Ind. Business Told to Hide Nude Statues (Venus di Milo, David)

[RamboLiberal]

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/03/30/national/a135035S55.DTL

The Venus di Milo had better wear a top and Michelangelo's David should put on some pants if they're going to be seen at a yard art business.

Bartholomew County officials told the business near Interstate 65 that it must move cement copies of the classical statues — and about 10 others — out of public view because they are obscene under Indiana law.

"It's not fair to point out our business, and personally, I don't find them offensive," Ginger Streeval, a co-owner of White River Truck Repair and Yard Art, told the Daily Journal of Franklin for a story Wednesday.

Frank Butler, the county's zoning inspector, disagreed.

"They have nudity ... and that should not be in the view of a minor," he said.

Story later mentions the sheriff had 2 complaints about the nudity.

[candy331]

1. Give me a break, are these people for real! n/t

[acmavm]

2. Ignorant, brain-dead disgustingly ignorant. Not to mentioned gutter

minded sick.

[Tansy_Gold]

3. Yes, and we should put special collars on children so they

won't accidentally see their own nude bodies.

And we must outlaw zoos in which children might see animals mating or engaging in other sexual activities or just. . .. NUDE.

In fact, I think we should pass laws that ALL ANIMALS must wear clothes, whether wild, domestic, or pets. All nature shows should be banned from television.

Parents who have pictures of nudes in their homes will be immediately arrested and all nudity confiscated.


:sarcasm:



Oh, goddess, save me from these insane people!

[apnu]

6. LOL I can see it now....

... all those kids wandering around with radar dishes on their necks.

:rofl:

[Ripley]

13. Don't they take kids to Art Museums anymore???

I loved my field trips to the Art Museum. And amid the pretty landscapes there were occasionally RELIGIOUS themed paintings that had penises and breasts depicted. Horrors!

These idiots obviously could never travel in Europe, their precious sensibilities would be overwhelmed by all of the public nudes.

Sometimes I am so embarrassed to be an American.

[comsymp]

18. I've got a pretty strong feeling that

the type of folks discussed in this article / thread probably don't have much interest in things like art. Or music. Or any type of cultural education. Or books.

Especially books.

[Ripley]

22. Oh yeah the books!

Are the children not allowed to look at Art books in the library either?

Please, can't someone stop these delusional freaks from literally dragging us back into the Dark Ages???

[saskatoon]

65. Dark Ages?

Next thing is Book Burnong.

[bloom]

30. "They ranked Columbus 6th among U.S. cities in architectural quality...

...and innovation. Only Chicago, New York, Washington, San Francisco, and Boston were ranked higher.


http://www.columbus.in.us/page.asp?page=Architecture


There are the art lovers and the hicks and people in between - pretty much a mixed bag. I've been there more than a few times.

There is a branch of the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Music Festivals. And they have quite a nice library, also.


I don't know where the hell this statue nonsense came from.

[Arkansas Granny]

53. John Ashcroft maybe?

[KansDem]

52. I don't know about that...

Truck Repair and Yard Art...

That about covers the gamut.

[comsymp]

54. You're absolutely right - and I also forgot

The Pet Goat.

[napi21]

21. Funny you should mention Europe. I was thinking that same thing.

About 10 years ago, the co I worked for was dealing with a maajor supplier HDQ in London. That supplier had a very nice (and very expensive) ad video made, and they offered to let us use it for our advertising at no cost. Now, we were in South Carolina! I remember our COO asked all of us if we wanted to see the ad video, but to please understand, some of you might think it is a lot more risque than you're used to seeing. I watched it, and it was very good, and although it was, mmmm, stronger than most other ads at that time, it wouldn't make very many even blink today. Well, the others (who were SC natives) went balistic! "Oh my God Mike, you're not going to use that, are you?"

It really was funny.

The puritians are still alive and well in parts of the US, for sure!

[Ripley]

25. Oh yeah the boobies on magazine covers in Europe.

I noticed that when I was there. American magazines just barely keep it from being "nekkid" by having the cover models wear see-through blouses or string bikinis that really don't hide anything.

Damn the Yurpeans for sending their Puritanical nutjobs here!!

[ninkasi]

26. Even the Puritans and Victorians

Didn't go to such amazingly incredible extremes. We are becoming a country of poorly educated, rigid, fundies. These statues are classical pieces of art.

