Serious Business Illegal Rifle Photoshopping Onto Michelangelo’s David

An Armalite ad ended up exposing that Italy can’t take a joke:

Armalite-Michelangelo-David-Rifle

Italy’s cultural minister said the following in a tweet:

The image of David, armed, offends and infringes the law. We will take action against the American company so that it immediately withdraws its campaign.

Full Story – BBC

Michelangelo’s David is SERIUS BIZNUSZ guise.  I’d be more concerned that shooting that rifle naked and prone could cause some major chafing.

Thoughts?  Are ‘shops like this are illegal in the US too?  Could I photoshop ENDO Apparel shirts on Mt. Rushmore and still be within the law?


Comments

29 responses to “Serious Business Illegal Rifle Photoshopping Onto Michelangelo’s David”

  1. Yeah man, David was a pacifist. He never carried a weapon.

    1. Except for all those times he did.

  2. Wait…they edited a leaf over his junk too?

    Italy must be the opposite of Zardos.

    THE PENIS IS GOOD! THE GUN IS BAD!

  3. hnl.flyboy Avatar
    hnl.flyboy

    ENDO-Mike, you should make this a tshirt, with an AR or AK in his arm:

    “The slingshot is obsolete…”

    or

    “Civilization has advanced since the slingshot…”

    1. ENDO-Mike Avatar
      ENDO-Mike

      I don’t want to get sued and barred from eating pasta and pizza forever!

  4. HOORAY FOR ENLIGHTENED EUROPE! WHO NEEDS FREE SPEECH WHEN YOU’RE ALL ENLIGHTENDED AND SHIT

  5. Taofledermaus Avatar
    Taofledermaus

    I think lying about things being illegal that are considered “free speech” is illegal.

  6. Mr_Rich Avatar

    I would have thought that after 500 or so years the image would have passed into the public domain. It’s not like we are talking about Mickey Mouse.

    1. ENDO-Mike Avatar
      ENDO-Mike

      haha awesome

  7. cottewmitch Avatar
    cottewmitch

    Uhm… Pretty sure they can’t do shit, since Armalite isn’t bound by Italian law. Also, whats up with tweets becoming a way to have international policy?

    1. jim bob Avatar

      i think tweets are totally juvenile and a commentary on how society as a whole is regressing.

      PS i passed Putin a note in study hall asking him if he thought i was cute

      *check YES NO or MAYBE*

  8. TrojanPuppy Avatar
    TrojanPuppy

    That’s especially curious, seeing as they didn’t say a damn thing when an artist created a full-sized David dressed as rambo, complete with a rifle, at Miami’s Bayside market. Right next to Mother Theresa holding an AR. So it’s ok only if you’re edgy about it? Google it, the statues are still there.

    1. ENDO-Mike Avatar
      ENDO-Mike

      haha just googled it.. awesome stuff. I suppose this worked out in Armalite’s favor for all the free press they have got because of it! Kind of like a Daniel Defense super bowl type situation going on!

  9. I made this one about four years ago. Should I expect trouble?

    http://deadlyclose.com/img/ak_monalisa.jpg

    1. ENDO-Mike Avatar
      ENDO-Mike

      BRB calling the Louvre butthurt police.

  10. In American law (America is that place that produces big-assed rifles and sells them to just about anyone), they would have to prove the image is “harming” them. Can’t be done. Plus, Image of David passed into public domain about a hundred years ago.

  11. They have time for serious shit like this, I mean, it´s not like they have country to run… Or do they? I don’t even know why we let them being a country…

    1. Because if we give them to French it’s going to be worse.

      1. I was… heeeeh, I mean…. Coz I’m French and…
        Damn.
        You have a point. *sigh*

  12. UncleMikes1897 Avatar
    UncleMikes1897

    Went to Wikipedia to verify that the statue does (as I seemed to recall) indeed hold a sling (which means that when the Cultural minister said “The image of David armed offends” that his argument about the re-staged statue is invalid). While there I ended up learning something else:

    Because of the nature of the hero that it represented, it soon came to symbolize the defense of civil liberties embodied in the Florentine Republic, an independent city-state threatened on all sides by more powerful rival states and by the hegemony of the Medici family. The eyes of David, with a warning glare, were turned towards Rome’.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_%28Michelangelo%29

    That’s exactly what that AR-50A1 means to us, pal. Plus, as it it turns out ArmaLite choosing to have David bearing the rifle means just that much more.

  13. Other than “Vada a borto, cazzo!” I got nuthin’…

    ;)

  14. Critter Avatar

    I mean, c’mon, it’s not like he’s holding a Tech 9 or a Cobray derringer so it can’t be disrespectful, right?

    1. He needs to be dual wielding, hi-points!

  15. The emotional reaction of Italy’s cultural minister just gave them more attention, proving this ad worked as designed. I salute you, Armalite.

  16. I was arrested in Italy once, in a village near Vicenza crime? INSULT.

  17. hey italy!!! we bitch slapped you hard in the 1940’s want a fresh one??

    if it was not for a few great car companies and skanky clothes makers no one would care about you

  18. Hunter57dor Avatar
    Hunter57dor

    another country that doesn’t have jurisdiction, is upset with an ad that follows the copyright regulations of this one?

    cool story bro, rage moar.

    it can be classified a work of parody, (im sure this is) and therefore, is fair use.

  19. Italy attacked Greece, and the Greeks sucessfully counter attacked. The French put up signs on their border “Greeks!~ Stop! This is France!”