I thought the days of people going around gluing fig leaves to statues were over a few centuries ago... The sad thing is that one person mentioned didn't even recognize the statue of David... probably the most famous statue in the western world.

Quick philosophical question: What's the difference between destroying statues of Buddha and this stuff? How can we claim to be any better than the Taleban militia?

LOIN CLOTHS SAVE THE DAY FOR NUDE JESUS, DAVID

AANEWS for Thursday, April 26, 2001 

Prurient thoughts have been stifled, depictions of naked flesh covered, and 
religious sensibilities remain intact in two squabbles involving religion-themed 
displays on the east coast.

[Jesus section snipped -Tom]

* In Polk County, Florida, complaints have poured in over a 5-foot high statuary 
reproduction of Michelangelo's famous Renaissance period sculpture "David."  The 
500-pound figure represents the Old Testament figure, who defeated Goliath in 
the classical biblical story.  It is displayed on the front lawn of a shop in 
Lake Alfred, and faces motorists passing by on a nearby state road.

"It seems Michelangelo's attention to detail when sculpting 'David's' genitalia 
have caused some in this city of about 3,800 to take offense," noted writer Jill 
Greenwood of the Tampa Tribune.  "A city code enforcement officer, acting on 
complaints from citizens, asked shop manager Chuck Cole to place a cloth around 
the statue's waist."

Cole defended the presence of the "David" statue, though, noting "If I were 
standing naked on some street corner, that would be different. But this is a 
representation of a classic masterpiece.  It's art, not obscenity."

One local resident, though, says that she was embarrassed when she drove past 
the statue in the company of her young daughter and several friends who pointed, 
giggled and commented on the Michelangelo reproduction.  Jeanne Johnson, owner 
of a local barber shop, admitted, "I didn't even know it was art.  To me, it's 
just a naked man standing on the side of the road.  Once the girls saw it, I 
found myself in a position where I had to explain what a penis is."

City officials are diligently pouring through municipal code books in hopes of 
determining whether the classic statuary violates local anti-obscenity statutes. 
Town manager Jim Drumm lamented, "There's nothing legally we could do about it, 
since we can't regulate art, but the people that were complaining were demanding 
that we do something. As a matter of courtesy, we asked the store owners to put 
a cloth on the statue."

For now, a skimpy loin cloth conceals "David's" carefully molded genitalia; but 
the cost of soothing the puritanical sensibilities of neighbors who say they 
were distracted by the concrete penis and other anatomical features may be 
higher than expected.  Some passing motorists are now reportedly stopping to 
have their pictures taken next to the statue, "and some have even taken a second 
to peek under the cloth," notes the Tribune.

00:00 - 2001-04-27