The Pizza Dough Will Rise Again

The last time I heard about New Zealand’s Hell Pizza, they were buying a guy’s soul to get publicity.

(Meh. It’s been done before.)

And now they’re back with something a little more blasphemous. Their new billboards feature hot cross buns… and a reference to Jesus:

I don’t see what’s so bad about that… they’re acknowledging Jesus’ existence. You’d think Christians would appreciate that! But they don’t:

Anglican Church media officer Lloyd Ashton said the campaign was disrespectful to many religions and the people who followed them.

“They [the billboards] join a long line of advertising that’s in questionable taste that slings off [at] things that lots of people hold precious.

“It’s disrespectful to what a lot of people hold very dear.”

Mr Ashton said he was tired of advertising agencies using blasphemy and religious controversy to sell products.

“Their buns are stale…”

Zing!

Hell Pizza is used to anger from the Christian crowd, though. They once advertised their “Lust” pizza with a mailing that contained a condom. (Feel free to insert your own “meat-lovers” joke here.)

It’s really not a big deal. This is just a company having some fun with its ads, playing off its devilish image. It’s not like Christians would embrace such a pizza place even without the ads; the fuss over the latest billboard only increases publicity for the company. More power to them.

(Thanks to Charlotte for the link!)

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Archer

I love the fact the the Christians feel that it will offend many people of faith… yet they feel nothing about knocking on peoples doors to force feed them scripture…

practice what you preach Christians the modern society is one of free speech and thought. If you’re so worried about being offended then stop offending millions of atheists and peoples of other religions the world over
sue

Those are awesome. I’m totally making evil buns on Good Friday now.
Nakor

Oh man… oh do I ever want one of those. o.o I am like a hot cross bun addict, and those are just too freaking epic. WANT.
Lost In The Bible Belt

Would love to bring about a dozen of those to the family’s Easter dinner! Oh my!
Joe Zamecki

For a limited time. A bit like Jesus? Oh if ONLY Jesus had an expiration date. We could’ve gotten past it by now.

Did the Satanists complain? I bet not… 🙂
Drakk

Wait, disrespectful to many religions? I can think of…one.
JD

Drakk, there are other belief systems, but Christians tend to frown on the other belief systems that happen to use a pentagram. I really don’t get the problem here though, the Pentagram has fallen out of use in the Christian faith, it’s seen as a symbol of evil even though ancient Christians had used it too.
keystothekid

I think I first heard of this place when they had that sweet youtube viral zombie video/commercial. You were a Hell pizza delivery dude and there was a zombie outbreak and it was kind of like a choose your own adventure.
Secular Stu

Bishop Ambrose Wolfinger of Wellington was quoted as saying, regarding the pizza chain’s ad, “It is totally outrageous and absurd to compare the Lord Jesus Christ to some piece of dough. Now if you’ll excuse I have to go to Mass.”
Kamaka

“It’s disrespectful to what a lot of people hold very dear.”

Perhaps. What’s your point, Mr. Ashton?

Mr Ashton said he was tired of advertising agencies using blasphemy and religious controversy to sell products.

Blasphemy? Bahaha!

Readjust your undies and you’ll be fine, Lloyd.
Oli

awesome i like they’re other advertising too
Drakk

Drakk, there are other belief systems, but Christians tend to frown on the other belief systems that happen to use a pentagram. I really don’t get the problem here though, the Pentagram has fallen out of use in the Christian faith, it’s seen as a symbol of evil even though ancient Christians had used it too.

My point. I’m not sure who the use of a pentagram or comparison of the buns to Jesus would offend other than Christians.
Moose

Bishop Ambrose Wolfinger of Wellington was quoted as saying, regarding the pizza chain’s ad, “It is totally outrageous and absurd to compare the Lord Jesus Christ to some piece of dough. Now if you’ll excuse I have to go to Mass.”

I am so glad I had swallowed before I read that remark…
Brian

Disrespecting people is one thing, and to my mind to be avoided.

Disrespecting someone’s idiot beliefs is another.

I have faith that canned beets make women bowlegged, and I expect and accept the disrespect that faith gets.
brent

respect the religionist not the religion.
GaR

This stuff is a non-issue in NZ; the outraged whiners are a tiny minority.

Oh, and the Lust pizza is hell of awesome 😀
Andy

Yeah i dunno what all the fuss is about, i think thye’re awesome in fact all the attention led me to drive around the CBD tryna a get a photo of one of these mean billboards…couldnt find even one though! Did Hell’s Pizza give in to the pressure and take them down?