Catholic media are not giving a “Hail Mary” to Pamela Anderson‘s casting as the Virgin Mary in the upcoming “A Russell Peters Christmas Special” featuring the Canadian comedian.

Anderson will play Mary in a sketch during the special, holding baby Jesus in her arms with Peters as Joseph at her side. Maybe I’m being presumptuous, but I’m guessing Catholics are offended about Mary’s casting because Anderson is no virgin. She’s famous for running on beaches in “Baywatch,” various nude Playboy photo spreads and a homemade porn video that was leaked years ago with her then-husband Tommy Lee.

National Post’s Rex Murphy writes that objecting to Peters’ choice in getting a “lewd exhibitionist to play Mary, to call in a pop-culture tart to play the very Mother of God” would be considered intolerance from Christians, and so, they should just turn the other cheek:

Of episodes of this kind there is no end, and it will surely be accounted a kind of prudery or humourlessness to make objection to them.

What a martyr.

Despite the attempt to hold his frustration back, Murphy misses a key element from this story: Russell Peters is playing Joseph. Is he chaste enough? I haven’t seen any actual proof one way or the other, but I’d be surprised if Peters’ a virgin. What about Jim Caviezel when he played Jesus in “The Passion of the Christ.” Was he a virgin at the time, too? It’s a shame we can’t ask for their bloody sheets. Do these casting choices also offend the Catholics who aren’t fans of Pamela Anderson playing Mary? Why the double-standard?

Murphy goes on to write:

It would be rather nice if so many people, the Christians of the West, who offer respect, tolerance and regard for beliefs other than their own, could be treated with equal civility and courtesy.

This, according to the adherents of a faith that believes nonbelievers are going to have a second death in a lake of fire and brimstone. How’s that for tolerance and regard?

Meanwhile, for those of us who can laugh at the silliness of virgin birth (and get Canadian TV), Peters’ special will air Dec. 1st at 9:00p ET.



