It's not about the nudity

[debgeisler]

An ad for a health club has upset Catholics in the area, notes this story in the Boston Globe online:

BOSTON -- A fitness club ad running in Boston magazine that depicts nuns sketching a naked man has triggered protests among some members of the Bay State's Catholic community.

The ad for the Equinox Fitness Club is running in this month's issue and two Catholic organizations blasted the photo Tuesday, the Boston Herald reported, saying the Catholic League, the Archdiocese of Boston and the Catholic Action League of Massachusetts all decried the ad as offensive.

C.J. Doyle of the Catholic Action League of Massachusetts told the Herald the ad "portrays a callous contempt for the sensibility of Catholics."

I find the ad an offensive portrayal of nuns, of their decisions to accept a vow of chastity, and the enduring belief of the ignorant and crass that a nun will only be chaste until "the right man" comes along.

And I find the company's "explanation" completely nonsensical:

The fitness company responded with a written statement saying, "Our ad campaigns are based on personal motivation and fantasy and throughout history the body has been considered a form of art."