The group behind Orthodox Calendar has once again caused a stir with images featuring nude and semi-nude hard-bodied men in religious settings.
This year’s calendar has a Seven Deadly Sins theme, and “priests” in poses I for one have never seen a priest strike.
The identities of the “hot priests” in the 2015 calendar are kept secret
The calendar's creators say the models are members of the Eastern Orthodox Church, according to NewNowNext.com, but does not confirm they are actually priests.
"This video contains images of men who appear therein as priests," according to a disclaimer on a promotional video that has nearly 300,000 YouTube.com views. "Viewers are free to accept or reject this. By posting this video, we are not confirming or denying the identity of these men. However, we consider irrelevant the true identities of those men. What is important — as with the Pussy Riot debate — are discussions generated by this video in respect of the role of gay men in religious orders, corruption in organized religions, treatment of minorities by society, etc."
Hmmm…
It seems that at least some of that message might be obscured by all the nakedness. Maybe? Maybe not?
Marketing 101: hot naked men dressed like priests is a surefire way to draw attention.
Creators say the calendar is “the first global effort against homophobia in the Orthodox Region.”
The OC calendar is available on Amazon or from the Orthodox Calendar online store. It was photographed in Eastern Europe after a casting call and features 12 images.
The wall calendar comes in erotic and the uncensored, full-on naked version. There is a also a making of the calendar DVD, candles, condoms and limited edition prints of artistic images.
Creators say the calendar is about social intolerance. The work is called S.A.L.G.I.A for the Seven Deadly Sins in Latin (Superbia, Avaritia, Luxuria, Invidia, Gula, Ira and Acedia).
Here is how the calendar's theme is explained in a press release:
“The story takes place on the right bank of the Moskva River south of Moscow, where some priests believe that same-sex unions are NOT a sign of the coming apocalypse, contrary to what Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill may claim. These priests set out, in a humorous way, to remind the world that homosexuality is NOT one of the 7 deadly sins and in fact that Jesus Christ never even referred to homosexuality as a sin!
Yet in the words of many in the Orthodox hierarchy, LGBT people have suddenly become the worst kind of sinners — an omen of the impending end of the world. What about wrath, avarice, sloth, pride, lust, envy and gluttony?"
This is the third OC calendar.
Prior editions have been covered by Hufflington Post, Washington Post and other media outlets.
The first calendar was called “Freedom of speech, unity and tolerance.” The 2014 edition was about gay marriage and was titled “Love is love — Orthodox or not.”
What do you think? Is the tolerance message pushed by calendar creators covered up by all the nudity or does the point come across?
Contact this blogger at arobinson@DaytonDailyNews.com or Twitter.com/DDNSmartMouth
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