Smithsonian Christmas-Season Exhibit Features Ant-Covered Jesus, Naked Brothers Kissing...

CNS News ^ | 11/29/10 | Penny Starr

[MissesBush]

FULL TITLE: Smithsonian Christmas-Season Exhibit Features Ant-Covered Jesus, Naked Brothers Kissing, Genitalia, and Ellen DeGeneres Grabbing Her Breasts

The federally funded National Portrait Gallery, one of the museums of the Smithsonian Institution, is currently showing an exhibition that features images of an ant-covered Jesus, male genitals, naked brothers kissing, men in chains, Ellen DeGeneres grabbing her breasts, and a painting the Smithsonian itself describes in the show's catalog as "homoerotic."

“This is an exhibition that displays masterpieces of American portraiture and we wanted to illustrate how questions of biography and identity went into the making of images that are canonical,” David C. Ward, a National Portrait Gallery (NGP) historian who is also co-curator of the exhibit, told CNSNews.com.

A plaque fixed to the wall at the entrance to the exhibit says that the National Portrait Gallery is “committed to showing how a major theme in American history has been the struggle for justice so that people and groups can claim their full inheritance in America’s promise of equality, inclusion, and social dignity. As America’s museum of national biography, the NPG is also vitally interested in the art of portrayal and how portraiture reflects our ideas about ourselves and others.

"These themes, historic and artistic, come together in 'Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture,' the first major exhibition to examine the influence of gay and lesbian artists in creating modern American portraiture," says the plaque. "'Hide/Seek' chronicles how, as outsiders, gay and lesbian artists occupied a position that turned to their advantage, making essential contributions to both the art of portraiture and to the creation of modern American culture."

The Smithsonian Institution has an annual budget of $761 million, 65 percent of which comes from the federal government, according to Linda St. Thomas, the Smithsonian's chief spokesperson.

[MissesBush]

Would they dare exhibit a tasteless display of Mohammed? Yet somehow the Smithsonian won't receive any bomb or death threats from Christians like they would if an Islamic icon were disrespected through their "art." Memo to Speaker-elect Boehner: Here's your first budget cut.

[SC_Pete]

These outrages must be defunded.

[Obadiah]

My first thought. Why no ant-coverd mohammed?

[fuzzybutt]

For all my life I never cared a bit if someone was gay but now all has changed.

Every one I have ever known at some point showed the truly perverted/evil side of their nature. They cannot be trusted.

Now I say burn them all.

[humblegunner]

Naked Brothers Kissing...

For shizzle stay out de NFL locker room.

[Jim Scott]

The Smithsonian Institution has an annual budget of $761 million, 65 percent of which comes from the federal government, according to Linda St. Thomas, the Smithsonian's chief spokesperson.

How many times are U.S. taxpayers going to tolerate funding these outrages to decency, not to mention religion? Enough!

[anniegetyourgun]

Somethings are just unspeakably evil.

[SandRat]

Better than a budget cut, how about firing, with prejudice, the dim-wit Smithsonian employee(s) that selected/approved this abomination of so called art.

[DManA]

The Smithsonian budget as ballooned in the past few years. It’s one of the biggest items in the “discretionary” (I hate that word) budget.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Is the exhibit titled “A Barney Frank Christmas.”

[bvw]

Why the Smithsonian must be privatized and left to fend for funding on its own. Thomas Jefferson himself would have learned from the example our history has now provided, that public museums can become intolerably oppressive of democracy and liberty.

[YHAOS]

Exhibit One:

Why I cancelled my Smithsonian subscription some years ago.

[July4]

I agree with the defunding suggestion. Until we get the Smithsonian's attention, perhaps we should boycott. Not every piece of art has to be my “cup-of-tea,” but how about some common decency?

[rlmorel]

THIS IRRITATES THE HELL OUT OF ME.

Today, an article in the NYT discusses how to cut costs for military veterans and retirees (FR LINK: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2634371/posts )

This makes me HOPPING mad. BEFORE we even think about TOUCHING, CUTTING or MODIFYING any benefits for military veterans, retirees or their families, EVERY SINGLE OUNCE OF SILVER ALLOCATED TO BS LIKE THIS MUST BE COMPLETELY DEFUNDED.

NPR, NEA, ACORN, you name it. THIS IS BS.

[cblue55]

What House/Senate committee does the Smithsonian report to?

[icwhatudo]

Sick...and we are forced to pay for it when we are broke.

[jwparkerjr]

Let’s put this in perspective. This one disgusting exhibit probably cost more to put on than I’ll make in my entire life.

[luvbach1]

...the Smithsonian won't receive any bomb or death threats from Christians like they would if an Islamic icon were disrespected...

Precisely! That's why they did it.

[Cicero]

The Smithsonian used to be a monument to American greatness and inventiveness. Now it’s just another piece of trendy slime.

I’d say the entire leadership needs to be cleaned out.

The first step involves taking back the White House and the Senate.

Here is the Board of Regents. I would venture to guess that Bush did nothing to clean out all the libs stuffed in by his predecessors. Certainly he failed to clean out the CIA, the FBI, the Pentagon, the State Department, and a lot of more important organizations.

But when the likes of clinton and Obama are in office, they make sure to put their own stooges in all these places.

http://www.si.edu/about/regents/members.htm

[Paved Paradise]

The downslide continues...