Wednesday 11 May 2011

God forbid...

Now I realise that this post may attract the unwanted attention of certain male bloggers (and a couple of the butcher Australian female ones), but those of you who subscribe to AOL mail under a fictitious name as I do, will have spotted this 'news' item relating to the Australian fashion label, 'Lisa Blue' who submitted this rather tasteful design for swimwear in the Australian Fashion Week show, last week.

Evidently, they have used a traditional image of the goddess Lakshmi, strategically placed on various parts of the outfit, and this has caused a little resentment amongst a few (million) Hindus throughout the world.

In Lisa Blue's defence, I would point out that it may not have been deliberately placed in those positions, because - by it's very nature - the cloth that the images were printed on had already been positioned strategically, and there was simply not enough room to place the deity in any other areas.

On the subject of offending as many religious people as one possibly can, purely to gain publicity (which is definitely NOT my intention), I would remind you of Salman Rushdie and his 'Satanic Verses' (absolutely unreadable, so God knows how it offended anyone). After his fatwa had been decreed and he went into hiding with about 20 senior police officers somewhere in London, someone asked me if I had read his latest book entitled, "Fuck Off Buddha, You Fat Bastard".

I went to see the Ken Russell film, 'The Devils' when it first came out in the late 1960s, and was picketed by about 30 Christians - none of which had actually seen the picture - telling me not to go in and watch it. A couple of months later, I went to see the John Wayne film 'The Green Beret', and was met by about 30 political demonstrators, telling me not to go in and watch it.

Anyway, the whole point of this post is to stir up controversy and see if I can match 'Going Gently's' comment statistics by getting as many of the 75 people who pretend to follow this blog to leave a comment. I know I'm sad, but I have too much time on my hands (not enough animals to look after and not enough stone to cut at the moment). So it's Tits, Bums and a good dose of AOL-style up-stirring all the way.

Oh and by the way,
today is my 60th birthday!

58 comments:

  1. Who are you calling butch?
    Best wishes, by the way.

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  2. I'm sure you would gain 75 comments simply by posting it's your birthday today in BIG, BOLD letters :) Why are you so jealous of John ???

    Happy 60th birthday!

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  3. Well, there you are with a post about something that set the whole (Hindu)world on fire. But ...... as you know, John has a new goat! So there goes first place in blogging.

    Nevertheless, it's your "day of honor" and I wish you all the best. I always think that everybody should be extra nice to you on your birthday and shower you with compliments (and presents). And when all else fails: you will soon be eligible for senior citizen discounts, so there is something to look forward to.

    Do have a wonderful day!

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  4. I'm butch AND gay.....
    and sensitive....and sweet natured........and I have more followers than you!!!!!........ohhhhhhhhhh I feel a song coming on!

    .....Happy Birthday you old scroat¬
    x

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  5. Despite the inevitable flag burning and much shouting and wailing by the Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims and just about every other denomination of the worlds religions at anything that may offend their religion (including writing on car tyres that resembles texts from the Koran for feck's sake), I have noticed a distinct lack of home grown Christians in this country causing much of a stir when self-styled television deities such as Stephen (quite up himself) Fry or Richard (show me the money) Dawkins spout off about how deluded we all are to believe in the existence of God.
    Maybe us 'believers' in this country should start being a bit more fundamentalist ourselves and burn piles of Fry's utterly pointless, vacuous books and have a bit of a shout and wail to boot. Nah, we'll just turn the other fecking cheek.

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  6. Happy Birthday Tom. I hope you have a great day today.

    I have no issue with the bathing suit. I think it is very well done.

    I am sure that Godess appears on t-shirts and gimicky crap all over the place. It is not as if her ass is falling out and mocking the Godess. It is tasteful and I belive respectfully done.

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  7. Surely there must be more offensive swim wear than that!

    Didn't you get heckled going to see 'The life of Brian'... I did.

    Go on then; Happy Birthday.

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  8. Yeah! (Go Brismod Go) Just who are you calling butch Tom?
    She's hot but her boss stuck one of those caste thingies between her eyes and the banner of a god on her arse. There is something ever so slightly WRONG with that and you don't need a cultural studies degree or religion to get it.

    75 followers? Now you are just showing off as well as being deliberately offensive to Hindis, Salman Rushdie, Islamic fundamentalists, Christians, er John Wayne haters and Australian divas.

    Thank you Tom, for a breath of fresh air - and Happy Bloody Birthday from the Antipodes! X

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  9. Gosh - I didn't realise you were so old! Merry birthday x

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  10. Happy 60th birthday-have a good un !

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  11. ♫Happy Birthday♫ I read every post you know and am not a pretend follower. Have a fabulous birthday!

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  12. Does John really have a new goat?

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  13. Happy Birthday Tom! 60 years old? You're just a baby.
    You have a friend in John. He sent me over to you. See how good he is!
    For your Birthday, I'll become a Follower and see what we can do to boost your numbers. And don't worry about offending me, I've heard it all.
    Your New Friend, m.

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  14. Happy Birthday, Tom!

    Can you get a goat? Or, at least a cat?

