Chocolate Jesus Bites The Dust

New York Gallery Cancels "My Sweet Lord" Show Amid Flood Of Protest

(AP)  A planned Holy Week exhibition of a nude, anatomically correct chocolate sculpture of Jesus Christ was canceled Friday amid a choir of complaining Catholics that included Cardinal Edward Egan.

The "My Sweet Lord" display was shut down by the hotel that houses the Lab Gallery in midtown Manhattan, said Matt Semler, the gallery's creative director. Semler said he submitted his resignation after officials at the Roger Smith Hotel shut down the show.

The six-foot sculpture was the victim of "a strong-arming from people who haven't seen the show, seen what we're doing," Semler said. "They jumped to conclusions completely contrary to our intentions."

But word of the confectionary Christ infuriated Catholics, including Egan, who described it as "a sickening display." Bill Donohue, head of the watchdog Catholic League, said it was "one of the worst assaults on Christian sensibilities ever."

The hotel and the gallery were overrun Thursday with angry phone calls and e-mails about the exhibit. Semler said the calls included death threats over the work of artist Cosimo Cavallaro, who was described as disappointed by the decision to cancel the display.

"In this situation, the hotel couldn't continue to be supportive because of a fear for their own safety," Semler said.

The sculpture was to debut Monday evening, the day after Palm Sunday and just four days before Roman Catholics mark the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on Good Friday. The final day of the exhibit was planned for Easter Sunday.

The artwork was created from more than 200 pounds of milk chocolate, and features Christ with his arms outstretched as if on an invisible cross. Unlike the typical religious portrayal of Christ, the Cavallaro creation does not include a loincloth.

Cavallaro is best known for his quirky work with food as art: Past efforts include repainting a Manhattan hotel room in melted mozzarella, spraying five tons of pepper jack cheese on a Wyoming home, and festooning a four-poster bed with 312 pounds of processed ham.

[comfortmd1]

taking a nude guy sculpture and calling it Jesus right before easter, the poor terd of an artist just wanted to receive 15 minutes of fame hoping he could finally sell a piece of art

[bmsbms29]

Personally I can't see Jesus Christ in the statue at all. It looks like a man made in chocolate. Not very expressive or art to me.

He probably should just call it something else & not say it is Christ hanging on the cross.

But a statue of Jesus should never be done in the nude! that's sacrilege!!

And chocolate - please - chocolate is for eating!!! not 'art'

[godseyesore-2009]

The decision to cancel now makes this gallery a disgrace to the arts. Art is a right of expression and above pettiness of politics and religious bigots. The resignation of the Artistic Director, Mr Semler, shows him to evidently be the only person on staff with any integrity and scruples. As for the religious bigots who caused this uproar...well, its obvious they are mindless anyway.

[michellem99-2009]

It was on the local news here at Christmas time and it was the airport where they removed the trees because that rabbi. The port of Seattle runs and owns the airport. I like a pretty Christmas tree and it has nothing to with Christian things. The Christmas tree has always been part worldly Christmas. They perfer Happy Holidays over Merry Christmas as that was talked about in the news. I do feel that as a nation that have sep of church and state that the holiady tree is not Christian based. There is some many different faith systems here that get in a tizzy over everything. I do feel that I have the right to worship as I see fit but I don't have the right to force a person to/not worship as I feel they should. I do feel that chotlate Jesus is sick. I feel that the artists could use their skills for better things than making stuff that out rage. It is their nane tyed to it. Yes it is sad that holy wars take place. This is how I see it The church is the people not a building with a name on it. No churuh has all the answers. But it is how we live our lives without lip service that tells others our walk with God. It is not my place to tell you how to live. I do feel that you as I we have the right to share our faith. But we do have to be mindful of others and their rights in this matter. I don't like wars and It would be nice if everybody would care to live in peace. Be a nicer world. Peace of Christ be with you.

[retmilspouse]

ndg1979,
Why don't you just keep your mouth shut and let people think you are stupid, than opening it up a proving it. Read a book, consult a Theologian the Church has most of the world's schooled and studied among them. It does not matter what anyone says to you because you blieve your version of the truth. Catholics are the first Christians, I am so sorry you must not be among us or otherwise you would not be such a bitter person. Spin the facts any way you wish. You are ignorant of the truth.

[king77shaw]

add extra truth, go lite on the myth and you can throw a little chocolate sauce on there ...

[gunownerdan]

Silly religious nuts, fairytales are for KIDS!

[feelfree1]

retmilspouse,

Re: "feelfree1,
This is not about the war, go on another article to spew your nut job views about that topic."

I see. So I take it that whatever Satantic death cult you belong to, is in support of the mass-murder of brown people. How very predictable.

[candojj1]

How would anyone know if this Jesus was anatomically correct? Was it circumcised?

What's wrong with art? I just don't understand this. Why can't a private gallery have a sculpture of Jesus with a cholocolate *** and a chocolate body? Would it be better if Jesus were made out of concrete or marble?

The right wing AIPAC neoconservative BUSHwackin dumbo idiots need to go on a three hour cruise off the Iranian coast and start enjoying life and send us back some video footage on Al-Jazzera.

[l8c6]

Garbage stories like these should be a red light warning to the public to fight and fight to the end for net neutrality or else we'll be left with trash like this put out by those who use worldy wealth to bully their way around. There are ways to work around bullies. Social parasites need to be dealt with.

