Journal Sentinel bows to right-wing pressure - there's a shocker

In Section: General Posted By: Jan

info@themiramartheatre.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 28, 2008

MILWAUKEE JOURNAL-SENTINEL CALLED

“SILLY, NOT SALACIOUS” IN 2004

BUT NOW THEY ARE REFUSING TO RUN ADS FOR THE SHOW

After receiving complaints regarding a PUPPETRY OF THE PENIS ad which ran
on Good Friday, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel is refusing to run
additional ads for the show, which will appear at the Miramar Theatre in
Milwaukee April 15-20. The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel had no problems
running ads for previous engagements of the show and ran an ad without
complaint prior to Good Friday.

In keeping with the comedic tone of the show, return engagements such as
Milwaukee, are being referred to as part of the “Res-erection” tour. It
was an unfortunate coincidence that an ad featuring this language ran on
Good Friday. Producer David J. Foster and William Stace, owner of the
Miramar Theatre sent a letter to the editor of the Journal-Sentinel on
March 25th apologizing to those who may have been offended, and explained
that the same ad runs year round wherever the show is being presented, and
was never intended to make light of the religious holiday. The newspaper

declined to run the letter.

“PUPPETRY OF THE PENIS is a comedy. It is not sexual and there is no
swearing. And, we certainly make no references to the Bible, Christianity
or any other religion. “We have even received a clean bill of health from
the Bishop of Colchester, who said, ‘There is nothing wicked about the
human body. I refuse to condemn this show.’”

PUPPETRY OF THE PENIS sent the Journal-Sentinel a revision of the ad with
the words the “Res-erection Tour” removed. Instead, a quote from the
Journal-Sentinel’s review of the show in 2004 (“Silly, not salacious”) was
included. The newspaper still refused to run the ad. Speaking from his
office in New York, show producer David J. Foster said “It’s a shame that
the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel is being swayed by a small minority of
people who are afraid of seeing the word ‘penis’ in the newspaper.”

Here are links to what was being said.

http://badgerblogger.com/?p=6742

http://www.afa.net/

http://cheatseekingmissiles.blogspot.com/2008/03/easter-sunday-scan.html