Stirring the pot? Archdeacon Glynn Cardy of St Matthew-in-the-City church explained the poster was an effort to avoid the sentimental trite spark thought in the society

Protesters demand for a poster showing Virgin Mary with a pregnancy test in New Zealand to be taken down calling it ‘blasphemy’

Her hand covers her mouth and there’s a stunned, scared look in her eyes. The pregnancy test is positive.No, it’s not a teen actor in an after school special, it’s the Virgin Mary in the latest Christmas billboard from

St Matthew-in-the-City, an Anglican church in Auckland, New Zealand, that’s no stranger to controversy.Spark conversationIn a statement on the church’s website, Archdeacon Glynn Cardy explained that the billboard, “Mary is in the Pink,” is intended “to avoid the sentimental, trite and expected to spark thought and conversation in the community.”

Part of the statement read, “Christmas is real. It’s about a real pregnancy, a real mother and a real child. It’s about real anxiety, courage and hope.”"Many in our society are suffering: some through the lack of money, some through poor health, some through violence, and some through other hardships. The joy of Christmas is muted by anxiety.”

 This time, the church has invited people to come up with their own captions for Mary and her pregnancy test.However, people are angry at the poster and a scissor-wielding protester destroyed it.

Arthur Skinner, a member of an organisation calling itself the Catholic Action Group, who described the Renaissance-style picture as “satanic”, was photographed attacking it.”Yes, it is vandalism,” Skinner proclaimed proudly outside the church.”I’m guilty. If they want to arrest me, be my guest. If it comes to that, I believe in being persecuted for my faith.”

He told the crowd of worshippers: “We are traditional Catholics. We don’t look for trouble, but watch out if you start this sort of thing.”Skinner added those responsible for the poster, which was created by an advertising agency, would “certainly burn in hell” if they did not repent.

Many of the people who knelt on a wet pavement under umbrellas to pray condemned the poster as blasphemous.The Rev Glynn Cardy, said, “I’m disappointed that there is not more tolerance of different views. They obviously feel strongly about it.”

In the past

In 2009 the church put up a billboard showing Mary and Joseph naked in bed after sex. “Poor Joseph. God was a hard act to follow,” read the caption. The church was forced to remove the billboard after attacks.

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Star India's new channel Life OK goes on air.

New Delhi: Star India`s new channel Life OK goes on air Sunday with Bollywood diva Madhuri Dixit being the `sutradhaar`. The stories will have compelling content that flows from the philosophy that `Life is Ok`, and ad breaks are kept shorter.

“Life OK is a unique name which is in itself a statement of its philosophy, compelling content that flows from that philosophy and an unprecedented focus to cater to the viewer`s needs,” Star India CEO Uday Shankar said in a statement.

“We found that viewers wanted better value for their time. Hence the stories on Life OK will be told seven days a week and will feature three stories every hour. People often said that they did not understand why we were doing a certain story and hence Madhuri Dixit will be the `sutradhar` – a completely novel introduction on Life OK,” Shankar added.

 The channel also promises to have shorter ad breaks.Everybody that we spoke to said that they wanted shorter ad breaks, so Life OK will have the shortest ad breaks for any channel anywhere in this country,” Shankar said.

Being a `sutradhaar`, Madhuri will guide viewers about the stories on the channel and its link to the channels philosophy.

The shows cover a wide spectrum of emotions – “Meri Maa” pays tribute to special bond between a mother and a child; “Mahadev” is about Lord Shiva`s journey; “Saubhagyavati Bhava” shows the sorrow of a young woman whose parents focused on external appearances while choosing her life partner; “Smile Please” shares that the glue that binds a family is the values and not the money; and “Tum Dena Saath Mera” will show how simple joys of life have become casualties of materialistic world.

And there will be “Sach Ka Saamna”, hosted by Rajeev Khandelwal, which will put the spotlight on pervasive moral and economic corruption.

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A large banner with the image of the pope and Egypt’s Grand Sheikh of the Al-Azhar Mosque Mohammad Ahmed Al Tayeb hung from a bridge near the Vatican Wednesday, later to be removed.Vatican secretary of state Tarcisio Bertone “is examining the steps that may be taken with the competent authorities in order to guarantee adequate protection for the figure of the Holy Father,” Holy See Press Office Director Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J. said in a statement.

Benetton at times uses shocking images involving social issues to stir interest in its sweaters and other merchandise.The Ponzano, Italy-based company had said its “Unhate” campaign used “symbolic images of reconciliation – with a touch of ironic hope and constructive provocation – to stimulate reflection on how politics, faith and ideas, even when they are divergent and mutually opposed, must still lead to dialogue and mediation.”

