mingotree
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posted on March 31, 2007 08:52:39 AM new
Outcry Cancels Chocolate Jesus Show
Updated 10:43 AM ET March 31, 2007
By LARRY McSHANE
NEW YORK (AP) - A planned Holy Week exhibition of a nude, anatomically correct chocolate sculpture of Jesus Christ was canceled Friday after Cardinal Edward Egan and other outraged Catholics complained.
The "My Sweet Lord" display was shut down by the hotel that houses the Lab Gallery in midtown Manhattan. Roger Smith Hotel president James Knowles cited the public outcry for his decision.
The reaction "is crystal clear and has brought to our attention the unintended reaction of you and other conscientious friends of ours to the exhibition," Knowles wrote in the two-paragraph cancellation notice.
Matt Semler, the gallery's creative director, resigned in protest.
The six-foot sculpture was the victim of "a strong-arming from people who haven't seen the show, seen what we're doing," Semler said. "They jumped to conclusions completely contrary to our intentions."
But word of the confectionary Christ infuriated Catholics, including Egan, who described it as "a sickening display." Bill Donohue, head of the watchdog Catholic League, said it was "one of the worst assaults on Christian sensibilities ever."
The hotel and the gallery were overrun Thursday with angry phone calls and e-mails about the exhibit.
Semler said the calls included death threats... """
(from "good" christians no doubt)
...""""over the work of artist Cosimo Cavallaro, who was described as disappointed by the decision to cancel the display.
"In this situation, the hotel couldn't continue to be supportive because of a fear for their own safety," Semler said.
The sculpture was to debut Monday evening, the day after Palm Sunday and just four days before Christians mark the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on Good Friday. The final day of the exhibit was planned for Easter Sunday.
The artwork was created from more than 200 pounds of milk chocolate, and features Christ with his arms outstretched as if on an invisible cross. Unlike the typical religious portrayal of Christ, the Cavallaro creation does not include a loincloth.
Cavallaro hoped the sculpture could go on display elsewhere, according to Semler.
Cavallaro is best known for his quirky work with food as art: Past efforts include repainting a Manhattan hotel room in melted mozzarella, spraying five tons of pepper jack cheese on a Wyoming home, and festooning a four-poster bed with 312 pounds of processed ham.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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DrArcane
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posted on March 31, 2007 09:18:45 AM new
"a nude, anatomically correct chocolate sculpture of Jesus Christ"
When I get a chocolate bunny, I always bite off the ears first.
I'm not surprised they canceled it. Think of the lightning damage after some hungry admirer bites off God's dingle!
...
Seriously, a chocolate Jesus is no big deal, but why make him nude and anatomically correct? Sounds like an excuse to be controversial to me.
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http://www.thearcaneum.com
The Arcaneum Forums
[ edited by DrArcane on Mar 31, 2007 09:19 AM ]
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mingotree
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posted on March 31, 2007 10:29:06 AM new
Ya, controversy always draws a crowd ...it's a smart move for gaining the attention of the press and public.
Kinda like Tubby McTreason dancing.
Why NOT make him nude and anatomically correct...he was wasn't he?
[ edited by mingotree on Mar 31, 2007 10:30 AM ]
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Bear1949
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posted on March 31, 2007 11:26:53 AM new
Still it could only happen in the US.
Could you imagine the outrage at a a nude naked chocolate Muhammad.
It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.George S. Patton
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mingotree
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posted on March 31, 2007 11:56:37 AM new
""Could you imagine the outrage at a a nude naked chocolate Muhammad.""
Ya, probably be death threats from the Muslims ALSO!
Seems it's something religions have in common.....
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Helenjw
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posted on March 31, 2007 12:11:18 PM new
I doubt that this art would be so controversial if it had not been made of chocolate and edible. An anatomically correct Jesus should not be considered irreverent but a statue of Jesus that can be eaten opens the door to flagrant abuse and offensive treatment of an icon that many people consider holy.
So, the question is... Should the artist be concerned with the actions of disrespective people toward what he considers good art.
My answer is no.
