The Olympic flame isn’t a flame.
Well, it’s sort of a flame. But it’s not made of fire. Even if it looks a lot like fire.
Wait. Let me backtrack. Every Olympic host city has a few basic tasks that force it to straddle the line between acknowledging the tradition of the Games while showing that it is keeping up with the times. Essentially, each new host needs to play the hits but still surprise and delight the listeners. That’s how you end up, for example, with an opening ceremony featuring a nearly nude man on a barge, covered in blue paint and glitter.