We told you just the other day about a new exhibit in Vienna devoted to the nude male form. Well now “Naked Men” at the Leopold Museum is going to be a little less naked: Revealing posters of soccer players advertising the show will have their privates covered up after a public outcry. (You can click here to see the uncensored artwork.)
“We got many, many complaints,”said museum spokesman Klaus Pokorny. “We didn’t realize that many people would be really upset or really angry—in a way that we are also afraid about security, about protection of the visitors of the museum.”
Pokorny says he’s disappointed his fellow Austrians are so uptight: “You always hope that we have made progress, that we are now in the 21st century.” But, alas, nein—so now a red paper stripe will offer a sliver of modesty to the men on some 180 posters around Vienna.
“Naked Men” which runs Friday through January 28, addresses the evolution of male nudity in art history through 300 works. The photo in question, called Vive la France, is by celebrated French artists Pierre & Gilles.
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Dawson
Will someone tell these prude it only a dick. It is not going to attack you. If it bothers you don’t look. What a bunch of assh*les. Maybe we should remind them that it took this dick for them to be alive.
Callum
The underlying problem is with Austria’s immigrant Muslim population. If one reads articles about this story you soon see that the street protests, the threats of violence and also the speeches and rallies have been all a product of the immigrant Muslims.
yaoming
Nice semi on the black guy.
viveutvivas
So now Europe is pandering to the muslim right like America panders to the christian right. What a shame.
LubbockGayMale
All males have ’em, and they do come in handy sometimes… so why the prudishness?
Kernos
Wondering what the future value of an unmodified poster will be? Anyone in Vienna have one for sale?
hotshot70
I see nothign wrong with the pic. They are not being crude, just standing there. People are so uptight anymore. What’s next, a fig leaf on David? Clams over Venus’ boobs? The human body is a beautiful thing. Express it.
Sebizzar
@hotshot70: Exactly! These morons obviously can’t understand beauty or art, or that a flaccid penis is nothing explicit.
InscrutableTed
The significance of the Pierre et Giles work is probably lost on an Austrian audience. It’s a reference to the way soccer-football has been a force for integration amongst the ethnic tension in France, particularly the “Black-Blanc-Beur” (Black-White-Arab) team’s World Cup victory in 1998. French people would instantly get the reference.
Werewolfmoon
I find the pictures very pleasant.
As a man, it is common for me to see men’s dicks; I have one and nearly everyone else I know has one. If people are prudish then they should disappear from the area chosen for the display of males and their genitals!
I happen to find men’s cocks and balls very attractive. In fact, I find the genitals of a man to be his most attractive asset; this, of course, is just my opinion.
As far as the poster goes, I think it is fun and welcoming; I would certainly attend any museum showing that poster. Censoring nudity is a daft thing; we should be proud of God’s Art, proud of our birthday suits! If Muslims or Christians or anyone else has a problem with their, or anyone else’s, bodies then they should stay at home or, better still, move to somewhere backwards and prudish. We in the western world are forward thinking and as everything goes round in circles, hopefully we’ll be back in the Ancient Greek period before we know it! P.S. I particularly like the white guy on the viewer’s left of the poster; be has a nice fat cock and big balls – this I like a lot!