[ edited by Helenjw on Mar 31, 2007 12:23 PM ]
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cherishedclutter
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posted on March 31, 2007 01:13:14 PM new
How could the artist not be concerned? It was the actions of those people that led to his art no longer being on display.
edited to add: I find it curious that only Catholics were outraged. (at least according to the story) I would have expected an outcry from the (Protestant) Christian Right.
[ edited by cherishedclutter on Mar 31, 2007 01:16 PM ]
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Helenjw
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posted on March 31, 2007 01:33:36 PM new
To clarify for you, I should say seriously concerned. In other words should the artist's concern about the public reaction to his art be so great that he would not consider carrying out his artistic plan. My answer to that is no.
With the publicity that this piece of art has received, places to display it will not be a problem.
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mingotree
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posted on March 31, 2007 01:44:04 PM new
I think places to display it would be a problem considering you would need heavy security to protect people from the "christians" and their death threats.
[ edited by mingotree on Mar 31, 2007 02:03 PM ]
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Bear1949
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posted on March 31, 2007 03:00:28 PM new
Need to ship it to New Orleans & Nagen, after all he has the chocolate city.
It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.George S. Patton
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bigpeepa
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posted on March 31, 2007 03:28:18 PM new
"Catholics were outraged",
I can remember when someone made a soap in the likeness of the Pope. The soap had a string on it so it could be hung from the shower head.
Many catholics joked about it calling it the (Pope on a rope). Other Catholics went bonkers about it.
The wacko type bead rattlers will get over "Chocolate Jesus" and go back to talking about all the baby killers running for president.
[ edited by bigpeepa on Mar 31, 2007 08:14 PM ]
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cherishedclutter
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posted on March 31, 2007 04:48:01 PM new
There is probably an underlying issue - money. When I first heard the hotel had decided to cancel the display of the piece - I wondered if the real fear wasn't a fear of losing business to those who found the piece offensive.
However, your probably right Helen in believing that other places would be willing to display the piece.
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mingotree
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posted on March 31, 2007 09:19:07 PM new
"""(Pope on a rope). "
That's a true LOL!!!!!
Just goes to show that some christians have very strong faith that isn't shaken by a little silliness.....
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Bear1949
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posted on April 1, 2007 08:59:21 PM new
And now theres Obama:
It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.George S. Patton
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Roadsmith
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posted on April 1, 2007 11:16:11 PM new
Cherishedclutter: Most of the Protestant denominations I'm familiar with don't give a damn about statues--of anybody, including Jesus. In fact, they scorn the Catholics (and Episcopalians) for idolatry, praying to and worshiping idols. I'm not surprised the right-wingers were silent.
_____________________
"There is more to life than increasing its speed." --Mahatma Gandhi
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Helenjw
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posted on April 2, 2007 05:34:58 AM new
Well, I am not a believer now but I have lived among the Protestant belivers in the South where I was raised as a Baptist and attended sunday school, church and worked as editor of the newsletter published by the church. My uncle was a minister of a large church in South Carolina and I knew him very well too.
Among those people in the deep South most would object to a naked chocolate sculpture of Jesus. No doubt about it. In fact, like Arcane they would object most vociferously to the fact that the statue was naked.
So, we may have a different perspective of religion which varies throughout the country and of course the world.
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Helenjw
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posted on April 2, 2007 06:08:49 AM new
"Most of the Protestant denominations I'm familiar with don't give a damn about statues--of anybody, including Jesus. In fact, they scorn the Catholics (and Episcopalians) for idolatry, praying to and worshiping idols. I'm not surprised the right-wingers were silent.
_____________________
They must "give a dam" about the use of statues. Otherwise they would have no feelings whatsoever about how the statues may be used by other religions.
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Linda_K
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posted on April 2, 2007 08:51:02 AM new
LOL at that pic, bear.
Yep....it's fitting since he's the liberals NEW hope. And many of them have said they believe Jesus would have been/was a liberal. 
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mingotree
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posted on April 2, 2007 01:05:09 PM new
The depiction of Jesus as black is probably more accurate than all those other depictions.
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bigpeepa
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posted on April 2, 2007 04:24:41 PM new
liar_k laughing at her step son's stupidly is a sign of her lower self-esteem.
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Bear1949
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posted on April 3, 2007 05:32:00 PM new
Waco, too bad you never knew your biological sperm & egg donors.
It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.George S. Patton
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