Naked Bottom Ads Opposed by Times Square Church

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In response to the complaints of a pastor of a church in Times Square, a New York state Supreme Court Justice has ordered a temporary restraining order against a company that proposed to put up ads that would have shown naked bottoms with smiley faces.

The advertisements for the Washlet - a bidet-toilet seat that uses warm water and air - were to go up July 1 for 30 days on the two sides of the building that houses the nondenominational church, writes the Associated Press (via MSNBC).

A lawyer for Van Wagner Communications, the advertising company that was to have posted the ads, says he does not wish to trivialize the objections of the church, but he points out that it is, after all, Times Square. “It’s the billboard capital of the world, and it’s home to some of the most sensational advertisements in the universe,” he is quoted as saying.

But State Supreme Court Justice Marcy Friedman yestereday ordered a temporary restraining order against raising the billboards at Rev. Neil Rhodes’ request. The church was ordered to post a $90,000 bond pending a decision on the issues discussed during a conference between the parties, according to another Associated Press story (via Forbes). The money will go to the defendants for damages and costs, including lost revenues, if it is determined by the court that the 8,000-member church was not entitled to an injunction.
The Washlet website also uses naked bottoms to promote the product, along with the slogan, “Clean is happy.”