Toronto, Canada, Dec 9, 2003 / 22:00 pm
The image of a young black woman, dressed as a nun in a low-cut habit and showing her bare midriff to promote an online music service has gotten many Canadian Catholics up in arms.
“It is taking something holy and sacred to Catholics, the habit worn by our religious sisters, and twisting it to sell a product which promotes the accessibility of music, some of which is probably degrading to women,” said Michelle Smillie, who works for the Office of Life and Family for the Archdiocese of Vancouer, reported the B.C. Catholic.
The campaign first appeared in Toronto in mid-October and has since been launched across most of English Canada, including Vancouver.
The $500,000 advertising campaign for Puretracks.com, an online music service, portrays a scantily clad “nun” with a large cross hung from her neck in what seems to be an old church or monastery. The text at the top of the ad reads “pure hip hop”, while the text at the bottom of the ad reads “puretracks.com, from 99¢ a song”.