Friday, March 30, 2007

What Were They Saying about the Chocolate Jesus?

I discussed the chocolate cross phenomenon a couple of days ago, and cross-posted it at Common Sense Political Thought, where one commenter said:

I can see why molded chocolate Jesus wouldn’t be acceptable

Well, guess what? There is a chocolate Jesus but it won't be on display.
A planned Holy Week exhibition of a nude, anatomically correct chocolate sculpture of Jesus Christ was canceled Friday amid a choir of complaining Catholics that included Cardinal Edward Egan.

The "My Sweet Lord" display was shut down by the hotel that houses the Lab Gallery in midtown Manhattan, said Matt Semler, the gallery's creative director. Semler said he submitted his resignation after officials at the Roger Smith Hotel shut down the show.

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."

There's no explanation of what, exactly, were "our intentions," but the story says it was "an unfortunate coincidence" that the offensive sculpture was to be on display during Holy Week.

"Unfortunate coincidence?" I don't believe that for a minute. Every time someone wants to display offensive artwork, it seems to be brought up either at Christmas or Easter. Gee, I wonder why that is? I'm sure it's just an "unfortunate coincidence."