Jesus cosmetics prove too cheeky for Singapore

**crayon** · 02-12-2008

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Want to use Jesus hand cream? Well, you can't anymore. At least not in Singapore.

A Singapore-based retailer pulled a line of cheeky Jesus branded cosmetics from its shelves after complaints from irate Catholics, the local newspaper reported on Tuesday.

The cosmetics, called "Lookin' Good for Jesus", is made by American makeup company Blue Q. It was sold in three Topshop outlets in Singapore.

Wing Tai Holdings, which manages the Topshop brand in the city-state, pulled the items off its shelves late last month after some customers complained, the Straits Times newspaper reported.

"We don't want to offend our customers," a company spokesman was quoted by the paper as saying.

Reuters could not get a comment from Wing Tai as its offices were closed for the Lunar New Year holiday.

The Straits Times said Nick Chui, 27, a Catholic, spotted the items in a Topshop outlet and then wrote a letter to Wing Tai last month saying that the products trivialized Jesus Christ and Christianity.

"There are also sexual innuendoes in the messages and the way Jesus is portrayed in these products," the paper quoted Chui as saying.

Some of the products sold include, a "virtuous vanilla" lip balm, hand and body cream and a mirrored Jesus statuette. They feature a drawing of Jesus flanked by two adoring women and carry slogans such as "Get tight with Christ", "Get His Attention" and "Redeem Your Reputation and More".

Blue Q also carries other tongue-in-cheek items such as a "Believe in God Breath Spray".

In Singapore, about 50 percent of the population are Buddhists and 14.6 percent are Christian.

reuters
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Why has religion become such a mockery?

**Muezzin** · 02-13-2008

That's not very nice to Catholics.

Usually these gimmicks are just marketing ploys to draw attention to a pretty mediocre product. Religion, sex, violence. All things that the more cynical advertisers and companies (or cynical members of society for that matter) use to get attention.

Build a better mouse trap. Don't just slap Jesus on it.

**crayon** · 02-13-2008

It's not very nice to us either (Eesa was a prophet, they're making fun of him), but yeah, it's especially offensive to catholics.

But seriously, do people have no more respect for anything anymore? No more values or moral standards? Is everything just a big parody nowadays?

**Muezzin** · 02-13-2008

People do have moral standards. Things like this are just attention-seeking rubbish.

**crayon** · 02-13-2008

True. And not only is it attention seeking rubbish, it's attention seeking rubbish they profit off of. How wonderful.

**Woodrow** · 02-13-2008

The guy was most likely very much aware this would happen. He has just generated more advertising by having had an outrage voiced over his products.

I doubt if he has any respect for anything except his profit index.

**rabarbara2008** · 02-13-2008

Originally Posted by crayon

It's not very nice to us either (Eesa was a prophet, they're making fun of him), but yeah, it's especially offensive to catholics.

But seriously, do people have no more respect for anything anymore? No more values or moral standards? Is everything just a big parody nowadays?

I totally agree with this post.
Unfortunately, marketing is more and more about shocking these days...

**Aishaa** · 02-13-2008

Originally Posted by rabarbara2008

I totally agree with this post.
Unfortunately, marketing is more and more about shocking these days...

I am a Christian born, studying Islam, and one of the reasons is that Christianity is losing its meanings.. its become to over marketed.

Ask a child in England why they are having Christmas,.. he wont tell you its becuase its when Jesus was presumedly born.. he'll tell you its when Santa comes.

Religeon has become a ways and means to make money.