…and this is a 
Photoshop unnecessary
Category: Weirdness
Posted on: May 24, 2007 6:00 AM, by PZ Myers
In an exercise that will tempt photoshoppers world wide, but makes alteration superfluous, an Italian magazine has run a photogallery of the Pope in various strange costumes. I rather liked cowboy Ratzi and the grim leprechaun, but my favorite has to be evil santa.
When I get to be old and sunken-eyed, I promise…I will dress comfortably and tastefully, put away the frilled shirts and the puffy pantaloons, and avoid wearing garish velvet. It's a good suggestion for both pirates and popes.
Comments
Like George W. Bush, Pope Razi loves playing dress-up.
Posted by: mMilo Johnson | May 24, 2007 6:13 AM
Fancy that. The pope's ferret lined high-heels can be seen in the box to the right of the slideshow.
There's nothing like slipping your feet into a dead polecat to ease away those nagging theological doubts.
Posted by: christianjburnham@gmail.com | May 24, 2007 6:31 AM
The old geezer sure has a lot of pretty dresses. And gaudy bling.
Posted by: Gork | May 24, 2007 6:38 AM
His smile is more disturbing than most men's scowls.
Posted by: Jeff | May 24, 2007 6:38 AM
ROFL, Grim leprechaun? I kept hearing Monty Python's "bring out your dead" BTW though the photoshoping would indeed be superfluous, how about a funny caption contest? I was also reminded of a lucky shot someone took of the last pope on one of his visits to the Big Apple it was framed with the pope's head covering the "O" in the word donut as he rode by a sign on the street. I wish I had the link, it was priceless.
Posted by: Fernando Magyar | May 24, 2007 6:41 AM
The one with the green vestments and the thurible just reminded me of that old punchline, "Dahhhling, your drag is divine, but your purse is on fire!"
Posted by: Bill Sheehan | May 24, 2007 6:52 AM
Hilarious! Now, how about some pictures of blacks and Jews in funny poses?
And retards and ugly women.
Hahahahahahahahahahaha!
Great fun.
Posted by: Humes Boys | May 24, 2007 7:16 AM
Humes wrote:
Interesting rhetorical trick. PZ makes fun of X. Replace X by Jews and suddenly PZ is shown up as being as bad as an anti-semite. Replace X by blacks and PZ may as well be a racist.
By that logic, if I say that 'I don't like M&M's', that's pretty much equivalent to me stating 'I don't like blacks and Jews'.
Posted by: Christianjburnham@gmail.com | May 24, 2007 7:25 AM
How can you get up this bloody early?
Posted by: Bobryuu | May 24, 2007 7:28 AM
PZ, you may not be sunken-eyed, but, sorry to say, you are old.
;)
Posted by: Ric | May 24, 2007 7:43 AM
I know looks are a poor metric for judging character, but man that is one evil looking bastard.
Posted by: Darrell E | May 24, 2007 7:51 AM
When I get to be old and sunken-eyed, I promise...I will dress comfortably and tastefully
But a long silk dress is wonderful for lounging in.
Posted by: Rugosa | May 24, 2007 8:52 AM
I read this morning in my local paper that while in Brazil the idiot said something to the effect that what Europeans had done to indigenous peoples in Southamerica was fine since they all wanted to be introduced to Jeebus and just didn't know it. I think that is one of the most outrageous neocolonialist racist remarks ever uttered by anyone in the catholic hierarchy in recent memory. Under what rocks are they finding these f....ing dinosaurs ?
Posted by: Umilik | May 24, 2007 9:06 AM
Clothes make the man.
Clothes make the man seem oh-so-important to all those brainwashed people.
Manipulative bastard!
Posted by: CalGeorge | May 24, 2007 10:03 AM
Your "Evil Santa" reminded me of a Gahan Wilson cartoon:
an almost vampiric Santa louring over a terrified boy, and saying, "Willie, I hear you've been a very naughty boy."
Posted by: Elliott Grasett | May 24, 2007 10:05 AM
Popes, yes, I'll grant you that. But frilly shirts are okay for old, sunken-eyed pirates, and anyway, pirates get to wear whatever the hell they want. Nobody's going to say, "Hey, Edward Teach, you look creepy in that getup." They're going to say, "Please don't hurt me, sir."
Posted by: Chinchillazilla | May 24, 2007 10:49 AM
It's Papal Paper Doll Dressup Time!
What a fun product that could be. And i'd finally know what to give my half-sister and her kids, who recently converted to Catholocism. So much better than Border's giftcards!
Posted by: Jenbug | May 24, 2007 11:07 AM
Photo #1 is not bad either, sort of a negative of Dizzy Gillespie.
Posted by: CCP | May 24, 2007 11:16 AM
Wow, the pope is a dead ringer for a lich.
Posted by: commissarjs | May 24, 2007 1:22 PM
The photo of the Pope in today's Pioneer Press (not sure of the source) is terrifying. Reminds me of Darth Sidious or Lord Sadler (from Resident Evil 4). I wouldn't want them to choose their Pope by looks, but definitely don't choose a man who looks like evil itself.
Posted by: Kele Cable | May 24, 2007 3:26 PM
This pope had always reminded me of someone, someone sinister and evil, but I couldn't think of who. When I told my brother this, he replied, "The Penguin! From Batman!"
He was right.
Posted by: kellbelle1020 | May 24, 2007 6:32 PM
You know, the cape in picture 7 used to be worn by bishops before the 2nd Vatican Council. He wears a style of palium (the strip of cloth with red crosses, over his shoulders in picture 4) in a style that hadn't been used for several centuries. He is also wearing the camauro (the "Santa hat") and red shoes that were eschewed by the previous popes. Even for a Catholic, he is in the backward end of the sepctrum. I wouldn't be surprised if all of the sudden he decided to bring back the use of the tiara (the triple crown, the symbol of the papal monarchy).
Posted by: Ribozyme | May 24, 2007 6:49 PM
Man you guys are proper numpties
Posted by: Non Imous | May 24, 2007 7:03 PM
First, let me say that I thought the pictures were hilarious. I don't have a stick up my ass; I laughed at Evil Santa with the rest of you. But I have to ask, though...
Why are you making fun of what the guy wears? I mean, I read this blog because, well, I like hearing well-thought out arguments, and I agree with a lot of the ones here (especially those dealing with evolution). But this didn't refute something he said, didn't argue against a policy of his... just said he wears funny clothing for photo ops.
Of course I'm saying this as a Catholic, so I realize that this isn't really my area to get involved in as a righteous defender against ad hominem arguments, but I'd just like to hear what other people have to say.
Posted by: Maya | May 24, 2007 8:11 PM
The juxtaposition of the "holiest man on earth" looking like an evil gnome is hilarious. Does it really need to be deeper than that?
I mean, no one here is saying "I've rejected Christianity on account of the pope wears weird clothes" or "I disagree with the pope's X statement because he looks dumb".
Posted by: kellbelle1020 | May 24, 2007 8:52 PM
Tight threads! Ratzi be pimpin' yo. Rollin' in da popemobile. Holla!
Posted by: Dustin | May 25, 2007 4:43 AM
jeez, Maya. Familiar with the concept of "fun"?
Posted by: CCP | May 25, 2007 9:10 AM
Who does her hair?
Posted by: amorpho | May 25, 2007 12:54 PM
is it just me or does the "evil santa" photo look like the Emperor from Star Wars?
Posted by: Jim Lemire | May 25, 2007 10:50 PM
Every picture of the Pope looks like the Emperor from Star Wars.
Posted by: Dustin | May 26, 2007 2:58 AM