Drenched in blood-red paint and screaming a war-cry, this chilling image of Wayne Rooney was last night condemned as ‘offensive’, ‘exploitative’ and ‘tacky’ by MPs and church groups.
He may yet turn out to be the saviour of England’s World Cup campaign, but the Christ-like pose of the striker in a new Nike campaign yesterday provoked fierce condemnation. Five people complained to the Advertising Standards Authority watchdog on religious grounds within hours of the advert being posted.
Its other interpretation as a battle cry from the dark ages or throwback to the Crusades was equally unfortunate as the poster’s launch coincided with the first outbreak of serious violence involving England’s army of fans in Germany on Monday night.
Labour MP Stephen Pound said the advert was ‘truly horrible.’
“This is such a horrible image and is so horribly war-like that it can only be described as Nike being crass, offensive and insensitive as they try to hitch poor old Rooney to their commercial band-wagon.”
Nike, who have a £5m contract with the 20-year-old striker, pleaded that they were merely showing him in his trademark goal-scoring ‘celebration’ gesture and denied they had sought to make any comparison with Christ on the cross.
Rev Rod Thomas of Church of England evangelical group Reform was not convinced.
“It’s quite a disturbing image and because the paint is wet, it really looks like blood. It’s offensive on several different levels. It therefore brings to mind the crucifixion to many people, and why Nike would want to do that, I haven’t a clue, unless it is simply as a publicity stunt. The trivialisation of Christ’s suffering is highly offensive to Christians and to God. This will cause real hurt to people.”
I can see how Christians would find it offensive but bloody hell (no pun inteded)! Sometimes these hardcore church people really need to loosen up. He’s holding his arms up to look like the flag of England. It wouldn’t be the flag with his hands in any other position, up down or diagonally across.
source: daily mail
June 22nd, 2006 at 9:39 am
It is disturbing when a basic geometric shape is always construed as ONE thing and therefore whenever used in a secular context, it must be offensive.
West Elm, the housewares store, sells little shelves that are cross shaped (gasp!). Sometimes that shape is just a design choice.
The dimensions of the “cross” on him don’t even look like a crucifix.