# I Pitt "Piss Obama" **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 30, 2012, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pitt-piss-obama/642606 "2012-11-30T20:24:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2012, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pitt-piss-obama/642606/101 "2012-12-02T17:25:57Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > I don’t think Jamie Foxx would fit into a _Fear Factor_ contestant. The uncertainty is what would make it good TV. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2012, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pitt-piss-obama/642606/102 "2012-12-03T07:14:44Z")
> [@olivesmarch4th](#): > > … And he is so much better at basketball than Jesus ever was. I don’t know what we were thinking. No, sorry, Michael Jordan is the Messiah. You could tell by his hang time. He could suspend the law of gravity. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2012, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pitt-piss-obama/642606/103 "2012-12-03T07:21:01Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > Actually, it is not bad art-it has a theme, it expresses the theme, and is an honest use of materials. The message is perhaps not one that most would appreciate-but that is athe purpose of art-isn’t it? Yes, its not as profound a piece as a Rembrandt, but is does get a point across-and it’s edgy.I cannot see why a NYC art gallery would not display such a work. Plus, its a 1st amendment right-it should not be supressed. > [@gamerunknown](#): > > Are all three of those categories necessary? Is the presence of all three sufficient? Can you provide a piece of bad art which cannot be argued to have these aspects? > [@ralph124c](#): > > A Thomas Kinkaid Christmas scene?😃 Nonsense. There is a very clear theme. Each painting virtually screams, “I am a piece of crap painted by the ultimate commercial hack.” ---
**Author:** ![Debaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3da27b/32.png) [@Debaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debaser)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2012, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pitt-piss-obama/642606/104 "2012-12-03T14:32:59Z")
> [@Merneith](#): > > Piss Christ is not intended as an insult to Christ or Christianity. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2012, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pitt-piss-obama/642606/105 "2012-12-03T14:47:14Z")
> [@R.P.McMurphy](#): > > A thought that crosses my mind is that Ghandi used to drink his own piss. He thought it was healthy. 1. It’s **Gandhi** , not _Ghandi_. 2. I could be mistaken, but I have never heard of Gandhi doing that. 3. Morarji Desai, who was the prime minister of India briefly in the late 1970s, was an advocate of drinking one’s own urine. Perhaps you are confusing him with Gandhi. (They’re both Gujarati. And bald.) ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2012, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pitt-piss-obama/642606/106 "2012-12-03T15:01:08Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > Of course, I _don’t_ think that everyone who liked _Piss Christ_ is an Obama supporter; frankly, the far left is pretty disenchanted with him. So I think _Piss Obama_ is not pissing off the _Piss Christ_ people Beck’s pissed at. > > But I’m not surprised he’s missing who he’s dissing with his _Pissing_. Well, I think we can all agree he’s taking the piss. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2012, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pitt-piss-obama/642606/107 "2012-12-03T15:40:26Z")
Perhaps I am simply woefully uncultured but I fail to see a difference between has a theme and expresses a theme. If a piece has a theme but doesn’t express it, then for all intents and purposes, it has no theme, no? And what could possibly constitute a dishonest use of material? ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2012, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pitt-piss-obama/642606/108 "2012-12-03T16:47:44Z")
Well, in popular culture, "“Heiny” beer is known as “panther piss”. It is also turned into urine by the body. So Piss Obama is consistent with the theme of bodily transformation. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2012, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pitt-piss-obama/642606/109 "2012-12-03T17:52:53Z")
“Piss Christ” was 25 years ago??? Jesus H. Christ, I feel old. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2012, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pitt-piss-obama/642606/110 "2012-12-03T23:04:16Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > . . . 3. Morarji Desai, who was the prime minister of India briefly in the late 1970s, was an advocate of drinking one’s own urine. Perhaps you are confusing him with Gandhi. (They’re both Gujarati. And bald.) In a lovely interview with Dan Rather, Desai suggested that Rather try it. Just try it himself, and see. It was hilarious to watch Rather backpedal, to distance himself from the very suggestion. Desai also only imbibed small amounts; it sounded a lot more like homeopathy than like any real concept of nutrition or mineral replacement or whatnot. When I did a display of this sort, I used very light mineral oil instead of urine or apple juice. It doesn’t denature with time and exposure to light. Piss and apple juice get cloudy, quite fast. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pitt-piss-obama/642606/111 "2012-12-04T08:01:45Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > When I did a display of this sort, I used very light mineral oil instead of urine or apple juice. It doesn’t denature with time and exposure to light. **Piss and apple juice get cloudy, quite fast**. Isn’t that part of the aesthetic appeal ? [QUOTE=Debaser] :rolleyes: [/QUOTE] Quoth Wiki: “Serrano has not ascribed overtly political content to _Piss Christ_ and related artworks, on the contrary stressing their ambiguity. He has also said that while this work is not intended to denounce religion, it alludes to a perceived commercializing or cheapening of Christian icons in contemporary culture.[[8]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piss_Christ#cite_note-8)” [SIZE=2][/SIZE] ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pitt-piss-obama/642606/112 "2012-12-04T13:05:06Z")
