For a religious group that has become more and more Reader's Digest vapid across recent decades, whose ability to defend its doctrines and policies depends on punishing independent thinking and whose meetings are sleep inducing snooze-fests, a talk about sexy clothes is about as desperately arousing as it can get without unzipping one's pants.
But among those who know the religious organization behind Tony Morris's attention-grabbing address to the faithful, this is anything but surprising. When you've harped on for long, unforgiving decades about the nearness of the end, whilst simultaneously shoring up treasures on earth - some ear-marked for completion in 2017 - expect even your more loyal followers to shuffle their tired, bedraggled feet and barely stifle forceful yawns. Hell, they may even contemplate tighter fitting clothes because all else is miserably bland - except for the razzle-dazzle of an alluring, colorful world intent on arousing you out of your sad slumber.
So these self-appointed Emperors or Governing Body member focus on anything that threatens a straying spirit. They cleverly deflect attention away from their own nakedness by their shaming finger-pointing at the dress styles beloved by many younger Witnesses. The GB portray those who deviate from the prescribed dress-code as keeping homosexual clothing designers happy?Ouch. Having shamed and unnerved the rank and file into becoming even more self-conscious about failing to fit in, they increase the likelihood that the shamed audience are too stunned to realise the 7 Emperors berating their dress sense have got absolutely no clothes on.