Presented without comment.
By bluegal Saturday Dec 15, 2007 8:38am
When I saw this story at the blog Opera Chic, I really thought it was a joke. But it isn't. The Italian film and opera director Franco Zeffirelli (Romeo & Juliet, The Champ, Tea with Mussolini) says he has agreed to become an image consultant to Pope Benedict XVI.
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Did Jesus have an image consultant?
If you ever needed more evidence that religion is just another arm of the entertainment industry, here it is.
I wonder if gOD's writers will go on strike as well.
This guy doesn't need an image consultant, he needs a good embalmer.
Maybe he could redesign the papal garments...perhaps something in a swastika motif?
Once a Nazi always a Nazi......
Well, he and George have much in common. Both are deserters (one from the national guard, the other from an anti-aircraft battery manned by the Hitler youth) and both need a public relations facelift. No easy task for either and I now formally bestow on both the Curse of Gruntfuttock. Just watch...
No amount of image consulting will improve this Pope. He was a mess from the beginning. Of course the humanitarian and public actions of the previous one was hard to follow. But this guy is out of touch with the world. He would have been ok in the 17th century but now he is an old fa** trying to be somebody, or something which he never will. I was Catholic all my life. But I have become so upset with the way these religious figures try to run your life I gave up going to church. And then with the asshole Donohoe starting getting face value on cable and TV, I knew damn well I had made the right decision.
I think a truly religious person gives to the poor and the needy. I think they should campaign for the truly poor and needy. They should put the public interest first, because putting the people of the world first is what God or Jesus would do. But all the religious money grabbers want today is just that...money money money, Greed rules and not humanity.
Please God, send Jeebus on his donkey to the gates of Vatican City this Xmas. Please, please, please. I don't need anymore stuff. But, of course, you knew that.
Memo
From: F. Zeffirelli
To: Benedict
Re: Image enhancement
Recommend the following changes:
1) Armani baby. Lose the hat. Just because it worked in the 14th century, doesn't mean it works today. Oh, and leave the dress for those private moments at home.
2) Trade the Popemobile for a Ferrari. The kids will love it when you roar into the pulpit in one of those. Red, of course.
3) Allow girls to become Altar People. It would be good to get some girls up on stage. We're just saying.
Thank you for this opportunity to consult with Your Most Exalted Holiness(tm).
bushtwin @ 1:
No, and look what happened to him!
Two words: Buddy Christ
http://www.google.com/search?q=buddy+christ&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=o...
No - you were right the first time - it's a joke.
. . . that aside . . . .
Yes - THIS pope needs an image consultant.
He's a former brown shirt (literally) and he's a sexist power-hungry piece of garbage. If I were still a catholic, I would hate him.
*
First things first redesign those ridiculous costumes that they seem to love wearing. Wardrobe costs have go to be way up there. What was good enough for their Jesus should be good enough for them , forget buying the Doc Marten boots 100 pairs at a time that money could be better spent doing their gods real work . Why can't 90 % of Christians instead of 10 % actually be " CHRIST LIKE " ?
Every good pantomime has an image man today.
The homophobe turns to a gay director for a makeover. What a hoot!
I thought that the Pope is supposed to be God's representative on earth, and that he gets infallible guidance from it. Looks like the Pope feels that God is not doing a very good job, as the Pope's image consultant. Time for a Papal makeover; Who are you going to call when it becomes Queer Eye for the Papal Guy time!.
....cuz when you think image consultant, you think the Catholic church.
His Holiness doesn't need a costume consultant. He is already a very snappy dresser. :)
Ridiculous foolery.
What? Leni Riefenstahl wasn't available? Oh yeah, right, she's dead. Well, fuck it! Since the Pope is ostensibly God's man here on Earth, couldn't he just ask the invisible sky buddy to send her back down here for awhile.
I wonder how many starving children could eat from the proceeds
from selling that STUPID FUCKING HAT.
gene214 @ 18:
Oh, one more thing. Here's a little ditty dedicated to Pope Hitler Youth and his "image consultant":
Oh, they're gonna put me in the movies
They're gonna make a big star outa me
The biggest fool to ever hit the big time
And all I gotta do is act naturally
I've Just FBlogged About This!
