'Pregnant nun' ice cream ad faces ban in Catholic outcry

[the_ultimate_evil]

Two ice cream adverts, one showing a pregnant nun and the other two male priests about to kiss, are facing a ban by the advertising watchdog after offending Roman Catholics.

The provocative slogan ‘immaculately conceived’ appears on the image of the nun eating from a pot of Antonio Federici Gelato Italiano.

Meanwhile, the picture of two men in cassocks and clerical collars, embracing with their lips inches apart, bears the words ‘we believe in salivation’.

The Advertising Standards Authority received complaints that the adverts, which have appeared in Grazia, Look and The Lady, are offensive to religious believers.

It has indicated the image of the nun is likely to be banned and is still investigating the advert featuring the priests.

British firm Antonio Federici said the adverts celebrated the ‘implied forbidden Italian temptations’ of the ice cream.

Creative director Matt O’Connor said the company would lose a substantial sum if it had to pull the campaign and was considering a legal challenge.

He said: ‘Only a tiny proportion of those who have seen the ads have made complaints. They seem to be upholding the views of a bigoted minority over the majority.’

But retired Catholic bishop John Jukes decried such adverts, saying: ‘They tend to add to the *general downgrading and attack on religious opinions and religiously committed people, which is a danger to the welfare of our culture.’

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...=feeds-newsxml

the images are in the link

[Alchemyst]

[TinkTonks]

Yeeeeah....who could *possibly* be offended by this?? I mean, really....

[Ghostvirus]

LOL! Since when did Ice Cream advertise like cologne commercials! Its just ice cream lets tone it down guys.

[Lighthouse]

Haven't Catholic watchdog groups learned by now? When they protest this stuff, they only bring more attention to it.

[terry78]

They did this to be satirical, right? That's all I can really think of the reason for doing it. Otherwise I expect lightning to strike them any day now.

[Harry_Lime02]

Originally Posted by Lighthouse

Haven't Catholic watchdog groups learned by now? When they protest this stuff, they only bring more attention to it.

Yeah, totally. It always happens. About 120,000 people saw that Danish Muhammed cartoon when it was first published. Now it's the second result in google image search.

[THE MR. TERRIFIC]

This was totally done for the publicity!!

[Saint]

These are pretty stupid advertisements, but as a former Catholic I fail to see how they're offensive. I mean, really, you may not like the idea of pregnant nuns and gay priests, but how is the fictional depiction of these offensive in this campaign? What's more, that people are offended isn't sufficient reason to have these advertisements banned. The world is not beholden to the values of Jesus Club.

Just more bleating from people terrified by anything that doesn't mesh with their religious sensibilities. Lame.

[katie_girl09]

What does a pregnant nun even have to do with ice cream?

[Spider-Who?]

Originally Posted by Saint

These are pretty stupid advertisements, but as a former Catholic I fail to see how they're offensive. I mean, really, you may not like the idea of pregnant nuns and gay priests, but how is the fictional depiction of these offensive in this campaign? What's more, that people are offended isn't sufficient reason to have these advertisements banned. The world is not beholden to the values of Jesus Club.

Just more bleating from people terrified by anything that doesn't mesh with their religious sensibilities. Lame.

okay...i hope you mean that you just don't see them AS offensive, because if you really can't see how someone would be offended...well...i would be lost for words.

What does a pregnant nun even have to do with ice cream?

absolutely nothing. this is nothing more than a really poor advertising agency who can't think of anything good to sell their product without resorting to the most basic of "shock" advertisements.

[Sawyer]

Originally Posted by katie_girl09

What does a pregnant nun even have to do with ice cream?

Pregnant nuns ****in' love ice cream.

[Saint]

Originally Posted by Spider-Who?

okay...i hope you mean that you just don't see them AS offensive, because if you really can't see how someone would be offended...well...i would be lost for words.

I meant exactly what I wrote: I fail to see how any reasonable person would be offended by the depiction of a fictional pregnant nun or a gay priest. Yes, the characters in those advertisements are not acting according to the rules of your religion. So what? How is that offensive?

I believe in truth and science. If the advertisement depicted a lying scientist, or a scientist deliberately fabricating the results of his experiment, I would not be offended--despite the fact that such behaviour is against my moral code. To be offended by that would be completely unreasonable, for two reasons: first, it's fictional, and second, the world is not beholden to my values. The same principle applies to pregnant nuns and religious adherents.