Pagans & Homer: This Ain't No Odyssey

In what has to be at once the most brilliant and most baffling marketing strategy ever, advertisers for the "film" The Simpson's Movie, have taken an ages-old chalk drawing in the rolling hills of England and updated it with the visage of Homer Simpson.

From The Sun:

PAGANS have pledged to perform “rain magic” to wash away cartoon character Homer Simpson who was painted next to their famous fertility symbol - the Cerne Abbas giant.

The 17th century chalk outline of the naked, sexually aroused, club-wielding giant is believed by many to be a symbol of ancient spirituality.

Many couples also believe the 180ft giant, which is carved in the hillside above Cerne Abbas, Dorset, is an aid to fertility.

A giant 180ft Homer Simpson brandishing a doughnut was painted next to the well-endowed figure today in a publicity stunt to promote The Simpsons Movie released later this month.

It has been painted with water-based biodegradable paint which will wash away as soon as it rains.

Ann Bryn-Evans, joint Wessex district manager for The Pagan Federation, said: “It’s very disrespectful and not at all aesthetically pleasing.

“We were hoping for some dry weather but I think I have changed my mind. We’ll be doing some rain magic to bring the rain and wash it away.”

She added: “I’m amazed they got permission to do something so ridiculous. It’s an area of scientific interest.”

She also expressed fears that the painting of Homer, from the animated television series The Simpsons, would cause a mess as it washed away.

During the Second World War, he was disguised to prevent the Germans from using him as an aerial landmark.

Since then he has always been visible, receiving regular grass trimming and a full re-chalking every 25 years.

A few things strike me about the whole thing: one, how did the movie studio get permission to put up something like that? I mean, really look at it. It appears as though Homer Simpson is playing ringtoss with a donut and an ancient dude's penis. Two, since it's pretty obvious that the movie studio did get permission, who was the idiot who approved it? This thing's frickin' OBSCENE. Third, who the hell are these people who are "outraged" that a "pagan fertility symbol" has been degraded? Seriously people. Do you think that ancient people didn't have a sense of humor? That they didn't razz each other? That this huge chalk drawing wasn't a joke on Aethelred over the hill, who had a small penis and was kind of a wuss? Seriously. Just look at the frickin' thing! It has got to be a joke... the same kind of joke that we see on water towers in today's era... you know, "Joe blows goats" spray painted on an overpass, complete with crude drawings to illustrate. Fer crap's sake. I mean, look up "pagan" in the dictionary! The word "pagan" comes from a Latin word that merely means "non-Christian or Jew." It isn't a religious descriptor. You can be pagan and not subscribe to any religion.

Dufii.