We will be a third world country very soon now, between shifting all wealth from the lower and middle classes to the rich, and an administration which ignores all advice concerning issues from stem cell research to education.

I can't even imagine how shallow these people are, how incurious about the world around them, and how willingly they are content to remain ignorant. If I had the money, I would leave. As for those who have contempt for some of us who have spoken of leaving, I say this; our forefathers immigrated from someplace else, leaving their native countries. We can do the same.

The ones who do have the right to be here are Native Americans, who have been so badly treated by people very much like these.

[Brooklyn Michael]

61. Art is the work of the DEBBIL !!!

:evilgrin:

[MsMagnificent]

29. and cover all legs on a table

Before they turn little Johnny on...

[rkc3]

4. I've been thinking that if these people were really serious, they

should be outside the MOMA in NYC, at the Carnegie in Pittsburgh, and at other museums across the country protesting the nudity found in the artwork there.

Hell, I'm surprised I haven't been accused of child abuse for taking the yard apes to the Carnegie.

Stupid, stupid, fuckers.

[apnu]

5. In Indiana? what a surprise.... not

I really hate that state. Its done more in its history to keep the KKK alive and well than any other secessionist state in the South. And, sadly, they were part of the Iron Brigade in the Civil War. Go figure.

[indianablue]

9. Southern Indiana had Confederate Volunteers in some cases. NT

[rodeodance]

11. well, asscroft covered up the breast of Lady Justice!!--they are just

following his example (blindly).

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

28. But they gave us Kurt Vonnegut, Eugene Debs and Hoagy Carmichael

gotta take the good with the bad.

[bloom]

32. and Kinsey

at IU.

Thanks for looking on the bright side.

:)

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

34. and Bloom, and Salin, and HippieChick :)

Hey, I LOVE California and Cali gave us all Reagan and Nixon...

[salin]

36. *smooches*

you are so kind.

I am actually kind of surprised by this - not sure how close it is to Columbus - an odd sort of small city that is quite well educated and quasi cosmopolitan (city lured Frank Lloyd Wright to do a number of buildings in the community - a source of pride). Columbus is in this county - don't know how close, though. If in/near the city- I would think that the action would cause more of a stir than the art work itself.

[prolesunited]

47. You don't love me anymore?

:cry:

[formerrepuke]

48. and James Dean, John Mellencamp, David Letterman..lots of cool folks.

[hyphenate]

55. Well,

you got to 'member all them there Nascar dads and other families who cum to see the Indy 500 ever' year. Nah, I ain't sayin' it, but we'se got to protect awr rights as citzen's of Murika in mkin' shur them there libruls don't take away awr rights to smash awr cars and burn rubber.

[indianablue]

7. I live in this county...

Batholomew County is much like the rest of Indiana. Indiana is a very Republican State it has voted Republican in every presidential election since LBJ.

Its Guns, God and Gays in Indiana that is all that matters to the voting majority nothing else.

[salin]

35. I would think, however, that this would get a negative

reaction from those in Columbus, a small city - but relatively well educated... and to my knowledge more fiscally conservative rather than the rabid religious type.

This is just silly. I'll have to ask my repub relatives living in the area what they think about this (mostly to poke fun at their party - they tend to get it... have even, on principle, stopped shopping at Walmart and tell all who will listen why to do the same... there is some hope, yet, for them.)

[mongo]

42. Please go plead with the business to not be bullied.

I bet they could get a pro bono lawyer on this one. Ask Lou Sirkin in Cincinatti, Oh.

[MADem]

8. I'd challenge the ruling, but in the meantime

...I'd have some real fun with it. I'd put up a massive sign explaining the situation, and NAMING those who imposed the regulation (pictures of their faces, too) and then, I would put Venus and David in PROVOCATIVE lingerie....perhaps a pair of assless underwear for David, and a hot thong and and racy top with tassles for ole Venus. Oh, and in NEON colors, that DRAW THE EYE!

People who never noticed the things before would certainly notice them then! The place would probably increase their sales, too!

[LiberalFighter]

68. That would become a political statement and would make it legal

[aquart]

10. Where is this pathetic place?

[AlCzervik]

12. Is Frank Butler related to John Ashcroft?

i'm guessing if Frank the crank has children they'll never see the inside of a museum----science or art.