Late Wednesday it pledged to scrap the advertisement with the pope, one of a series of doctored photos depicting world leaders kissing each other on the mouth.”This is a grave lack of respect for the pope, an offence against the sentiments of the faithful and a clear example of how advertising can violate elementary rules of respect for people in order to attract attention through provocation,” Lombardi said.

Other images show kisses between US president Barack Obama and Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, Obama and China’s President Hu Jintao and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu locking lips with Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas.

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The party-hopping socialite will be in the city from September 24 to 26 to launch her line of handbags and accessories. Simi Garewal was apparently approached to feature her on her chat show. But the lady in white refused!Says a source, “Simi was informed there were only initial talks with Karan Johar, but no agreement was settled and no interview with him is happening. Apparently, Karan did not want to do an interview where the questions would be dictated to him.As a result, they were keen that Simi do the Paris interview as she had also featured Lady Gaga on her show.But Simi does not want to be a last-minute second choice.”

Composer Aadesh Shrivastava has been co-ordinating with Simi on behalf of Hilton’s managing company in India.The source adds, “Simi has recently shot back-to-back episodes with Kangna Ranaut, Rani Mukerji, Neil Nitin Mukesh and Asin and is extremely tied-up with the post-production.She is also planning for the grand finale episode. There are deadlines to be met and Simi just can’t suddenly fit in Paris.”Meanwhile Paris has stated on a micro-blogging site: “This will be my first trip to Mumbai. I’ve never been to India before.

“Bash in Mannat?
Buzz is that Gauri Khan will be hosting a bash for Paris Hilton on September 24. The who’s who of B-Town is expected to attend the event to be held either at Mannat or at a suburban hotel.

In a poll conducted by the Associated Press and America Online, Hilton was voted the second Worst Celebrity Role Model, after Britney Spears

According to a 2011 poll conducted by Ipsos, a global market research company, Hilton is the most unpopular celebrity among Americans, with 60 per cent of the responders having an unfavorable opinion on her.Critics suggest that Hilton epitomises the title of famous for being famous; echoing that sentiment, the Associated Press conducted what they called an experiment in trying not to report on Hilton for a whole week.

Her latest show The World According to Paris (which chronicles her daily life) will not be returning for a second season due to low viewership ratings. Paris features alongside mom Kathy Hilton, boyfriend Cy Waits and Charlie Sheen’s ex Brooke Mueller on the series.A homemade sex video of Paris Hilton and then-boyfriend Rick Salomon was leaked on the Internet in 2003, later released as the DVD, One Night In Paris despite attempted legal action.Hilton has had a fair share of runs-ins with the law driving under the influence of alcohol, over-speeding and found in possession of drugs at airports.

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This time they are going to highlight why India is so populated. The game starts with Junior Bachchan and his friend discussing issues of India over population.Soon lights go off and people are left with nothing other than passing time. And guess what whats anything better than having fun with your biwi (wife). Here starts the real fun. And then things fall into places, the rest is what you will find out.

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The commercial shows captain of the Indian cricket team M S Dhoni taking a dig at Harbhajan’s role in a commercial for rival Pernod Ricard’s Royal Stag.

In the royal stag advertisement, Harbhajan opts to not work at his father’s ball-bearing factory.

The alleged spoof of the advertisement shows Bhajji’s look-alike being slapped by his father for being incompetent.

The notice states that such commericals cause disunity and friction within the Indian team. For the first time in television commercials an Indian cricketer is seen mocking a team-mate for a liquor brand.

Harbhajan’s lawyers have demanded for an unconditional apology along with the advertisements being withdrawn immediately.

Platinum and Royal Stag are competing whiskey brands that come in the same price band.

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The technology giant asked Japanese artist Takashi Murakami to produce the special Doodle to dedicate the exceptional day. Murakami’s work is usually known for its appropriation of high art forms such as sculpture, which he then melds with low art themes from pop culture to mass media.

Unlike its recent Doodles, Google decided to go simple to mark summer solstice. The third letter of the logo – ‘O’ has been replaced by the image of the Sun and the multi-colours gave a summer touch to the Doodle. Google features the special logo for the countries in northern hemisphere.

Technology giant Google never misses a chance to feature Doodles on its search engine homepage globally and locally. The interactive and beautifully designed Google Doodles remind us about special days and life of great artists and scientists.

