Katy Perry Censored in Saudi Arabia

Singer Katy Perry speaks during the 51st Annual Grammy Awards held at the Staples Center on February 8, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images)

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The Saudi Arabian government wants Katy Perry to cover up, and they're not above coloring in every one of her CD covers with a Sharpie to make it happen.

An American blogger, currently living in the predominantly Muslim country, picked up a copy of Perry's album One of the Boys for her son, and was surprised to find that leggings and long sleeves had been Sharpied onto the cover art, covering Perry's exposed chest and legs.

Upon further investigation, the blogger also discovered that additional photos inside the CD's booklet were also altered.

While the censorship itself isn't surprising -- traditional Muslim women are known for staying covered up -- the fact that each CD was methodically opened, then each cover altered with marker, then rewrapped, is.

The blogger writes:
So what it actually boils down to is that the Saudi government is actually paying religious police members of the Committee for the Protection of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (CVPVP) to remove the plastic wrap from these CDs, open up the CD cases, remove the front and back inserts, and carefully and painstakingly color in with a marker any photos baring exposed female flesh that is deemed objectionable."
One things for sure, the CVPVP is sure dedicated to their cause. Here's a side by side comparison of the original artwork (left) and the artwork Saudi style.

Cover Art