[saigon68]

43. AAH Yes Little Johnny AssCrack.

LOL

[rodeodance]

14. TWO complaints!!!!!!

[BrotherBuzz]

31. Two bits says "Focus on the Family" and James Dobson....

is behind this....

[sui generis]

15. so minors aren't allowed into museums and galleries either?

someone needs to sue that dumbass back into the stone age.

betcha anything he has kiddie porn too - it's all the rage among morally outraged republicans these days.

[MountainLaurel]

60. Of course not!

Who needs artwork when you've got the bible? Besides, that book-larning is EEEEVIL.

[Selteri]

16. I thought this was the 21st century, not the 19th...

Cripes, didn't we figure out how stupid this was when this crap heppened in Cincinatti?

[alcibiades_mystery]

38. Oh, in the 19th century they would make no such absurd requests

I assure you.

These people are nuts.

And if somebody says "Do you want your children seeing David's penis?" I'd say, I want my children seeing the sublime human capacity for art, indeed.

What the fuck is in their water. I'm ready to get my EU passport and be done with it.

[TygrBright]

17. Yikes!

Be sure and drape all of your furniture in long fabric throws so that no one sees your table "limbs."

:rofl:

bemusedly,
Bright

[sinkingfeeling]

19. Onward to Dark Ages II ... we don't want know art; we don't want no

science; we don't want no diversity; and we don't want no education!!

[smoogatz]

20. Lordy.

Too stupid for words. Apparently law enforcement there in Bunghole County has absolutely nothing better to do than put drawers on cement statuary.

[Journeyman]

23. Of course the body's dirty. Otherwise God would make it naked. . .

"If you believe there's a God, a God that made your body, and yet you think there's something dirty about that body, or that you can do anything with that body that's dirty, then the fault lies with the manufacturer, not the product."

--Lenny Bruce


"You know why they don't believe that God created the body? Cause they qualify the creativity. They stop it above the kneecaps and don't resume it till it passes above the Adam's apple. Thereby giving it lewd connotation."

--Lenny Bruce


"My concept? You can't do anything with anybody's body to make it dirty to me. Six people, eight people, one person -- you can do only one thing to make it dirty: kill it. Hiroshima was dirty. Chessman was dirty."

--Lenny Bruce

[MindPilot]

24. next stop: the hardware store

male and female connectors have to go, as do pipe nipples. And for god's sake get over the plumbing department a put a drape over that ballcock assembly!!!

WON'T SOMEONE THINK ABOUT THE CHILDREN!!!!

[mutus_frutex]

27. I suggest taking every piece of art in Indiana out of that state.

Not just the stuff with nudity in it, ALL of it.

Ans since we are at it, I find depictions of the crucifixion totally obscene. They should remove every crucifix in the state too..

[Autobot77]

33. Something similar happened in Richmond

A Greek restaurant had a reproduction of David outside and they had to put a loincloth on it because the customers kept complaining about it.
The story made the paper and eventually the restaurant took the cover off.

[alcibiades_mystery]

37. Political correctness run amok

Turn it back on these lunatics.

If this is not ridiculous political correctness, what is?

Maybe somebody should rewrite all the fairy tales to exclude any mention whatever of sexuality, period. The prince, you see, didn't kiss the frog (kissing before marriage! for shame, sinnerman!), but rather shook its slimey webbed foot in a gesture of chaste Christian charity.

[Endangered Specie]

39. Let the Eagles sooaarrrr!

I dont suppose they will want to buy $2,000 blue curtains?

:sarcasm:

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

40. Wait a minute!

Is this a dry run for April Fools day? :shrug:

[xchrom]

41. sooooo stupid.

sigh -- i can't think of any thing else to say about this -- other than i hope they suffer from some public humiliation from boldly going and showing every one just how stupid they are.

[Mari333]

44. These people have no GENITALS!

Thats the only way I can justify the stupidity of this edict.
Idiots! Thank god I got out of Indiana.

[BiggJawn]

45. Only in Indiana...

Saw a poll today that says while 80-odd% of Murlkans think Congress and Bush went to far with Schiavo, only 48% of Hoosiers saw anything wrong with the gubbmint getting involved.