If Pope Benedict XVI put a light bulb in his mouth, would it light up?
Give $100 to Kucinich today: https://services.myngp.com/ngponlineservices/contribution.aspx?X=aDlDFFT...
Nice gown, nice hat, and I'm sure, nice shoes (Prada?), nice bag. There, done.
I think Jesus would stop being a pacifist if he saw the pope dressed like that. In fact I think Jesus would just shoot him.
Dogma! Where's the "Buddy Christ"? ROFL
I think Jesus and Peter would be ashamed of what has become of his church. All the riches the church has and keeps demanding more and more and hoarding all those treasures in the basement of the Vatican of which many of them could be sold and the money really given to the poor. How can anyboby stay Catholic when they see how the Pope and all those around him live and act? Disgusting man.
Wow, that is a really creepy mitre with an image of a dead guy hanging on it (or sceptre or whatever). Now all he needs is a necklace of skulls.
Jesus wept.
He needs more than Zefferelli. He needs Queer Eye for the Old Guy
Wow, what witty commenters. I almost can't see the hate you're all filled with.
The Pope's an "Autumn", unmistakeable. Prettified excrement. I think we're dreaming, especially him (not bad, set for life).
This is ABSOLUTELY CRAZY.
When you guys stop giving them power over you, they stop being "all powerful" or even "notworthy".
David Ehrenstein @ 21:
Funny! Sully once had a photo of Father Gay-Org holding a huge phallic microphone to the Pope's mouth.
Steve from Brainerd @ 31:
Havent you realised this is the religous intolerance thread? ;o)
Seriously though, people keep calling this guy a nazi, one commenter even has a go at him for deserting from the NAZI military. Thats tough, when your entire class one day gets conscripted into serving one of the most evil forces ever, then you get slammed for it, then you get slammed for leaving it.
You all do realise that it was the law that boys his age had to be members of the Hitler youth? Even if it wasnt law, havent any of you ever done something stupid as a teenager? Should someone be condemned forever for their actions as a child?
Yes, girls are allowed as altar servers, have been for years. My mother is a catholic, minister of the Eucharist and gives communion to the infirm and elderly. No I am not Catholic. I say all this because I am sick of the pseudo tolerant who are really just religous bigots.
Margo @ 35:
Hmm, let's see, according to the sermon by my mega-church conservative evangelical pastor, Yes.
Once you are a liberal, you will always be liberal.
Once you support abortion, then you will always be enemies,for you have committed sin that is so grave and dear to our Lord.
And if you didn't support Iraq war in 2001 and 2004, then you are an evil, satan-loving liberal.
And if you dare not defy our current man-made law, and obey GOD's law, then you are an evil, satan-loving liberal who does not deserve to go to heaven.
All aside, I don't subscribe to his sermon at all, I think all members of my used-to-be conservative evangelical mega-church will go straight to hell.
And this bishop, imho, he is the most egoistical sob bishop whose only interest is the glorification of himself, and himself only, no, not the poor sick and distreseed, just himself.
I'd start with the PAPAL BRIEFS.
Pope Rat looks great, except he should wear a string of skulls around his neck. The skulls of Jews (or Iraqis) would do that outfit wonders.
I want to make life-size statues of him, and put them in bars as condom dispensers.
JustSickOfIt @ 2:
The Catholics have always been more entertaining than most. However suggesting that Catholicism is mostly about entertainment is ludicrous.
Those who have never done anything have no need for guilt. Those who have never lost anything have no need for comfort. And those who are self-satisfied have no need for any form of discipline, including religion.
Margo @ 35:
1. It may have been the law, but resistance to authority is basic to teenaged political life.
2. His own father was a breaker of those laws, a resister.
3. He has never (TMK) expressed any remorse for his actions, and as Pope has continued the repressions of the Catholic cult faith, most notably blocking any form of contraception, which might reduce the sufferings of poverty for millions of people.
4. He met with George Warmonger Bush one week before pronouncing his fatwa on candidate John Kerry, thus trying to disrupt American elections for a rightwing THUG. He became papa by virtue of this rightwing hit on American democracy, to the great horror of many in the Catholic faith.
