Aussie summer festival staple Party In The Paddock has been forced to censor the bum of its iconic “nude dude” mascot because Facebook said so.
The pants-less poster-child has been around since the Tassie fiesta’s inception almost six years ago, but has just unceremoniously had his butt-cheeks bleeped on the lineup poster because Mark Zuckerberg & co got all anal and blocked the fest’s Facebook page from boosting any posts on the grounds of nudity.
Naturally, the PITP people reckon they’ve been given a bum steer, being forced to cover up their illustration’s controversial crack in order to prevent their promo campaign from going down the poop chute.
So as a result, they’ve launched a ~cheeky~ new campaign to de-censor their mascot’s iconic derrière, which they’ve proudly dubbed #freethebutt
“After 5 and a half epic years of our symbolic logo, ‘The Nude Dude’, Facebook have told us to cover up the butt…” organisers write. “So for now, the butt has had to be censored, not because of any complaints or being inappropriate, just ‘because’.
“And most importantly, It’s not just any bum… This image has evolved into an annual tribute to a special human that is no longer with us,” they continue. “This iconic image has also become a fundamental part of our identity, as we strive to represent values of freedom, equality and the acceptance of all individuals who come to celebrate this great festival.
“So, in the background we’re currently working on some kind of protest, but in the meantime, please get ready to help us #FREETHEBUTT!!”
The three-day camping festival is set to go down in Tasmania’s White Hills next February with performances from Grouplove, Gang Of Youths, The Avalanches, Meg Mac, Ball Park Music and Client Liaison, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg hay bale.
Catch the full lineup here or read the full #freethebutt statement below.