thedrifter
08-23-04, 06:15 PM
Playboy defies Olympics
From correspondents in Athens
August 21, 2004
OLYMPIC organisers have tried in vain to remove the Greek edition of Playboy from newsstands for offending the Games with a section on the Olympian traditions of sex.
The court turned down the request of ATHOC - the Athens Olympics organising committee - for a restraining order against the circulation of the issue, according to Greek Playboy legal counsellor Stelios Michalopoulos.
"ATHOC considered that by our text and pictures we had offended the symbols of the Olympic Games, the Games themselves as an institution and the organisers," Mr Michalopoulos said.
"Harder, deeper, longer," was how the magazine paraphrased the Olympic motto "faster, higher, stronger," in an Olympics special featuring photos of naked models throwing the discus, distance running or holding up Games' symbols such as the five rings and an Olympic torch.
The request from the organisers was submitted, and immediately turned down, 20 days after the issue was on sale at the newspaper stands.
"It came as a complete surprise. Nobody had complained. I was called back from holidays over the affair," Michalopoulos said.
"2004 seconds of pleasure," was the title of a 4-page "erotic tale of Olympic fantasy" featured in the special, and prompted the following indignant protest from the organisers:
"'2004' is a dominant part of our name and trademark and is inextricably linked with our company and the Olympic Games," organisers said in their written request, reprinted in Athens daily newspaper Apoyevmatini.
"Win gold in the sexathlon," the magazine urged readers, adding: "Contrary to the Olympic Games, at sex one doesn't wait every four years to prove one's value, and it's performance, not just participation, that counts."
"According to the request submitted to court, Playboy's special represents a rude offence to the Games," an ATHOC source said.
"Some bureaucratic minds probably thought they absolutely had to do something about it," Michalopoulos said.
Greek Playboy's August edition was distributed throughout Greece with around 40,000 copies. It had sold out by Friday morning in central Athens time, one day after the court decision.
"They (ATHOC) did very good negative advertising for us... now we're sure that even the last remaining copies of the August issue will be sold," Michalopoulos said.
Agence France-Presse
http://news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,3600,372183,00.jpg
Shocker ... Pamela Anderson graced Greek Playboy recently.
http://news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,10511427%255E13762,00.html
Ellie
For All Those Who Read the Articles;)
From correspondents in Athens
August 21, 2004
OLYMPIC organisers have tried in vain to remove the Greek edition of Playboy from newsstands for offending the Games with a section on the Olympian traditions of sex.
The court turned down the request of ATHOC - the Athens Olympics organising committee - for a restraining order against the circulation of the issue, according to Greek Playboy legal counsellor Stelios Michalopoulos.
"ATHOC considered that by our text and pictures we had offended the symbols of the Olympic Games, the Games themselves as an institution and the organisers," Mr Michalopoulos said.
"Harder, deeper, longer," was how the magazine paraphrased the Olympic motto "faster, higher, stronger," in an Olympics special featuring photos of naked models throwing the discus, distance running or holding up Games' symbols such as the five rings and an Olympic torch.
The request from the organisers was submitted, and immediately turned down, 20 days after the issue was on sale at the newspaper stands.
"It came as a complete surprise. Nobody had complained. I was called back from holidays over the affair," Michalopoulos said.
"2004 seconds of pleasure," was the title of a 4-page "erotic tale of Olympic fantasy" featured in the special, and prompted the following indignant protest from the organisers:
"'2004' is a dominant part of our name and trademark and is inextricably linked with our company and the Olympic Games," organisers said in their written request, reprinted in Athens daily newspaper Apoyevmatini.
"Win gold in the sexathlon," the magazine urged readers, adding: "Contrary to the Olympic Games, at sex one doesn't wait every four years to prove one's value, and it's performance, not just participation, that counts."
"According to the request submitted to court, Playboy's special represents a rude offence to the Games," an ATHOC source said.
"Some bureaucratic minds probably thought they absolutely had to do something about it," Michalopoulos said.
Greek Playboy's August edition was distributed throughout Greece with around 40,000 copies. It had sold out by Friday morning in central Athens time, one day after the court decision.
"They (ATHOC) did very good negative advertising for us... now we're sure that even the last remaining copies of the August issue will be sold," Michalopoulos said.
Agence France-Presse
http://news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,3600,372183,00.jpg
Shocker ... Pamela Anderson graced Greek Playboy recently.
http://news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,10511427%255E13762,00.html
Ellie
For All Those Who Read the Articles;)