Sony pulls "Jesus" advert for PlayStation

[ben_dy]

news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050930/tc_nm/italy_advert_jesus_dc##2

Sony pulls “Jesus” advert for PlayStation

ROME (Reuters) - Sony (6758.T) has apologized for an advertising campaign for its PlayStation game console which featured a young man wearing a crown of thorns with the slogan “Ten years of passion.”

Some Catholics were outraged by the adverts, which ran in newspapers and magazines to celebrate the product’s tenth anniversary.

“This time they’ve gone too far,” said Antonio Sciortino, editor of Famiglia Cristiana (Christian Family), a mass-circulation Catholic weekly.

“If this had concerned Islam there would have been a really strong reaction,” Sciortino was quoted as saying in the Corriere della Sera newspaper.

In the Bible, Jesus was forced to wear a crown of thorns by mocking Roman guards before he was crucified. In the advert, a young man smiles cheekily, wearing a crown whose thorns are twisted into the geometric shapes that are PlayStation’s logo.

In a statement, Sony Computer Entertainment Italia expressed regret over the reaction to the advert. It acknowledged that the “spirit of the message was misunderstood” and said the campaign would not continue.

Sony’s ad is not the first to irk Catholics in recent months.

“There’s no religion any more,” read a slogan for IKEA in an advert to inform Italians, whose Church attendance is steadily falling, that its furniture stores were open on a Sunday.

And two adapted versions of Leonardo Da Vinci’s Last Supper have been used for adverts that caused controversy in other predominantly Catholic countries.

French fashion designer Francois Girbaud featured Jesus as a woman with a table of glamorous disciples, while Irish bookmaker Paddy Power depicted the original Christians gambling, the traitor Judas clutching his 30 pieces of silver.

Anti-Christianity seems ever-prevalent and acceptable these days: Sciortino is right - had it been a depiction of Mohammed in the ad even atheists would be up in arms. I’m surprised, however, that Sony’s advertising agency thought that such a campaign, even in increasingly non-religious Europe, would be ready for such blasphemy as “ten years of passion”.

 

[Franze]

Where are the protestants? they love so much jesus but they don´t defend Jesus, very curious, only “papists”.

This news is good.

 

[Church_Militant]

Wow! Sony messed up on that one! I say we all commit to praying one Divine Mercy Chaplet for all the people who came up with this campaign and decided to use it and let Our Lord speak for himself to hearts that certainly do need it.
Pax vobiscum,

 

[WanderAimlessly]

Remember, Sony is the one backing the “Da Vinci Code” movie. Even though they pulled the ad, this is just another reason to not buy Sony products.

PF

 

[tuopaolo]

Since the ad was about the PlayStation, it may not be a wise idea to not buy Sony products because Sony’s only competition in that area is Microsoft and Microsoft is probably worse than Sony when it comes to the moral realm. You could I suppose boycott both Sony and Microsoft – in which case, good luck with using Linux.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

tuopaolo:

Since the ad was about the PlayStation, it may not be a wise idea to not buy Sony products because Sony’s only competition in that area is Microsoft and Microsoft is probably worse than Sony when it comes to the moral realm. You could I suppose boycott both Sony and Microsoft – in which case, good luck with using Linux.

However, I am looking for a good portable CD player. Sony was highly recommended. Guess I’ll look at Phillips.

 

[ben_dy]

Franze:

Where are the protestants? they love so much jesus but they don´t defend Jesus, very curious, only “papists”.

This news is good.

In my opinion Sony would not dare to run such an advertisement in the U.S.: the reason, I think, that they thought that they could ‘get away with it’ in Europe is the perception (born from actual fact) that Christianity - and particularly Roman Catholicism - is on the wane in Europe. Church attendance is at a record low especially in ‘Catholic’ countries such as France and Italy. Of course the interesting thing about France is that it has a long history of its people completely disavowing the Church and then coming back, And yet it is interesting, as you noted, that the article doesn’t report anyone BUT Catholics protesting what should obviously be supremely blasphemous to all who call themselves Christian. The “ten years of passion” is so very blasphemous on so many different levels that I had to read it three times before I realized that the headline actually read what I thought it read the first time.

A short while ago I read an article which said that there are now more practicing Muslims in the UK than Christians - it was an observance by a Catholic Cardinal, I believe, and he included ALL Christian denominations in those figures, not just Catholic or Anglican.

Christianity is under siege - and, as a recent book noted, anti-Catholicism is as acceptable in the U.S. and western media at a unprecedented level: especially in the U.S. which, during its ‘nativist’ days when Catholic immigrants were viewed with hatred and disdain (and in the UK, where until as recently as the early 1900’s Catholics did not enjoy the full rights of citizenship),

Anti-Catholicism - and anti-Christianity - are becoming standard. I can take a joke (I love a good ‘Catholic’ joke as a matter of fact) and I can even enjoy good Catholic parody: what I cannot stand - and yet have no idea how to deal with it other than boycott - is media that sinks to blasphemy in order to be clever, in order to appeal to what is base and not that which is good,

Although I’m glad Sony pulled the ads I’m distressed that they saw fit to run them in the first place - I own many Sony products but I don’t think I will be buying any more. A line has been crossed.

