YNOT – One must wonder how much further into the censorship morass America can sink when a state frequently cited as a haven for individual liberties zealots — including militias and domestic terrorists — erupts in a moral debate about a stylized nude.
Shanna Weaver of Great Falls, Mont., unintentionally set off the fireworks simply by driving to work. Another Great Falls resident who works across the street from Weaver apparently took umbrage at a decal affixed to the rear window of Weaver’s SUV.
According to an indignant Brian Smith, the Skin Industries logo depicted on the decal is “obscene” because it bears the highly stylized silhouette of a naked woman. He told local media he should not be subjected to “a sacrilegious display of the human body.”
Smith also took his complaint to the police, who investigated and found nothing “obscene” about the image. The investigating officer did not record an official opinion about Smith’s psychological well-being.
Skin Industries calls itself a “sports fashion” company. According to its website, the company manufactures and sells T-shirts and other items that “support both children and adults in their pursuit of enjoyment in all sports and all levels from amateur to professional.” Some designs are undeniably racy, but none are explicit.
The logo at issue pays homage to the iconic “mudflap girl” Bill Zinda created in the 1970s to promote his Wiz Enterprises line of truck and automobile accessories. Since then, mudflap girl has appeared below the bumper of countless tractor-trailer rigs in the U.S. and enjoys a certain stature as an unofficial symbol of the American trucker.
Among respondents to poll at Autoblog.com, more than 77 percent opined the Skin logo isn’t obscene. More than 8 percent indicated they consider the image obscene and inappropriate for public display, and nearly 15 percent said the image is obscene but Weaver has a right to display it on her vehicle.
Thank goodness Weaver didn’t wear a Skin T-shirt to work.
