Armalite Rifle: A Work Of Art

An American assault rifle manufacturer has drawn the ire of Italy's culture minister after an advertisement depicting Michelangelo's David holding a massive AR-50A1 was published in an Italian newspaper.

The ad is actually a year old -- the company tweeted it on May 15, 2013 -- and part of the company's "work of art" campaign...

The country, which claims the copyright to the statue, is trying to force ArmaLite to remove its ad. 

The director of the Accademia Gallery, where David (sans weapon) is on display, said the ad was both in "bad taste" and "completely illegal."

"The image of David, armed, offends and infringes the law. We will take action against the American company so that it immediately withdraws its (advertising) campaign," Culture Minister Dario Franceschini tweeted (translation per the AFP).

And the Historical Heritage and Fine Arts Board curator Cristina Acidini has issued a "legal notice" to the company demanding that it withdraw the ad.

It's always nice to see America making such positive impressions overseas.

The Wire.

Was this ad featuring a HOT SEXY GAY MILITARY DUDE!!! placed in The Advocate etc etc?!!

Or is that big gun just hiding something?

'The penis isn't a patch on the phallus' - Noted supercool gay academic, Professor Richard Dyer. 

Richard also captioned a gay porn photo of some faux army man; 'The fetishisation of state power.'

Top man.

It was Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni's 539th birthday on Thursday, btw!

PS Actually, this is how you turn the Armalite rifle into a work of your actual art.