The only site one which I could find the full ad was at

joystiq.com/entry/1234000760061244/

(I don’t know how to attach images to messages - but I saved the image just in case someone could tell me how and if the link somehow manages to ‘disappear’ over the next few days.)

 

[ben_dy]

tuopaolo:

Since the ad was about the PlayStation, it may not be a wise idea to not buy Sony products because Sony’s only competition in that area is Microsoft and Microsoft is probably worse than Sony when it comes to the moral realm. You could I suppose boycott both Sony and Microsoft – in which case, good luck with using Linux.

Hey! You could always buy Macintosh! I don’t think Apple uses any Sony parts any longer (they’re bitter enemies now, it seems) and there are some fine and free alternatives to Microsoft Office on the Mac (although I admit, with some shame, that I have been using Microsoft software on Macintosh computers since 1984 or so - and upgraded to Office 2004 when it was released out of habit, although there are a number of Unix X-Windows free “Office”-type products that work quite well on the Macintosh.

Didn’t mean for this to be a ‘pro-Macintosh’ off-topic post - just to suggest that there are alternatives to Sony and Microsoft!

 

[WanderAimlessly]

tuopaolo:

Since the ad was about the PlayStation, it may not be a wise idea to not buy Sony products because Sony’s only competition in that area is Microsoft and Microsoft is probably worse than Sony when it comes to the moral realm. You could I suppose boycott both Sony and Microsoft – in which case, good luck with using Linux.

Since I have neither an X-Box or a PlayStation, it is a null issue for me on that front. As for other Sony products, no sale here.

PF

 

[ben_dy]

WanderAimlessly:

Remember, Sony is the one backing the “Da Vinci Code” movie. Even though they pulled the ad, this is just another reason to not buy Sony products.

PF

What really breaks my heart about that movie is that Ron Howard - who has made some very fine movies - is directing; and that Tom Hanks - for whom I have great respect - is ‘starring’ in it. I couldn’t get past the horrible writing to finish the book but many in my parish did and with the discussion and questions that followed I can only surmise that the book is filled with vast amounts of factual error (even exclusive of it’s speculative theology).

I finally brought myself to read Lorraine Boettner’s Roman Catholicism but it was, at least, well-written even if wrought with error: The Da Vinci Code doesn’t even make an effort to conform to good English. Dan Brown is listed as one of the screenwriters - if so, the movie is certain to be a failure!

I don’t think there are any Sony products that I can’t live without at this time…

 

[Valz]

What I don’t understand is, in art there are so many things you can do, so many possibilities, so many ways of representing an idea or conveying a message and the flexibility that the different mediums and teachnology provies that I just don’t get how these people use stuff like this to promote anything. I mean, if the idea was to represent the “10 years” and “passion”, how does this relates to the playstation or worse, how the hell does it relates to Catholicism?

Is the Playstation known for having a bunch of pro-Catholic or even Catholic oriented games? No, on the contrary it has a bunch of violent, corrupted video games (Gran Theft Auto anyone?). So, since it does not relates in anyway to eithe rtheir fan base or the rality of their products, I must then conclude that the ad was done with the intention to piss Catholics off and to mock their faith.

I was planning to buy a Playstation 3, I may now reconsider my position and buy something else.

 

[MugenOne]

If you buy a Playstation, buy Japanese games. They don’t have hidden agendas like American game publishers do.

 

[Franze]

ben_dy:

In my opinion Sony would not dare to run such an advertisement in the U.S.: the reason, I think, that they thought that they could ‘get away with it’ in Europe is the perception (born from actual fact) that Christianity - and particularly Roman Catholicism - is on the wane in Europe. Church attendance is at a record low especially in ‘Catholic’ countries such as France and Italy. Of course the interesting thing about France is that it has a long history of its people completely disavowing the Church and then coming back, And yet it is interesting, as you noted, that the article doesn’t report anyone BUT Catholics protesting what should obviously be supremely blasphemous to all who call themselves Christian. The “ten years of passion” is so very blasphemous on so many different levels that I had to read it three times before I realized that the headline actually read what I thought it read the first time.

A short while ago I read an article which said that there are now more practicing Muslims in the UK than Christians - it was an observance by a Catholic Cardinal, I believe, and he included ALL Christian denominations in those figures, not just Catholic or Anglican.

Christianity is under siege - and, as a recent book noted, anti-Catholicism is as acceptable in the U.S. and western media at a unprecedented level: especially in the U.S. which, during its ‘nativist’ days when Catholic immigrants were viewed with hatred and disdain (and in the UK, where until as recently as the early 1900’s Catholics did not enjoy the full rights of citizenship),

Anti-Catholicism - and anti-Christianity - are becoming standard. I can take a joke (I love a good ‘Catholic’ joke as a matter of fact) and I can even enjoy good Catholic parody: what I cannot stand - and yet have no idea how to deal with it other than boycott - is media that sinks to blasphemy in order to be clever, in order to appeal to what is base and not that which is good,

Although I’m glad Sony pulled the ads I’m distressed that they saw fit to run them in the first place - I own many Sony products but I don’t think I will be buying any more. A line has been crossed.

