MYERS ANGERS GROUP

Originally posted Tuesday April 06, 1999 12:00 AM EDT

Activists in the Hindu community are up in arms over a photo spread in the current issue of Vanity Fair magazine which shows "Austin Powers"'s alter-ego Mike Myers as a religious deity, reports the New York Post. The protesters say the spread -- shot by notoriously provocative photographer David LaChapelle -- mocks their beliefs. Myers is shown in the magazine with a shaved hairstyle and saffron-colored silk robes, traditional mehndi body paintings and a jeweled bindi on his forehead. He has "Call my agent" painted on his hand and holds a Palm-Pilot personal organizer that reads "Om." The shot supposedly is meant to be a jab at celebrities such as Madonna who have recently embraced Hinduism as a fashion statement.