    Thanks,

    Farmer

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  15. Thanks to Johns gentle suggestion I am here to wish you a Happy 60th Birthday.

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  16. Happy Birthday Tom..........maybe someone will give you a goat as a gift!!!

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  17. Happy Birthday Tom, you're still a slip of a lad !
    I would send you a goat if I had one :)
    ~Jo

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  18. Happy Birthday Tom! Hope you have a wonderful day!

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  19. Happy Birthday, Tom. Hope not too many people have gotten your goat...

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  20. Yeah, what Sara Toa and Brismod said! And have a very happy birdy, Tom.

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  21. Happy birthday Tom....you old goat!. John sent over to have a little looky at your bog....and I'm mighty pleased that he did! If you get a goat and maybe some chickens (and perhaps the odd turkey for good measure) I'm sure everyone will love you!!! Sue x

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  22. I like the special font you chose for your birthday announcement. Or maybe it's just the bolding . . . Anyway, I like it, and Happy Birthday to you Tom! Hope it's been a good one.

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  23. Only 60, Tom? With your charm, erudition and grace I had assumed you were at least 60 and a half.

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  24. As a loyal follower of John, I just came over to wish you a Happy Birthday!

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  25. John one day started following me, so I am following him now.
    Happy Birthday!
    Let me know how 60 really is as this Fall will be my 60. You jist be yerself and people will read your blog. John mentioned candle sticks but hey I may bore you about chickens!
    You have yerself ah nice birthday with all those candles (without holders) and dance till the cows come home!

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  26. Well, what can I say? ... except that I am humbled and gratified by all your wishes for my imminent row across the Styx - especially from all you Hindu homosexuals out there. That was really special for me.

    And the Australian dykes - thanks to you also. Without you, there could be no Clive James and no Dame Edna.

    Just a word before I sign off about our dear friend, the animal hoarder, John. He happens to be (along with a few other unfortunate social impediments) dislexyic ... dislexic ... dysleksic... He has trouble with spelling.

    He has bought himself a large white stoat, and now he is learning not to buy a poke in a pig, until you have touched up the meat.

    I will come amongst you again tomorrow, once I have got over tonight.

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  27. lol
    I AM a terrible speller!
    hope you had a good one Thomas...
    now go drink lots of water and go to bed
    x

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  28. Hello been ent over by John Gray to wish you a Happy Birthday

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  29. French (Mac) translation of above:

    ps u battu tx ^ meu cu

    I am still no wiser.

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  30. Oh, Hello Carol and thank you. Now run along home before your husband realises you are gone. X

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  31. Happy Birthday Tom from across hte pond in California!
    Ruth

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  32. I could have swore Carol wrote she was bent over by John Gray ?!
    It's late.....
    ~Jo

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  33. Happy birthday! You call it "offending people," I call it "helping them dislodge the stick from their bum." Either way, someone has to do it, and you do it so well.

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  34. Happy Birthday, Tom. Wishing you many more.

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  35. And thanks to you last 5 who commented after I collapsed last night. Very much appreciated.

    I'm a bit worried about 'mybabyjohn' - can someone pop round and see if she's ok? Just check to make sure there aren't loads of milk bottles piled up on her doorstep, etc. Maybe she's just got fed up with being insulted by me. Oh well, somebody's got to stand up for all those careless Canadian pedestrians that jump in front of her Lincoln every time she pulls out of her garage.

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  36. Happy birthday you!
    (feeling slightly jealous of all your comments).
    Be good, and if you can't be good be careful x

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  37. Happy Birthday Tom! A little late to the party - and here I thought it was me you were calling an animal hoarder, whew, dodged that one. Ann

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  38. Happy Birthday young man:) All the best.

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  39. Blogger seems to have eaten my comment so Happy Birthday, Tom. XXX

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  40. Happy Birthday ( belatedly because of bloody Blogger)! I was going to say I thought you were an older old fart because you blog like one. But decided to be polite. I recommend sticking at an earlier (younger ) age. I've been 39 for years and find it pays dividends in the toyboy department. Though Mr EM is fed up from throwing them out in the mornings.

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  41. Well, Elegance, I have been 39 with a very large knob for years now. Time for a change, I think.

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  42. And thanks to you all - including new found friends (and some lost old ones). I'll try to entertain you with all this rubbish. X

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  43. Belated birthday wishes, Tom. What - only sixty, you old moaner!

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  44. Yes, I suppose 60 is young in the blogging world. It's bloody ancient in Facebook, though.

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  45. The Devils is one of the most important films of the 1970s and as shocking and moving today as it was 40 years ago - an extraordinary achievement.

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  46. By the way - are you Baby Jane to John's Blanche Hudson?

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  47. I see it the other way round, Bel-Ami. He wears more make-up than I do - slaps it on without using a mirror by the look of it.

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  48. I love your theory of deity placement. (I hope this puts you a little closer in your competition with "Going Gently," who sent me here... well his blog did, by the way.)

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  49. Is that what is known as a 'Block Comment', Mitch? (P.S. Are you any relation to Eddie?)

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