The only site one which I could find the full ad was at

joystiq.com/entry/1234000760061244/

(I don’t know how to attach images to messages - but I saved the image just in case someone could tell me how and if the link somehow manages to ‘disappear’ over the next few days.)

Yes, It could be possible, thank very much for your opinion

 

[Valz]

MugenOne:

If you buy a Playstation, buy Japanese games. They don’t have hidden agendas like American game publishers do.

Well for me the games available is what makes me decide what console I buy. So far it is the Playstation 3 because of Final Fantasy and Metal Gear Solid.

So I may buy the Playstation 3, specially since it is backwards compatible with all the Playstation 1 and 2 games I currently own.

Valz

 

[jdnation]

I figure Sony Europe probably figured, “Italy, what makes Italy famous? Rome? Catholicism, Popular Mel Gibson Movie… okay…”

I suppose at first it might be a bit funny, but it’s understandable that it offends, at least it’s only for a video game console and not for something immoral, like say using the Virgin Mary in abortion or contraception ads… and Sony Europe at least had the decency to apologize and pull it.

 

[abcdefg]

OT: Someone plans to use Stalin’s mother in abortion or contraception ads?

commercial: With (product name) condom Stalin would have never been born.

 

[stellina]

jdnation:

I figure Sony Europe probably figured, “Italy, what makes Italy famous? Rome? Catholicism, Popular Mel Gibson Movie… okay…”

I suppose at first it might be a bit funny, but it’s understandable that it offends, at least it’s only for a video game console and not for something immoral, like say using the Virgin Mary in abortion or contraception ads… and Sony Europe at least had the decency to apologize and pull it.

Of course that’s what they were thinking. What they obviously didn’t consider is that Italians, even the nominally religious ones, do not take kindly to this sort of humor because well over 90% identify themselves as Catholic. Being Catholic has major cultural significance for them, again even if they aren’t openly practicing their religion, so as several of my Italian friends have put it, to be Italian is to be Catholic. It has something to do with their national identity, which they feel is increasingly threatened by such developments as the EU and increased Muslim immigration. On top of this, the Italian economy is very weak at the moment and people are having a hard time just affording the necessities of life, let alone frills like Sony video games. Therefore, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that such a provocative ad would backfire.

It would also be wise to remember that Italians also don’t have the stomach for the false, hyposcritical brand of tolerance known as “political correctness”. It just doesn’t exist over there. For example, last year a story surfaced here about a Muslim woman in a small town who insisted on wearing her burka in public despite a law stipulating that a person’s face must be visible at all times in public (it might be an anti-terrorism measure). She filed some sort of lawsuit against the police, who kept citing her, and the American report just couldn’t resist dragging religion into it, i.e. that somehow all the law enforcement in Italy are merely robots of the Catholic Church and were persecuting this poor Muslim woman. I asked some of my friends & family in Italy about it, and they all said very nicely, “If she doesn’t like the laws of our country, she is free to go somewhere else.”

 

[ben_dy]

jdnation:

I figure Sony Europe probably figured, “Italy, what makes Italy famous? Rome? Catholicism, Popular Mel Gibson Movie… okay…”

I suppose at first it might be a bit funny, but it’s understandable that it offends, at least it’s only for a video game console and not for something immoral, like say using the Virgin Mary in abortion or contraception ads… and Sony Europe at least had the decency to apologize and pull it.

As I said in a previous message, no one loves a good Catholic joke more than myself. Heck, I even thought the movie “Dogma” - which so MANY people picketed and boycotted because of ‘anti-Catholic’ content was hilarious - as one devout movie critic wrote the thing that rang most ‘true’ in that movie was the ‘Spirit of Vatican II’ Cardinal Glick - a ‘new age’ bishop trying to appeal to the younger generation with his “Buddy Jesus” and “JESUS: WOW!” campaign, so far removed from what actually draws people into the Church but the sort of new age advertising campaign that we’ve been seeing in diocese for 30 years or more.

But “ten years of passion”, for me, goes too far because of the implication of Christ on the Cross for ten years - that the ‘passion’ of Christ is, in some way, similar to the ‘passion’ that one might feel for video games (and, in this case, a video console). While it may be a ‘clever’ play on words it is exactly that play on words - along with the crown of thorns - that makes the ad, for me, just as sacrilegious as using the BVM in an ad for an abortion clinic. The two types of passion are so diametrically opposed as to be nothing but blasphemy. Vatican called the ad “irreverent” but, to me, it’s a bit beyond that - I think the spokesperson was being cordial.

I may have managed to upload an image of the ad - I don’t know much about the PlayStation logo but that looks like a crown of thorns to me.