That was extremely predictable, the last David Bowie’s video for his song ‘The Next Day’ depicting Bowie as a Jesus-like character singing in a underground brothel with a priest and bishop clientele, didn’t please everyone! Catholic League president Bill Donohue released this statement posted on the organization’s website, accompanied by a less-than-flattering photo of Bowie:
‘David Bowie is back, but hopefully not for long. The switch-hitting, bisexual, senior citizen from London has resurfaced, this time playing a Jesus-like character who hangs out in a nightclub dump frequented by priests, cardinals and half-naked women.
The video is strewn with characteristic excess: one priest bashes a homeless man, while others are busy hitting on women; self-flagellation is depicted; a dancing gal with bleeding hands makes a stigmata statement; and a customer is served eyeballs on a plate. The lyrics refer to the “priest stiff in hate” and “women dressed as men for the pleasure of that priest.” The song concludes with, “They can work with Satan while they dress with the saints.” In short, the video reflects the artist—it is a mess.
Bowie is nothing if not confused about religion. He once made a public confession: “I was young, fancy free, and Tibetan Buddhism appealed to me at that time. I thought, ‘There’s salvation.’ It didn’t really work. Then I went through Nietzsche, Satanism, Christianity…pottery, and ended up singing. It’s been a long road.” Too bad the pottery didn’t work.
But Bowie didn’t give up trying to figure out who he is. “I’m not quite an atheist and it worries me. There’s a little bit that holds on. Well, I’m almost an atheist. Give me a couple of months.’
What a surprise! Catholics are reacting to a video that was deliberately intended to shock and provoke them!
First of all, if Bowie still manages to piss you off, he is no senior citizen! Secondly, this is art and art should not necessary please you, thirdly, it’s not because you are offended that you are right – as Ricky Gervais often says! Shouldn’t Donohue look first at his own backyard piling up with child molestation cases and protected pedophiles?
The video was temporarily removed from YouTube for violating its content guidelines, but thanks God, it’s back with an adult content advisory note.
On the other hand, the former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey took it differently, declaring that he doesn’t ‘get offended by such juvenilia’, and that ‘Christians should have the courage to rise above offensive language’, hoping that Bowie would ‘recognize that he may be upsetting some people’, and adding that he doubts ‘Bowie would have the courage to use Islamic imagery’… of course, Bowie wants to stay alive! But attacking Islam wouldn’t make any sense as it is not his culture,… how could David Bowie could relate to Islam? Plus an archbishop suggesting to turn the attack on another team is a no-no!
Okay, attacking religions and the Catholic Church may be everyone’s favorite warhorse, and there is nothing really new, still entertaining nevertheless. But at the end, I think everybody is wrong here, Bowie doesn’t want to attack religions, the whole thing is just a metaphor to tell us he has resurrected from the dead.