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A Disgraceful Exercise
The Equinox Fitness Centers may not be the first to use a viciously anti-Catholic image to promote their product, but the raunchy new ad they've just rolled out in New York goes way too far. It features sexually evocative images of heavily-made up "nuns" sketching a well-built nude male model while another sister watches, transfixed, from behind a cloister. The nuns, lest anyone mistake who they are, are wearing full habits of the sort that most religious congregations gave up decades ago. Equinox should be ashamed of itself. The company should immediately withdraw the ads and apologize to the dedicated women religious all over the world who have willingly and selflessly chosen a life serving God and others. Maybe the "brains" at Equinox, and their Minneapolis-based ad agency Fallon, think that using Catholic imagery as soft-core porn will help them attract the kind of customers they want in their gyms. Maybe they think that an anti-Catholic campaign will give them an "edge" with the trendy set. If so, they should think again. It's certainly no surprise that Catholics are outraged about this. We're hearing from them in letters and phone calls to our offices. What is surprising is the reaction from some who are outside the fold, so to speak, to one degree or another, as a quick Internet search revealed. One site, PopCrunch, which bills itself as a "sarcasm-filled celebrity news and gossip show that aims to offend," wondered whether the ad "might be a bit much." Even a site aimed at nonbelievers drew a reader comment that "a person would have to be pretty insensitive not to realize that this would be offensive to some. I suspect they (Equinox) don't care." It certainly seems that way. After premiering the campaign (which includes the ad with nuns and two others that are almost as decadent) in Boston, to protests from Catholics there, the company blithely proceeded to take it to other cities. Most of our readers saw it in New York Magazine's Feb. 18 issue; others saw it on posters in Equinox gyms around town. In its only comment on the ad so far, the company issued a statement saying the ads "capture the energy and artistry of the well-conditioned body in a thought-provoking fashion, blending fantasy and impact." We'd like to see an impact too-one which leads Catholics who are thinking of joining an Equinox gym to rethink and find another one. And Catholics who already are members to reconsider their renewals. That's the bottom line. The only one, apparently, that counts.
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