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Obama Bobblehead With "Feces": Catholic League's Answer To "Piss Christ"
By
Jen Chung
Published Sep 26, 2012
Modified Sep 26, 2012
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By
Jen Chung
Published Sep 26, 2012
Modified Sep 26, 2012
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The controversial "Piss Christ" photograph by Andres Serrano that is going on view at a Midtown gallery tomorrow has really been bothering Catholic League president Bill Donohue. He told Fox News last week, "It seems like we have a protected class for Muslims as well as some other segments of our population. But when it comes to Christians, it's an all-out war." So now Donohue has created a video showing off his answer: An Obama bobblehead in a jar with feces.
Okay, so the "feces" are actually just brown Play-Doh, while the piss in Serrano's photograph is actually Serrano's urine (it's a photograph of a crucifix in urine) which upsets mostly Republicans because it received some funding from the National Endowment for the Arts in the 1980s. Donohue complains in the video, "He didn't put Mohammed in there, he didn't choose any other religion, he just decided to do it to Jesus," and seems most upset about where it's being displayed: "If this Piss Christ had shown up in Soho or down in the Village in some dump that nobody would care about or in Chelsea, we wouldn't say much about it. But where is it gonna be shown? 57th between Fifth and Sixth Avenues right in the heart the heart of Midtown Manhattan."
Joe. My. God. noticed the video on YouTube and left a comment on the video's page, but then the Catholic League disabled comments. The comment was, "That's a pretty sweet office ya got there, Bill. How many old ladies are eating cat food this week so you could grab their Social Security checks?" [via Christian Nightmares]
The press release from the Edward Tyler Nahem gallery says, "Piss Christ is a potent work that engages the viewer on both a visual and intellectual level. Unassumingly and with no intention, it has also served as an unwitting lightning rod in media and politics, challenging the values, perception, and definition of art. Piss Christ, ultimately, has turned into a controversial symbol of the freedom of expression and the ability of art to catalyze significant change in society."
Donohue and the Catholic League frequently pop up in the media, when they are upset about the Empire State Building or anti-atheist ads, etc.
Tagged
andres serrano
catholic
Catholic League
controversy
Crucifix
Feces
obama bobblehead
piss christ
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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