Detroit Pistons Calendar under criticism from Decency Group

[mary]

Foul! Pistons calendar too hot?
A U.S. decency group demands it not be sold, calls dance team's picture layout pornographic.
Kim Kozlowski / The Detroit News

Inside the 2006 Pistons dance team swimsuit calendar, Jenna sports an orange bikini while posing on the Detroit Yacht Club docks. Jillian dons a white maillot, wet from the Hart Plaza fountain she's underneath. Patty skips her bikini top but covers herself while standing in Lake Michigan.

The swimsuit calendar, in its third year, is coming under fire by a national decency organization that has branded it pornography and demanding it not be sold.

The Michigan-based American Decency Association recently began an e-mail campaign to Pistons officials because it thinks the calendar is inappropriate for a sports team to market when it is supported by many families, women and impressionable young children.

"To me, this is a form of prostitution," said Barbara Rotary, a Pontiac resident who saw the calendar while Christmas shopping and complained to the Pistons and the decency organization. "The Pistons are profiting from using women's bodies this way."

Pistons President Tom Wilson called the charges outrageous. He said the calendar features artistic and tasteful pictures of the dance team -- images anyone could see on the beach. Even though Wilson has received e-mails from protesters across the country, he said the calendar will continue to be sold.

"We've had far more positive comments than negative," Wilson said. "The girls look beautiful. They don't look sleazy or cheap."

The 2006 swimsuit calendar features the dance team, also known as Automotion, posing in locales throughout Michigan. The majority of the 8,000 calendars were given away at a December game. The rest are on sale for $13 in Pistons' retail stores to adults 18 and older and other retail locations. Proceeds cover the cost of printing, and anything left over goes to charity, Wilson said.

The Palace Locker Room store at Great Lakes Crossing has required ID checks for the calendar for at least two years, said Keith Knight, manager of the store.

The measure is cautionary, Wilson said, adding that he doesn't believe it bolsters the argument that the calendar is indecent.

"It was just an exercise in extreme caution," Wilson said. "It's a swimsuit calendar. And you have girls in swimsuits in the calendars. There might be somebody who looks at it and says my son is 12 and it's not right (for him to have). We just didn't want to take a chance.

"We are not trying to offend anyone or upset anyone."

The American Decency Organization heard about the calendar from Rotary and sent out an e-mail to its 25,000 subscribers last month. It also called Wilson and promised to put pressure on the Pistons until it no longer published the calendar.

"The Detroit Pistons should be far above the marketing of this stuff," said Bill Johnson, president of the organization, which has had success in changing the Abercrombie & Fitch catalog, pressuring Howard Stern to clean up his show and persuading some supermarket chains to putting blinders on women magazines with sexy headlines, such as Cosmopolitan.

Rebecca Girard, coach of the Pistons dance team, bristled at the group's characterization because the dancers are proud of the work they've done. They are working to expand the calendar so they can raise money for charitable causes. Pornography, she said, is the last thing they would promote.

"We would never put our dancers in a situation that would remotely come close to that," Girard said. "The calendar is a beautiful art form of the girls."

Dance team member Patty Arniego, featured in February covering her topless torso with her arm admits hers was among the more risque pictures. But she thinks it looks beautiful.

"We are not just beautiful faces. We are out there in the community helping kids and volunteering our own time," said Arniego, 23. "Everything we do we're proud of. Everything we do is professional."

Shopping recently at the Palace Locker Room Store, George Douglas fanned through the calendar and said he was surprised it didn't push the boundaries a little further.

"It's not risque," said Douglas, a Saline resident. "You don't have to worry about hanging it anywhere the kids can see. It's tasteful. You can hang it at work or at home."

Willenoa Brown, who enjoys the dance team, had a different perspective.

"It's a little seductive," said Brown, 34, of Pontiac. "I wouldn't say it's pornography, but it's definitely for adults. Although it's a swimsuit issue, it suggests some of them aretopless."

Many other sports teams put out calendars that are far more risque, Wilson and Girard said. The Philadelphia Eagles, for instance, sells a controversial calendar of its cheerleaders posing in lingerie that Girard said is not even comparable to the Pistons Automotion calendar.

Even so, those opposed to the Pistons calendar say the team should be better role models.

