Benetton pulls ad after Vatican goes apeshit

(CBS/AP)

VATICAN CITY - The Vatican says it will take legal action against the Benetton clothing company to prevent the publication of an ad featuring a fake photo montage of Pope Benedict XVI kissing a top Egyptian imam on the lips.

The Vatican said in a statement Thursday the image is "offensive not only to the dignity of the pope and the Catholic Church, but also to the sensibilities of believers."

Benetton withdrew the ad immediately after its debut Wednesday once the Vatican denounced it as an unacceptable provocation.

Benetton had said its "Unhate" campaign launched Wednesday was aimed at fostering tolerance and "global love." ..........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57326758/vatican-vows-action-over-fake-pope-kissing-pic/

They could have had the Pope kissing Sandusky.

it put men into positions they were never in and put it out for the public without anyone's consent, including Obama. Why force this imagery on someone who has no clue it's going to be done and especially without their consent?

out of common human decency.

to say nothing of The Onion, the Daily Show, MAD Magazine, etc etc...

Are the ads shamelessly sensationalist? You bet... Do they cross almost all universal guidelines of taste? Yes again... But public figures and celebrities are still fair game for this stuff...

Especially when people with a medieval mentality go apeshit.

That Imam is waaaaaaay too old for any self-respecting Priest to kiss, let alone the Pope.

"Benetton's still around? Really?"

even their shocking-for-its-time advertising in the 90s at least tried to make some kind of social message

They had it coming, the bastards.