LONDON -- A 60 foot poster of a hot male model with a bulging crotch that caused numerous fender benders has been cleared of being "demeaning to men."

The advertisement for Calvin Klein underwear features Australian model Travis Fimmel. When it first went up over London's Oxford Street, the billboard stopped traffic.

Gays came to stare longingly. Women drooled. And a citizens group complained to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).

The complaint said the ad was indecent, sexually suggestive and demeaning to men.

Klein removed the ad while the industry watchdog ASA investigated, but the clothing maker maintained that its billboard was art.

The ASA finally agreed. It ruled the picture was relevant to the product and "was unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence."

This week, the giant billboard is going up again. Similar ads have been up in New York and Los Angeles for months.

As for Fimmel, he reportedly thinks the ad flap is silly. When his agency asked him to go to the Calvin Klein casting, he told them: "No way mate, I'm not wearing jocks."

Only a year ago he was reportedly shy about taking off his shirt for a camera shoot. When he was starting out modeling in Australia he was often late for castings because he would have to milk cows at his father's dairy farm.

-- Anonymous, May 17, 2002

Answers

And the point of this is? That milking cows will enlarge one's penis?

Where's the cows? (not that I need any help!)

-- Anonymous, May 21, 2002