[QUOTE=Phnord Prephect]
Regarding the second image, am I the only one to think “Well, that’s not really a very effective image, because you can’t get or give AIDS that way anyway!” (OK, well, nearly can’t.)
[QUOTE]
No, no, no. That is the poster they put up at all the popular spider hangouts. They’re trying to warn them: “Having unprotected sex is like going down on a woman!”
Nice one.
And another kudos to Ethilrist. I think the sentiment of a lot of people here has been “silly French, tarantulas aren’t poisonous at all.”
If I saw a gigantic one scurrying across the floor leering at me I’d have other things on my mind than cunnilingus!
I dunno, I see the overall thing in a more symbolic way. Yes, your chances of getting AIDS from oral sex is low, but the point is just “unprotected sex == BIG NASTY AIDS RISK”. The overal image is what they’re trying to project.
yeaaah, but for me, the overall image is “YAAAAGGGH! GIANT BUG!”
I want one of those spider costumes for my boyfriend. 
Hey, I’ve never had flies in my vagina! I’m jealous.
It’s better than getting sand in your vagina.
[/cartman]
Well what is up with the spider, really? We don’t know that he/she isn’t being entirely protected using a dental dam…er, a tentacle dam…
-foxy
Well, that’s probably why it’s so popular. That scorpion can do positions humans can only dream of!
Disregarding the message they might be trying to send, I think the pictures are pretty cool. I could see them being displayed in an art gallery.
Yes, this could end up being the first effective ad campaign for rishathra*.
[sub]*Yes, I know rishathra is sex among the humanoid sentients. Don’t bug me.[/sub]
Actually there’s a funny story behind this.
Basically i was actually on set the day they shot this - my mate Dave is a photographer and i often help him out with his equipment, lighting etc. whenever he needs a hand and can’t get one of the photography students to lend a hand.
Anyway, we were down the pub one day when Dave gets a call from this French agency practically begging him to come down town to do this shoot. Apparently everyone knew that there was going to be an element of creepiness to this - including the original photographer - but had been okay with it. Okay that is, until the Scorpion (i think her name was Daisy) arrived having unexpectedly brought a mate with her - the spider.
Only turns out that the bloody photographer’s arachnophobic doesn’t it! He takes one look at the spider and does a runner!
Anyway, Dave steps in to finish off the shoot and i go along to lend a hand. While i’m there i get chatting to the Spider. Turns out that despite appearances she’s a real sweetie - went to art college but is now an actress. She’s had a few parts in B-Movies but nothing major. She met the Scorpion whilst they were filming a movie together and they’d been together for a few months now - “madly in love”, “made for each other”, “couldn’t be happier” blah blah blah. Lesbian insects - strange to me, but mine’s not to judge etc.
After about 10 minutes or so i head over to help Dave, leaving her to chat to the original photographer’s girlfriend, who has hung around to keep an eye on his kit until he can pluck up the courage to come back and get it. By the time we’ve finished the shoot of the Scorpion and bloke, those two are getting on like a bloody house on fire, so rather than risk the wrath of womenkind by interrupting, me Dave and Daisy the Scorpion head down the road for a couple of pints.
Half hour later we return, only to catch the Spider and her newly-converted-to-the-idea-of-woman-on-woman-action friend in flagrante on the bloody sofa! Of course Dave (being a photographer) automatically snaps a shot of the action.
Five minutes later the original photographer walks in to see:
Rest assured it did not seem funny at the time.
Had a good laugh about it later though, and on the plus side, the agency ended up paying for BOTH photos!