What is it with the Americas and sexy Virgin Mary pictures? Barely a month after Playboy Mexico was attacked for publishing an allegedly Madonna influenced cover, another similar controversy arose in Chile.

It's no wonder the Catholic church expressed outrage at fashion photographer Ricardo Oyarzun's plans to feature busty models dressed like Mary in a show. A legal challenge was even filed in the country's court system to stop the artist's work, but it was not successful.

Oyarzun, whose designs for the models feature halos and obvious religious iconography, says the reaction was overblown.

"There is no pornography here, there's no sex, there are no virgins menstruating or feeling each other up," he was quoted as saying by Metro. "This is artistic expression."

We're staying out of the religious debate, but we will say this -- if more stained glass windows looked like Oyarzun's pictures we might be more likely to head to church on Sunday morning instead of re-watching Match of the Day.




Playboy Covers 08

    Adrianne Curry returned for her second Playboy cover last January. We'd never seen an episode of America's favorite Next Top Model, but somehow we found ourselves reading this issue anyway. How weird.

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    When other men's publications are in doubt, they dress a woman up as Wonder Woman. When Playboy is in doubt, they PAINT their 2005 Playmate of the Year Tiffany Fallon in the same costume. February ruled.

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    Three kings, three blind mice, three hot girls in underwear. Playboy stuck to the classics for their 25 sexiest celebrities special in March.

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    WWE RAW beauty Maria Kanellis made her first appearance on the cover of Playboy in April. "Appearing in Playboy is my little party to myself for becoming a woman," she said.

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    Playboy did its bit for promoting healthy post-Cold War relations in May, when they put Olga Kurbatova on the cover. In a Soviet-era fluffy hat, no pants and a hand muff, obviously.

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    Jayde Nicole won this year's Playmate of the Year award and appeared on the cover of the June issue. She was the first Canadian to win the award since 1982. (Try and spot the Playboy rabbit in the water. We bet you can't.)

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    Cindy Margolis is the Internet's most downloaded cougar, and her cover in July showed why.

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    "Of all the athletes out there, I think women tennis players are the sexiest," said cover model Ashley Harkleroad in August. She was not wrong.

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    Anna Farris appeared alongside the Hef himself in September's "The House Bunny". Her appearance on the cover of Playboy that month was entirely coincidental.

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    In October Playboy made us feel slightly uneasy -- and yet very appreciative -- with their university girls issue. The University of Florida's cover girl Kelly Carrington cited football as her favourite sport. But it wasn't the good kind of football -- and if she didn't look like this, that would count against her.

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