sexual orientations, national origins, disabilities, ages, and gender identities are respected. We will not tolerate any form of discrimination or desecration. Therefore, we will not be broadcasting the Olympic Games at any of our restaurants.”
Crafted by artistic director Thomas Jolly, Friday’s opening ceremony received plenty of backlash in the United States for imagery alleged to be anti-Christian and anti-American. As the aforementioned social media post alluded to, one scene that’s been heavily criticized was one that seemingly made light of “The Last Supper,” although Jolly has since said that it was actually inspired by the Greek myth celebration “Festivity.”
As often seems to be the case in 2024, however, such facts are either irrelevant or being disputed by those who felt offended by the display. ESPN’s Pat McAfee took issue with the ceremony’s divisive natur e during Monday’s episode of The Pat McAfee Show , while former ESPN host Sage Steele insisted that the display was a “mockery” of religion, as it included drag performers and “scantily clad” characters.
But as the restaurants’ announcement shows, it’s not just people with microphones who have taken issue with the opening ceremony. Still, it’s fair to wonder why TownHall waited nearly four days before moving forward with its boycott; did it take that long for its outrage to register? Or did the growing backlash provide an opportunity for the restaurant to join the latest culture war battle du jour?
To that end, it’s worth noting that all four restaurants are owned by Bobby George, whose family has hosted multiple fundraisers for Aaron Rodgers’ favorite presidential candidate, Robert Kennedy Jr., including at least one at TownHall in Cleveland. Curiously, none of the other restaurants owned by George have announced boycotts of the Olympics, including the popular downtown Cleveland sports bar/nightclub Barley House.
George also made headlines in late-2021 when he reportedly threatened a Cleveland police officer in a profanity-laced rant for not immediately arresting two protestors outside of TownHall in the summer of 2020 . TownHall’s social media pages were also accused of spread misinformation amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
In other words, TownHall is no stranger to the culture wars, so it’s hardly a surprise that it would opt to take a stand against the opening ceremony.
Whether not allowing customers to view women’s gymnastics or men’s basketball is an appropriate or productive response to the controversial ceremony is a conversation for a different day, but it’s obviously the restaurants’ right to choose what they will and won’t put on their TVs. And as the conversation surrounding the opening ceremony only seems to be growing the further we get away from it, it will be interesting to see how many other establishments follow suit.
Whether you agree or disagree with it, TownHall is showing conviction in following through with its boycott. Thus far, however, all indications are that those willing to boycott the Olympics are a vocal minority, as the event continues to draw impressive ratings following Friday’s ceremony.
UPDATE: Fear not, Columbus residents. Popular Ohio State bar Out-R-Inn took TownHall’s announcement as an opportunity to confirm that unlike George’s restaurants, it will, in fact, be airing the Olympics at its own establishment.
[ TownHall on Instagram ]
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