[Sister Wendy on Piss Christ](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9pAKdkJh-Y) (Sister Wendy _gets_ Serrano). “… Disillusioned words like bullets bark As human gods aim for their mark Make everything from toy guns that spark To flesh-colored Christs that glow in the dark It’s easy to see without looking too far That not much is really sacred …” _It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)_ by Bob Dylan Serrano _got_ Dylan. CMC ---
**Author:** ![Debaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3da27b/32.png) [@Debaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debaser)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pitt-piss-obama/642606/113 "2012-12-04T13:25:16Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Quoth Wiki: > “Serrano has not ascribed overtly political content to _Piss Christ_ and related artworks, on the contrary stressing their ambiguity. He has also said that while this work is not intended to denounce religion, it alludes to a perceived commercializing or cheapening of Christian icons in contemporary culture.[[8]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piss_Christ#cite_note-8)” > [SIZE=2][/SIZE] The artist says he isn’t intending to “denounce” religion. First of all, I said “insult”, not denounce. Secondly, clearly it is an insult. Basic common sense tells you that, and the artist certainly knows this as well. Third, even if the artist does believe his own bullshit and didn’t _intend_ to insult religion, that is undeniably a failure, since you’ve got religious people still pissed off about it twenty five years later. So, I stand by my :rolleyes:. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pitt-piss-obama/642606/114 "2012-12-04T16:11:26Z")
It’s not hard to piss religious people off. We’re talking about the same group of people that go into apoplexy if you say happy holidays, never mind the fact that even without Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, there’s still New Years, so even christians should be ok with a more generic greeting unless they want to go on record as being against celebrating another year around the sun. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pitt-piss-obama/642606/115 "2012-12-04T17:36:52Z")
If anyone ever feels the need to submerge my picture (or me) in beer, please use something decent, preferably a local microbrew. Drink local people, it helps small businesses, encourages a diverse beer culture, and reduces the carbon footprint of our favorite hobby. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pitt-piss-obama/642606/116 "2012-12-04T19:03:03Z")
> [@crowmanyclouds](#): > > [Sister Wendy on Piss Christ](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9pAKdkJh-Y) (Sister Wendy _gets_ Serrano). I never thought I’d hear a nun say “suck it and see”. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pitt-piss-obama/642606/117 "2012-12-04T19:25:55Z")
It’s a really common british slang phrase thought of mainly in reference to candy like lollipops. The band Arctic Monkeys was completely surprised when american retailers got in a tizzy over their latest album, “Suck It and See”. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pitt-piss-obama/642606/118 "2012-12-04T20:00:52Z")
> [@Debaser](#): > > The artist says he isn’t intending to “denounce” religion. > > First of all, I said “insult”, not denounce. > Secondly, clearly it is an insult. Basic common sense tells you that, and the artist certainly knows this as well. > Third, even if the artist does believe his own bullshit and didn’t _intend_ to insult religion, that is undeniably a failure, since you’ve got religious people still pissed off about it twenty five years later. > > So, I stand by my :rolleyes:. Meh. Christians were pissed off by _Last Temptation of Christ_, which I personally found to be a faith-affirming movie. That religious folk were angered by it hardly means anything to me. ETA: Just saw the Sister Wendy video. Right on. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pitt-piss-obama/642606/119 "2012-12-04T20:19:54Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > It’s a really common british slang phrase thought of mainly in reference to candy like lollipops. The band Arctic Monkeys was completely surprised when american retailers got in a tizzy over their latest album, “Suck It and See”. Oh, I’ve heard it before. But to my ears it has an odd foreignness (and I gather a lower-class one at that) and vague innuendo that make it sound quite un-nun-like. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pitt-piss-obama/642606/120 "2012-12-04T20:42:44Z")
> [@Debaser](#): > > The artist says he isn’t intending to “denounce” religion. > > First of all, I said “insult”, not denounce. > Secondly, clearly it is an insult. Basic common sense tells you that, and the artist certainly knows this as well. Is it really that clearly an insult? Just looking at the image by itself. without knowing anything about it, would you characterize this as an anti-Christian or anti-religious image? I don’t know about you, but without knowing how the picture was made, that looks like a pretty reverent image to me. There’s nothing within the image itself to tell us that the material the crucifix is submerged in is urine - to learn that, we need to go to information not contained in the actual image itself. Is using urine in a work of art to obtain a particular effect automatically insulting, regardless of how the effect itself comes across? > [@](#): > > Third, even if the artist does believe his own bullshit and didn’t _intend_ to insult religion, that is undeniably a failure, since you’ve got religious people still pissed off about it twenty five years later. How many of the insulted Christians in question actually looked at the picture before they decided they were insulted by it? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pitt-piss-obama/642606.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pitt-piss-obama/642606.md?page=7)