[l8c6]

These stupid stories come up around the time of every christian holiday increasingly and are designed to belittle christianity. Typically they are focused on the catholic church.

Did anyone hear about the rabbi in Seattle, WA who threatened to sue the port of Seattle because there were three secularly decorated holiday trees at Sea-Tac airport this past Christmas? Did this story spend three days in the national news? Somehow this rabbi believed a sectarian mega menorah needed to be displayed to be fair. The Port of Seattle made a wise choice and removed the trees which ended up getting returned because the public was angered. All types of the religious involved in business have been sucking off all types of the consuming public using the tree and santa symbols for decades profiting in the millions of dollars.

I think all the religious who have been fighting over the holy land should all hang out there, kill each other, and let God sort it out and leave the western world to its own problems.

[me4prezz]

The only problem with this sweet statute is that it isn't "anatomically correct" as indicated in the news copy. Jesus becomes anatomically correct when he is depicted as a Black man!
Posted by cbsjmac at 12:43 AM : Mar 31, 2007

Can we please leave race out of this one?

[cbsjmac]

The only problem with this sweet statute is that it isn't "anatomically correct" as indicated in the news copy. Jesus becomes anatomically correct when he is depicted as a Black man!

[retmilspouse]

Just Catholics!? How about the rest of the Christian Faith? Where the hell are you guys? Hiding in your mega-churches? Why do you always look to(up?) the Catholic Church to do all the speaking out?


Posted by soldat44

Because Catholics are the first Christians and are the first true belivers of faith. We were there with him in the beginning and will be there with him when he comes again to judge the living and the dead.

[soldat44]

"But word of the confectionary Christ infuriated Catholics..."

Just Catholics!? How about the rest of the Christian Faith? Where the hell are you guys? Hiding in your mega-churches? Why do you always look to(up?) the Catholic Church to do all the speaking out?

[me4prezz]

markbrookhar:

By symbol, I mean that the crucifiction of Jesus, that of him on the cross, is a symbol to christians of what his death means. Anytime I start to stray and see myself slipping, I look at the cross, the crucification, and I remember what He went through and what was sacrificed. That is what I meant by symbol. Does that make sense?

I know that He is prophesized to come back and I truly believe that time is coming soon. If you look up some of the prophecies of the 2nd coming, you can (it is really quite freaky actually) see the signs that have already passed and those that are starting now. For example, the rebuilding of the temple. The mosque that currently sits where the temple was has cracked and is badly damaged in structural foundation during an earthquake recently and it is no longer a question of if it will, but when. When it does, there are already plans to rebuild the temple. There are many of the items already made. Just one example of many of the prophecies coming to life once again. (Even though I know many will disagree, but as you said, they missed the signs the 1st time too).

[retmilspouse]

feelfree1,
This is not about the war, go on another article to spew your nut job views about that topic. Of course with a secular bias because you don't have any real facts to back up any of your comments. Just your prejudiced views.

[markbrookhar]

Hi Me4prezz, Good comment. However, Jesus is not just a symbol of the Christian faith, he is the only begotton Son of the Creator God who put on human flesh for a time to become the sinless sacrifice for sin to all who believe in Him and receive His act on the cross as the payment for their sins. He was crucified, dead, buried and on the third day rose (bodily) from the grave demonstrating His complete victory over sin and death. Jesus Christ is God, the second person of God's triunity in person, and is coming again soon to fulfill his promise to rule and reign on earth for a thousand years before bring final judgment on the world because of sin. It is not surprizing to me that his chocolate portrayal was rejected by men, His human portrayal 2000 years ago was also rejected, yet the rejection was necessary to fulfilling His mission of salvation.

[l8c6]

I've noticed that there have been a rash of stories like this around the times chrisitan holidays often targeting catholics as the source of complaints. The story's are written in a belittling fashion. While not a practicing catholic I do believe in a media unlike Fox new's version of fair and balanced.

How many days has this story been "news" now? How much did the news media cover a rabbi in Seattle, Wa who threatened a law suit because of 3 secularly decorated holiday trees at Sea-Tac airport? He felt a huge menorah should have been erected at the airport. The Port of Seattle did the smart thing and removed the trees which then provoked public outcry. I am failing to see the news cover the cult like fundamentalist religions to this degree whose mission is mainly one of capitalistic exploits.

Rather than wine I say turnabout is fair play. Listen the other sides wine for a change.

Frankly, I think the root of the worlds biggest war mongering trouble makers hover themselves in the "holy land". All of the religions that crowd around there seem to be hell bent on killing one another. I wish they'd all gather in the holy land, kill each other and let God sort it out. Then I wish the western world could get back to its roots and consider itself rid of the parasites that couldn't get along at home and migrated out to add their own set of problems to the western world.

[markbrookhar]

One thing I strongly object to: people who stereotype all Christians in the same light. Betterbigger said "proving that Christians are just as violent as Muslims. It proves nothing of the sort. Some very few who claim to be Christians are violent, and pedofiles, and other sinful, sick behaviors, and some who claim to be Muslims are also violent, pedofiles (Mohammad married an 8 year old girl) and other sinful, sick behaviors. And some who have no religious belief are also violent, pedofiles and other sinful sick behaviors.

But the vast majority of Christians are peaceful, lawful people for the most part, and so are most Muslims. Betterbigger, that comment you made is just ignorant of reality and inflamatory.