A “Piss Christ” scandal in the Philippines
Former Philippine first lady Imelda Marcos, widow of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, views a controversial art piece on exhibit at the government-owned Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) in Manila on August 8, 2011. Church groups have threatened to file charges against the center if the art is not withdrawn.
Just as U.S. conservatives were outraged by the "Piss Christ," artwork featuring a crucifix in a jar full of urine, the Philippines is in a tizzy over artwork that mixes imagery of Jesus Christ and wooden penises.
Conservative Filipinos such as former dictator's wife Imelda Marcos — she's a congresswoman now! — are aghast that such art is displayed in the government's Cultural Center of the Philippines in Manila.
Another piece at the center features Jesus with a clown nose and Mickey Mouse ears. Some religious figures in the devoutly Catholic nation are considering legal action, according to The Inquirer, a paper based in Manila.
A photo of the offending artwork can be seen here. (Warning: this is an image of Jesus Christ with a wooden penis jutting out of his face.)
As for the Piss Christ, first unveiled in 1987 and awarded in a contest linked the National Endowment for the Arts?
It's still, ahem, pissing people off. Just three months ago, the artwork — a photo of the urine-soaked crucifix — was vandalized by angry Christians while on display in France.