AIDS AND THE ARTS

Controversy From Benetton: Italian clothing magnate Luciano Benetton, brushing aside angry charges of bad taste and exploitation, formally launched his controversial advertisement Thursday showing a dying, Christ-like AIDS victim. Benetton called the ad--slated to appear in magazines internationally--”a system of communication, not a way of selling.” Gay rights and advertising groups have accused Benetton of “a despicable exploitation of a tragic situation.” The photograph of AIDS activist David Kirby, taken for Life magazine, shows a Christ-like bearded Kirby being hugged by his father, while the hand of his mother clasps his wrist and two female family members look on. The Kirbys declined to take any money for use of the picture, hoping viewers might be shocked into giving more thought to people dying from AIDS.