Jan 31, 2008 8:08 pm US/Eastern
New Yorkers On Provocative Nun Ad: Blasphemy!
Fitness Club's Promo Has Catholics All Over Seeing Red
By Scott Rapoport, CBS 2 HD News
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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This ad has many Catholics wondering what a Boston fitness center is thinking about.
CBS
Is it art? Is it commerce? Or is it obscene?
Those are the questions surrounding a new print ad for a gym.
A controversial photo showing models dressed as nuns sketching a buff, naked man -- for an Equinox Fitness Center in Boston -- is raising eyebrows all over.
Several got a look at it on Thursday and their reaction ran the gamut.
Some were just surprised. Others were offended. Many were just plain perplexed.
"Are those real nuns?" one person asked.
"Maybe I'll become a nun," joked another.
"I would think it would be offensive to the Catholic Church," said a third. "This is like derogatory toward the religion."
The Boston Archdiocese thinks the ad is a slam against the Catholic Church and wants an apology.
Keira McCaffrey is with the Catholic League here in New York.
"It's gratuitous," McCaffrey said. "It's of course … it's a slap at nuns, but you know what? It's trite. It's not even clever. This is an old cliche ... let's make fun of nuns."
For all the attention the ad is getting, this is not the first time we've seen something like this.
Madonna famously uses religious imagery for publicity and profit. Britney Spears tried it recently, posing provocatively in a confessional with somewhat less success.
And then there was the artist who created that "Chocolate Jesus." He got his five minutes in the spotlight as well.
But this?
"Is it the worst thing in the world? No," McCaffrey said. "It's a sophomoric ad. It doesn't speak well of Equinox."
In a statement, Judy Taylor, a spokesperson for Equinox, said: "The ads capture the energy and artistry of the well-conditioned body in a thought-provoking fashion, blending fantasy and impact."
Equinox reps also said there will be no apology for the ad, which can soon be seen in five other cities, including New York.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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