Editorial: When a church takes offence

Source: Waikato Times print edition

05 December 2008

Tui has done it again. It's always doing it again. The "Yeah right" billboard series is a rich vein, readily tapped. You might remember these: "Guys look great in Speedos." Or "The petrol companies are hurting too." And in similarly topical vein: "When Winston says no, he means no." The latest is a Hamilton billboard which reads: "Let's take a moment this Christmas to think about Christ. Yeah right."

The reaction was predictable, no doubt to the delight of Tui. An Eastside Apostolic church member thought - somewhat forlornly - that the billboard would backfire on Tui. Meanwhile, the Catholic Church took umbrage. The billboard, on the intersection of Claudelands Rd and Grey St, was described by Father Frank Eggleton, parish priest of the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary, as appalling, cynical and demeaning to Christians. His diocese planned to complain to Tui and the Advertising Standards Authority - but, surprisingly, DB Breweries decided against a Christmas quarrel yesterday and announced it would pull the billboard down and wanted to "move on".

The Catholic Church has been here before, with its objections to a South Park episode portraying a statue of the Virgin Mary spraying menstrual blood on a cardinal and the Pope, and before that Te Papa displaying a statue of the Virgin Mary in a condom.

It's not only Catholics. Two years ago, Mormons objected to a roadside sign at Temple View promoting Hamilton's Riff Raff statue, in part on the basis that it glorified "homosexual sub-culture".

And it's not only Christians. Widespread protests from Muslims followed publication of cartoons featuring the Prophet Muhammad, one of which showed him wearing a bomb-like turban.

So here we go again. Actually, not necessarily. A refreshing response to the Tui billboard came from the vicar of St Aidan's Anglican church. Andrew Coyle said: "I don't know what the intention is, but I suspect that there are many layers to it, many angles. I suppose you could say it was even thought-provoking."

"Many layers" is giving Tui too much credit, but he has a point. Christmas is thoroughly commercialised, and a lot of people will hardly spare a thought for the birth it ostensibly celebrates.

The billboard both reflected that and questioned it, in best satirical tradition. Not that you'd want to push that argument too hard _ given Tui is selling a product, it's clear where its sympathies lie.

Some have shown a deftness lacking in the present case: in a classic case of the subverters subverted, a 2002 billboard that originally read: "I hardly noticed her moustache _ yeah right" was altered by an annoyed woman to: "I hardly noticed his small dick _ yeah right". Meanwhile, a church ad campaign from a few years ago co- opted the famous phrase for its own purposes: "God doesn't exist _ yeah right".

In the interests of dealing with the really big issues, here's another one worth contemplating: "Tui beer: rich and full tasting." You know the rest.