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Zee TV, the flagship channel of the Zee Network, Sunday unveiled its new aqua blue logo and look with the tag line ‘Umeed Se Saje Zindagi’. The channel foresees the brand positioning as a celebration and co-relation with the constant change that society has seen in women’s lives.

‘We believe the time is right to infuse into the brand and reflect an identity that truly articulates our spirit. The new positioning is about a celebration and vindication of woman’s emerging beliefs and a reflection of her hopes, dreams and optimism. This essence is very well captured in the line, ‘Umeed Se Saje Zindagi’,’ said Punit Goenka, managing director and CEO of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited.
‘Our primary audience is undoubtedly women and the new shows will also focus on them. We intend to bring some young stories which cater to the youth and the young girls of today,’ said Goenka.

The revamping of Zee TV logo has been done by the in house team of the channel, while advertising agency Draftfcb Ulka is the creative agency.

Explaining the new logo, Goenka said: ‘The new aqua blue colour logo signifies the upward movement of desires and wishes. The unshackling of the ‘Z’ from the box symbolizes today’s women’s zest for life and confidence to go out in the world beyond her home.

‘The overall design has a progressive feel and reflects the idea of looking into the future. The rainbow of hope is a very important element of the new packaging. It is ethereal and symbolically emphasizes the promise of ‘Umeed Se Saje Zindagi’ celebrating hope and life,’ he added.
Zee TV has also worked on the restructuring of its programming and content to replenish the channel in a new way. The channel is going to offer its viewers new shows like ‘Shobha Somnath Ki’ and ‘Mrs Kausik Ki Paanch Bahuein’ and also reality show ‘India Ke Jaanbaaz’, with real heroes that will make the common man a superstar.

Meanwhile, the ongoing shows will continue to entertain viewers.
‘We have spent almost Rs.10 crore on the creative aspect of this entire revamping. The strategic reason behind this move is very simple. In a cluttered market like today the broadcasters need to refresh themselves from time to time,’ Goenka said.

The channel, launched in October 1992, had earlier revamped its existing logo in 2005. The current, complete makeover for the network comes at a time when Zee Tv has acquired third position on the GRP chart.

The new logo will be adapted by every channel of Zee network, apart from the sports channels.

Zee network broadcasts more than 25 channels, with a reach of more than 167 countries and access to more than 500 million viewers globally.

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Imran Khan poses with a homeless dog named Tony for the latest PETA campaign.

The ad, shot by photographer Avinash Gowariker, is to encourage people to adopt homeless dogs.

“The fact is, there are dogs and cats and all kinds of animals roaming around the streets. Very often, people buy dogs, buy cats — they see them as toys or as fashion accessories. They get bored of them and they throw them out of the house. That’s a very horrible thing to do,” Imran says.

The actor, to be seen next in Delhi Belly, added that whenever he sees a sick or injured animal, he tries to help.

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Both the celebrities have communicated that they won’t charge a penny for participating in an awareness campaign encouraging people to stand up and be counted in the last phase of Census that is supposed to end on February 28.

The Census department has also given out a confirmation that the icons are on board for the next phase of campaigns that that will be circulated in 12 languages and which have cost the exchequer Rs38 crore.

“Sachin is an icon and if he is spreading a message then everybody would like to follow it. He’s a star in himself, so is Priyanka (Chopra),” Chinmoy Chakravorty, consultant to registrar general of India, said in a statement.

“Since they have not charged money, they are not brand ambassadors in the traditional sense, but it was a very kind gesture for them to agree to shoot for two special campaigns for the Census department where they would ask everybody to stand up and get counted,” says an official, working with the Census department. “The basic message that they will try to give out is to ask everybody to co-operate with the enumerators who are visiting your home to count you,” the official adds.

According to sources, while Tendulkar could only manage a limited time to shoot, Chopra has promised as much time as it requires. Apart from the still photographs, Chopra will also be seen doing her special bit for women. “Priyanka will encourage women to talk about what work they do. Generally women (especially among the backward classes and sex workers) keep mum about the work they do. Priyanka will be seen urging them to discuss work even if they have a working husband at home,” says the official.

It is learnt that the home ministry got in touch with UNICEF, which readily partnered the campaign and got Priyanka on board. Sachin was contacted through another NGO for whom he works.

“We are glad that they decided to allot time to us without charging money. In fact, they have used their own make-up person etc for the shoots the costs of which were borne by them,” the official informs.

Ironically, the earlier campaign that Chopra did for free was for the income tax department where she urged people to pay their taxes regularly.

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