Macy's dressing mannequins up like Borgia Popes (Lent - the season to offend Catholics)

Catholic League ^ | March 31, 2011 | William Donohue

[NYer]

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on how Macy's department store is offending Catholics:

Why Macy's would want to pick a fight with Catholics during the Lenten season is not known, but that it has is certain. Here's the background.

This weekend, Showtime will begin airing a series, "The Borgias," a corrupt Spanish family, one of whose members became pope. Everyone, including devout Catholics, agrees this is a sordid story in Catholic history. That Macy's has chosen to celebrate this ugly chapter is another matter altogether.

On the 7th Avenue side of the Macy's Herald Square store (between 34th and 35th Street), there is a large window display of manikins dressed as the pope, bishops, et al. In plain letters it says, "The Borgias: The Original Crime Family"; it advertises the season premiere, with the Showtime logo off to the side. To see a picture of it, click here.

On Tuesday, Catholic League vice president Bernadette Brady called one of Macy's media managers, Alyssa Bendetson, registering our concerns, as well as those of our members who contacted us; she was also sent a copy of our release from March 18 on the series. She pledged to get back to us with a response. It is now obvious that Macy's is taking this matter lightly.

The series was written by an atheist who hates the Catholic Church, Neil Jordan. Macy's knows this. We are approaching the heart of the Easter season, yet Macy's has decided that offending Catholics is worth the risk. We'll see.

Contact Bendetson's boss, VP Elina Kazan: elina.kazan@macys.com

[Pyro7480]

That is rather short-sighted.

[dangus]

I always liked Victor, actually.

[SuziQ]

I don’t think much of the Borgias, so I’m not going to sweat anyone putting them down, as long as they don’t paint a broad brush against the entire Church using the Borgias as the medium.

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

Why would Macy’s do something silly like this? What would dressing manequins as a Pope have to do with selling merchandise?

Just as a guess, and knowing something about marketing in the entertainment and retail businesses, I'd say that Showtime is paying Macy's for the advertising space. Getting press attention for the show by getting a few people angry is gravy for Showtime--like the Fox Network's early days, they're trying to make a name for themselves by being "edgier" than their rival HBO.

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

Macy's also fired an employee for wishing someone Merry Christmas in lieu of Happy Holidays

Do you have a link for this? I'm finding stories about Macy's firing a Santa for making some very slightly risque jokes, but nothing about firing an employee for saying "Merry Christmas."

[Boogieman]

“That is rather short-sighted.”

Bah, ping me when Macy’s starts dissing Jesus, then I might get worried enough to ask God to forgive them.

[Pyro7480]

Look up the thread. They have a history.

[Boogieman]

“Look up the thread. They have a history.”

What history? I see someone make a claim with no attribution, and nobody else can seem to find any evidence of it.

[dangus]

Well, the first was incompetent, but sincere and unworldly. We wouldn’t want to mention him.

[dangus]

hahahah!

You need to spend more time at either (A) a public university, or (B) the FR religion forum. Seriously, I bet MOST Americans believe MOST medieval/Renaissance popes did far worse than what even the Borgias actually did do.

Read the ridiculous slander of Foxe’s Book of the Martyrs, and then understand that this book was required reading in U.S. public schools in the 19th century, and was usually one of two books a typical American owned.

[muir_redwoods]

Logically, if the Borgias were really thought of as typical of popes, they wouldn't be notorious; they would be common.

Hyperbole is fine in friendly (or not so friendly perhaps) discussions but logic dictates that most popes are a good deal more highly regarded than the Borgias.

[the invisib1e hand]

It’s the fact that Chistianity is only ever portrayed in a negative light

individuals are healthy when they acknowledge their faults. Cultures, likewise. Eddie Murphy, back when race-baiting wasn't such an effective political strategy (that was also when Reagan was president) made a career out of spoofing black-American stereotypes. The most well adjusted black Americans laughed right along with him at the fools among themselves. The cranks got their afros in a wad, and look where we are today.

chill the farc out.

[the invisib1e hand]

Oh, give me a break. What, is the world supposed to go back and redact history or never refer to it again if it’s embarrassing to Catholics?

No, only if its embarrassing to anyone else.

[the invisib1e hand]

Ping.

[Gamecock]

Oh, give me a break. What, is the world supposed to go back and redact history or never refer to it again if it’s embarrassing to Catholics?

That's exactly what the FRoman Catholics demand.

Come to think of it, they expect the same treatment when it comes to current events.

[Gamecock]

Oh, give me a break. What, is the world supposed to go back and redact history or never refer to it again if it’s embarrassing to Catholics?

That's exactly what the FRoman Catholics demand.

Come to think of it, they expect the same treatment when it comes to current events.

[Gamecock]

Popes will be Popes!

The Cadaver Synod: Strangest Trial In History

[Quix]

Maybe I’m missing something here . . .

I thought it was a

RELIGIOUS DUTY OF OBLIGATION or some such

for RC’s to be outrageously offended

as a RELIGIOUS RITE

as a RELIGIOUS RITUAL

24/7/365.

At least . . . as far as I have learned from OBSERVING FR RC’s.

[dangus]

Oh, you’re giving too much credit. Let’s say that the Borgias are the grain (or, a grain, since there were other bad apples) of truth behind legends which were used to indiscriminately characterize all medieval and renaissance popes.

[dangus]

Oh, you’re giving too much credit. Let’s say that the Borgias are the grain (or, a grain, since there were other bad apples) of truth behind legends which were used to indiscriminately characterize all medieval and renaissance popes.

CASE IN POINT: Do you think the miniseries will mention the Pope Calixtus, the Borgia who weakened the temporal power of the papacy by irritating the kings of Europe because he lived an austere lifestyle? Or Saint Francis Borgia, founder of Gregorian University, teacher of hundreds of missionaries to entire globe, miarculous exorcist and humble mustic? No, the subtitle is “the original crime family.”

Truth is, there’s a great classical tragedy behind the fall of Alexander VI, and it might make for great drama. But great drama makes for lousy propaganda.