Unforgivable sins, dressed in splendor, thumping an old black book, supporting superstition, and interfering with the liberalization of Catholicism, already underway.
Margo excremented this: Seriously though, people keep calling this guy a nazi, one commenter even has a go at him for deserting from the NAZI military. Thats tough, when your entire class one day gets conscripted into serving one of the most evil forces ever, then you get slammed for it, then you get slammed for leaving it.
Well, this guy then became the chief inquisitor and was well known to be at least as intolerant of dissent within the church as Goebbels was in the 3d Reich. Oh yes. Have more africans died because of the Pope and Shrub wont support condom use than perished in the holocaust... Not sure but the Vatican and his Shrub are still working at it. And their victims are just as dead.
Considering Benny the Rat's past, I would recommend sackcloth and ashes.
You can take the boy out of the Hitler Youth but you can't take the Hitler Youth out of the boy?
Maybe if he canned the medieval duds and went contemporary: something Goth in all black with leather.
smchris @ 43:
or maybe he can take a picture with all the molested children and the clergy he protected.
or maybe he can simply brag about how much money the catholic church has paid out in lawsuits.
or maybe he can brag about how he supports bishops condemning politicians for supporting women's choice.
or maybe he can brag about the catholic church's anti-condom, pro-AIDS positions.
or maybe .....
Gruntfuttock @ 41:
YEah Shit for Brains Ratz is known for garroting his enemies with piano wire
In other news:
Pope Decries 'Pleasure at All Costs'
but he's lookin' good
He looks like he's waiting for someone to pour melted butter on him.
seriously, John, Mr. Amato... I LOVE THIS BLOG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Read (as in red) it for YEARS! Read (as in reed) it for days!!! It is CHOICE!
But... I am a LJ kiddie. Live Journal. I like to respond to people. I like responses to people to have an immediacy. I TRULY and often don't post 'comments' because there's no communicative form.
I think it could be healthy and I'm sure there's a little sump'n sump'n that the networld html peeps could provide.
I luh you!
just sayin'.
I live in K.C. Mizzou and we are KU split MU peeps... You've got ALOT of us round here that read you because I made myfliers for my DJ events and stickers READ: www.crooksandliars.com
Spreading the butter over the midwest,
Winston.
AKA bigbrother2084
Must be hard to gollow John Paul II, who NEVER needed an image consultant. EVen when you disagreed with him you still respected him. Here's a hint Pope Benedict XVI, step out of your Prada's and walk his John Paul's shoes.
Clytemnestra @ 50:
gollow = follow
Pretty gown.
Interesting juxtaposition, a skinny itinerant preacher brutally executed by the state adjacent with a gold wearing palace living state figure.
Steve from Brainerd @ 31:
Wouldn't call it hate at all, but I would call it soul ranting on this additional assault/insult on meaning.
"Pope Whatever".
crazytown @ 53:
Fluffy@54,
Raised catholic too, maybe you have a point. However, what does bear attention is on what ground does the church regain respect after the exposures of hundreds of priests destroying the human development, emotions and faith of virtually thousands of children who trusted the beauty and inviolability of priests as holy mentors to the young.
...and the enabling by the church of shuffling these sick men all over the country to unsuspecting communities.
To see the emphasis on external image and not the currently devastated INNER work tells us the holy seat is missing the point entirely.
Every human being and every system is subject to evolving, or it dies under the weight of it's own ommissions.
Fluffy thinks Gruntfuttock saves his venom for papists: No. Its hate. In the years I’ve read this blog there are lots of anti-catholic threads but you wont see any about other religions. I do dare any of you bigots to post something offensive about another religion and see how long it takes you to get deleted or banned.
No so Madam. I take that as a personal insult. Protestants burn at the stake just as well as papists! Some say better. Atheism is the only true and worthy pursuit.
The enlightened have always known this.
Gruntfuttock.
U compared Goebbels to the pope? You hysterical freak.
People who talk about themselves in the 3rd person are always turd persons. You can take that as a personal insult.
As a queer in the know, Pope Benedict is a drag queen.
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