re: Ebay allowing obscene items for auction!

[mrpkguy]

Hi. I’m writing because eBay allows its sellers to use infamous artist Andres Serrano’s disrespectful and blasphemous image of the Madonna & Child on the fronts and backs of auctioned T-shirts. 

As both a buyer and seller I am exceedingly offended by this and ask that Ebay refuse to allow this kind of item to be sold on it's site. I ask others who are equally offened to make their wishes known to Ebay.

[mikeystoyz]

I am a teacher on the side and an eBay person on occasion.  I always tell my kids to take anything I say politically with a grain of salt.  My opinion isn't their opinion and they are allowed to offend and be offended all day long.  They only thing I do warn them about is you can exercise your 1st amendment right all day long, there might be negative consequences for it, but you are free to exercise it.  I can't stand teachers that push their agenda, left or right and go out of my way to be as neutral and have the kids make their own way.  

[greatoak08034]

Kids, here's the point everyone is missing in the mad rush to call out those of us who are offended. When I type in a search, I can wind up with almost anything including stuff I'd really rather not see.  My kids can see inappropriate items returned from an innocent search string.  I repair and repurpose Christian medals and jewelry. I've had to become very very specific in my search terms, because you can imagine what pops up with "Virgin Mary".  Some of it so awful I can only laugh.  Search-term specificity, of course, can reduce the number of meaningful results to review.  Ebay already has an adult-only section, and I think more items should go there... like anything Andres Serrano does. Then those of you desiring to purchase a bumper sticker of a crucifix in urine can go at it, and the rest of us don't have to watch.

[greatoak08034]

Oh brother. Hopefully you enjoyed your little joke, while completely missing the entire point of this discussion.

[7606dennis]

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@vintagecraze50 wrote:

Very controversial piece of art it is. Many view it as very offensive, many view it from an artistic expression, albeit, rather shocking, of the love of Christ and what he endured for peoples sins. One review I read decribed human's sin as the urine, and what human's do every day. This is in line with a Christian perspective of course. He puts up with even human urine and loves us anyway. Hope this did not offend anyone. Just a different perspective and how all art work is interpreted very differently by each indiviudual. 

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If I'm not mistaken, Michaelangelo's painting in the Vatican was considered controversial by some members of the church at the time.  He evidently showed too much flesh.  Of course, there are quite a few different religious faiths beside Christian so if eBay were to ban something because it offends one, it would need to ban what offended others. 

[chrysylys]

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@greatoak08034 wrote:

Kids, 

Ebay already has an adult-only section, and I think more items should go there...

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And I think less should be sequestered.  If kids were less 'protected' earlier on, maybe they wouldn't be so messed up later.

[the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth]

The first amendment pertains to the government infringing on people's rights, not a private website. You cannot come on Ebay and say whatever you want. The first amendment has nothing to do with Ebay or you on Ebay.

That said, appropriate is in the eye of the beholder. 

[cherry*fizz]

I think the best thing to do is realize that you aren't going to agree with everything that others like or are interested in, and if you don't like them, don't look at them. Everyone can be offended by anything, does that mean we should ban everything in the world? There are plenty of things in the world I don't like (Joel Osteen comes to mind) and while I would love to have him banned from the world for being a smarmy untrustworthy hack taking advantage of people's religious convictions, I choose to just ignore him and hope that people will figure out the truth about him on their own. I don't like it but free speech, freedom of expression and all that junk.

[cherry*fizz]

"Im offended that you are offended that they are offended that we are offended that the offensive item offends you.  "

I am he as you are he as you are me
And we are all together

Goo Goo G'joob.

[cherry*fizz]

The Streisand Effect.

I like that. I've never heard of it but it's a perfect explanation. I've often wondered about these things that some people or companies get offended by and they bring attention to it. That should be the last thing they want to do.

[mirandaleigh81]

Im Catholic so I get ya, but you cannot say nobody can buy the clothes/arts because not everyone believes in God let alone the Madonna and Child.

[uzumakey]

It's art, man. Censoring that would be a slippery slope.

[atikovi]

I don't get art.

[dreamcatcherdiecast]

Amen.....

[mikeystoyz]

Personally, I have too much to worry about to be offended.  Our climate has everyone offended by something.  I used to love watching George Carlin and Richard Pryor.  Neither of them would get any play in today's world because to many people would get the vapors and faint.  Can you imagine Eddy Murphy Delirious being done today?  It would be banned worldwide.  Mind you I personally think it is one of the greatest comedy bits ever.  Blazing Saddles comes to mind as well, even though Richard Pryor wrote a bunch of it and the people that were in it were not comfortable saying the lines Pryor was like say them anyway.  I can't imagine that movie going over too well now.  I mean talk about the outrage and protests that would take place because of it.  Check out the word that this is the definition of - 1. not generous; stingy.  That word has nothing to do with the word that people think it does.  It was created during Shakespeare's time and if you wrote it everyone would get offended and say horrible things about the writer.  I am just saying if you are going to be offended remember there are others that arent.  What you see as offensive I might see as everyday life and visa versa.  Life is to short to worry about non issues.  

[kim_y_buran]

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@mrpkguy wrote:

blasphemous image of the Madonna .... exceedingly offended

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Hey, how did you feel about Jesus's appearance in Preacher?