"I am a Citizen of no mean City" Paul of Tarsus

"I am a Citizen of One Fucking MORONIC State!" BiggJawn

[icymist]

46. Obscene only to obese people...

who wish not to be reminded of their gluttony. Besides, Indiana can be pretty strange.

[StuckinKS]

49. How stupid!

What's next?

Oh yeah, burqas for everyone.

[hyphenate]

50. What the fuck is happening to our country?

Why the fuck are these people trying to interfere with everyone's business, and trying to impart their fucking standards on all of us? This has not only gotten despicable, this has gone beyond the pale. If this shit is what our country is going to have to deal with for the rest of its existence, you might as well take me out and shoot me now. Looking at classical sculpture is NOT obscene, and is no one's goddamned business except my own.

Stop the insanity!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[buzzard]

66. I couldn't agree more art is beautiful especially some of the old

statues and oil paintings. I think your country really has been hijacked by the extremist Christians who are in my opinion no better than the Islamic extremists. We have our own here but they are much less vocal.

[northzax]

51. White River Truck Repair and Yard Art?

you're joking.

[Coventina]

56. Once again, life imitates "The Simpsons"

This is straight out of the episode called "Itchy and Scratchy and Marge"


Marge sums it up at the end of the episode, "One person really can make a difference, but they probably shouldn't."

[yurbud]

57. Has anybody EVER gotten a woody looking at a statue?

I haven't.

I wondered about that when Ashcroft covered the tits of that statue at the Justice Department.

After the Jeff Gannon case, maybe Ashcroft covered it for a different reason--it's just FEMALE nudity that bothers him.

[LiberalFighter]

63. Careful... in Indiana if your member is in a turgid state even if covered

it is a crime

[yurbud]

64. so hoosier means limp hose?

[LiberalFighter]

69. Must be the limp form of Hoser LOL

[katty]

58. Cover real ART-but make sure T&A remains ubiquitous

[Cymbaline68]

59. I live north of Houston

And our David has a fig leaf. Mind you, he sits atop of a store so one would need binoculars...but people complained and viola! Fig leaf.
So pathetic...

[LiberalFighter]

62. I hope Mr Streeval consults his attorney and challenges them

Indiana Code

IC 35-49-2-1
Obscene matter or performance

IC 35-49-2-2
Matter or performance harmful to minors

IC 35-49-2-3
Arrest; search; seizure of matter; motion pictures

IC 35-49-3-1
Sale, distribution, or exhibition of obscene matter

IC 35-49-3-2
Obscene performance

IC 35-49-3-3
Dissemination of matter or conducting performance harmful to minors

IC 35-49-3-4
Defense to prosecution for dissemination of matter or conducting performance harmful to minor

[LiberalFighter]

67. The county zoning inspector stated...

The law also stipulates that such material is harmful for minors if, "considered as a whole, it lacks serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value for minors.

This is the Indiana Code
IC 35-49-2-2
Matter or performance harmful to minors
Sec. 2. A matter or performance is harmful to minors for purposes of this article if:

• it describes or represents, in any form, nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement, or sado-masochistic abuse;
  
• considered as a whole, it appeals to the prurient interest in sex of minors;
  
• it is patently offensive to prevailing standards in the adult community as a whole with respect to what is suitable matter for or performance before minors; and
  
• considered as a whole, it lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value for minors.
  As added by P.L.311-1983, SEC.33.
  
  
  NOTICE HOW the word and connects 3 and 4? Which means that it has to satisfy points 1, 2, 3 AND 4
  
  
  Literary? If something was written on it... maybe
  Artistic? I would say it leans toward being artistic UNLESS the statute is of a man with an erection and he is masturbating or the breasts of a woman were more realistic and she actually looked more realistic in every other aspect
  Political? Will it have elephant trunk? Encourage them to vote?
  Scientific? Show how well the moon shines on it at night?
  
  It may and in all probability won't satisfy any of those values. But in all probability it won't be consider erotic in the mind of minors. If it doesn't shake. If it doesn't gyrate. If it doesn't moan. If it doesn't express arousal. It won't provide a second thought to a minor.

[yorkiemommie1]

70. backwards, and stupid

this country is backsliding so rapidly it is scary.