September 27, 2007
Hippy, playboy Jesus ad riles Belgian bishops
BRUSSELS (AFP) - Catholic bishops in Belgium have protested a TV ad depicting a pot-bellied, hippy Jesus performing miracles and picking up scantily-clad girls up in a nightclub, a church spokesman said Friday.
"We have expressed our disapproval to the president of RTL's administrative council" Jacques Santer and the ethical advertising body, demanding the withdrawal of this publicity campaign, Father Eric de Beukelaer told AFP.
RTL, one of the biggest media groups in Europe, is running the ad on its main Belgian channel to promote Plug youth television, portrayed in the offending item as the coolest thing that even Jesus, with all his powers, could hope for.
"The Belgian Church is used to retaining a sense of humour on religious subjects," De Beukelaer said.
"In the name of freedom of expression, it avoids attacking cartoonists, but advertising is different," he added.
"An advert for cheese or pate featuring gourmet priests or nuns is one thing, but to turn Jesus into a walking billboard, that crosses the line," he said, stressing that along with tolerance must be respect for the sensitivities of believers.
"To see Jesus depicted as a good-for-nothing, backwards adolescent, that crosses the limits of respectability," he added.
The advertisement ends with God admonishing his son Jesus for demanding a subscription to Plug TV, thundering "you still want more!"
Plug TV and RTL-TVI defended the advert, also being shown in cinemas, arguing that it was not blasphemous but contained a message about a "laid-back Jesus addressing youth."
De Beukelaer said that neither RTL nor the ethics panel had responded to a letter from the bishops, adding that the Catholic Church wanted to make its point without having to resort to legal measures.
Posted by ronnie at 07:08 AM | Comments (0)
July 03, 2007
Man punches 'rude' drive-thru clerk
PENN HILLS, Pa. - A man who thought the clerk at a fast-food drive-through was rude for not saying "please" and "thank you" punched her in the face, police said. Duane L. Williams, angered by what he felt was the clerk's rudeness, walked into the store to complain just before 8 p.m. Wednesday, Penn Hills police Chief Howard Burton said Friday.
Before the manager could meet with Williams, he walked back outside, pushed open the drive-through window and punched the 19-year-old woman in the face. The clerk was bruised, but not badly hurt, Burton said.
"He didn't like the girl's attitude because she didn't say 'please' and 'thank you,'" Burton said.
The store manager ran outside to get Williams' license plate number and called police.
Williams, 46, told police he had "anger-management issues" when he turned himself in later that night, Burton said.
"He was unable to tell the officer why he did that. He said he remembered opening the drive-through window, but could not remember if he punched the victim or not," Burton said. "I guess he just had a bad day."
Nobody answered the phone listed at the address police supplied for Williams and it was not immediately clear if he has an attorney.
Police filed charges of simple assault, disorderly conduct and harassment Thursday, which were mailed to Williams with a summons to appear in court, Burton said.
Posted by ronnie at 02:00 PM | Comments (0)