Bungling the Bobblehead Ad

The subway system in Washington, DC, has pulled a YouTube ad that features a pope bobblehead doll riding the subway to the April 17 papal Mass at Nationals Stadium in Washington. Apparently, it wasn’t the bobblehead that offended, but what the bobblehead was wearing, according to The Washington Post. Our concern is that this was […]

The subway system in Washington, DC, has pulled a YouTube ad that features a pope bobblehead doll riding the subway to the April 17 papal Mass at Nationals Stadium in Washington.

Apparently, it wasn’t the bobblehead that offended, but what the bobblehead was wearing, according to The Washington Post.

Our concern is that this was a bad bobblehead,” said Susan Gibbs, a spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of Washington. “You had unauthorized merchandise, and you had a misdressed pope.”

The bobblehead in the Metro video wears a red skull cap, known as a zucchetto, and a red cape. “Popes don’t wear red skull caps,” and they don’t wear red capes, only white ones, Gibbs said.

And they say this pope isn’t the clothes horse everyone thinks he is …


Now, I know better than to tangle with Susan Gibbs (she’s actually a good friend), and I agree that the bobblehead makers have the zucchetto all wrong, but Benedict has revived the red mozetta, or cape, since Day 1 of his election.

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