"It starts a path and it leads people to think women have little value than a picture in a bikini," said Richard Allen, a Frederick, Md., resident who e-mailed Wilson in protest. "The best way to draw attention is to win games, not to take your cheerleaders and turn them into object of lust."

Kim Rathburn, who was shopping recently at Great Lakes Crossing, can't believe some people think that way. She says the women in the calendar look great.

"These pictures show off their best traits," Rathburn said. "That's the point of a calendar."

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll...38/1004/SPORTS

[dude1394]

"It's not risque," said Douglas, a Saline resident. "You don't have to worry about hanging it anywhere the kids can see. It's tasteful. You can hang it at work or at home."

I sorta doubt that.

[Drbio]

Anyone have a link of the calendar. I need to do more research to make sure I have an informed opinion.

[aexchange]

pistons dancers < mavs dancers.

pistons dancers >>>> mavs maniacs

[bernardos70]

I don't think anyone can disagree, Mavs dancers are probably the best in the league.

Plus, this is professional sports. What do they expect? Do you think teams have cheerleaders because of their incredible dancing skills? Let's be real here.

[Murphy3]

What would you expect? Women are hotter in the DFW area than anywhere else in the US.

[aexchange]

Originally Posted by Murphy3

What would you expect? Women are hotter in the DFW area than anywhere else in the US.

truer words have never been spoken murph.

[u2sarajevo]

[mary]

The cover girl for Detrois is waaay better looking.

[jthig32]

Originally Posted by mary

The cover girl for Detrois is waaay better looking.

I concur. Most of the Mavs dancers have very average faces.

[u2sarajevo]

Apparently at least two people missed my point.

[jthig32]

Originally Posted by u2sarajevo

Apparently at least two people missed my point.

Guess so...enlighten us.

Is it that the Mavs calendar actually shows more skin/cleavage then the one being protested?

[mary]

well speak up.

I really was just commenting on the comparison of "Dallas Dancers" to others.

I'm interested in hearing your point U2.

[DeusDeOmini]

He's saying the Mavs girl has bigger jumblies, but I think the Pistons cover girl is far more attractive.

[mary]

I see now. I guess that didn't phase me...for so many reasons.

The Detroit girl has a better body too.

[Drbio]

Originally Posted by jthig32

I concur. Most of the Mavs dancers have very average faces.

I've never made it that high.

[Drbio]

jumblies? What are you seven years old?

[DeusDeOmini]

Originally Posted by Drbio

jumblies? What are you seven years old?

what are you, 60? And oggling 20 year old girls, sad.

[raefformvp]

"To me, this is a form of prostitution," said Barbara Rotary, a Pontiac resident who saw the calendar while Christmas shopping and complained to the Pistons and the decency organization. "The Pistons are profiting from using women's bodies this way."

So rediculous! Prostitution? Whatever. I am very conservative, but give me a break. Some people truly need to get a life and worry about more important things. Heck, if I had a body like those dancers, I would make a calendar of myself and give it to everyone I know!

[Murphy3]

I'll take the face of the Mavs dancer and the rest of the Detroit dancer..

and as my good friend raefformvp always says, decency is overrated.

[u2sarajevo]

My "point" was that all the NBA teams produce a Dancer Calendar. Detroit is not exclusive in doing so. This decency group apparently has nothing better to do with their hard earned donations.

[Rhylan]

Blondes are so overrated.

[u2sarajevo]

Originally Posted by Rhylan

Blondes are so overrated.

Watch it Rhylan.... all three of my children are as blonde as the day is long.

[Drbio]

I guess the ignorance gene runs dominant in the Deus family. That and the lame retort gene...and the holycrapcanIbemoreofafriggin'retard gene too.

He may be the first person in history to hit the trifecta.

[mary]

Originally Posted by u2sarajevo

My "point" was that all the NBA teams produce a Dancer Calendar. Detroit is not exclusive in doing so. This decency group apparently has nothing better to do with their hard earned donations.

Ah...gotcha

[Smiles]

The decency organization is in Michigan, so I guess they have to clean up close to home first.

If you worked for a professional sports related organization like the the Pistons, Mavs, FSN, then you could probably hang the calendar up at work. I don't think it would fly in many corporate environments though.

The Dallas Dancer has that cookie cutter kind of face - there are a dozen more like her wherever you go. I think Detroit has a better cover girl.

[Murphy3]

The dallas girl has more of the girl next door look... just has more appeal to some than others.