Mural removed of smoking bunnies having sex. Restaurant owner says it wasn’t his call.

Update: The Indianapolis Star reported Friday afternoon that the mural has since been painted over, but owner Jonathan Brooks said he was “disappointed” in the decision. William Potts, who painted over the mural, said he was following his supervisor’s orders and it wasn’t Brooks’ decision. The owners of the building reportedly did not respond to a request for comment from The Indianapolis Star.

Imagine this: You pass by a restaurant and see it has a mural that shows two bunnies — one with a cigarette in its mouth — having sex.

Would you find humor in the situation? Or would you view it as inappropriate?

That’s the debate some are having in Indianapolis after owner Jonathan Brooks recently put up the mural on the outside of his restaurant Beholder, RTV6 reported. Some call the drawing of bunny fornication obscene, but Brooks says he sees no harm in it.

“If you’re offended by cartoonish images of sex and death you need to seriously reevaluate your relationship to your own mortality,” he wrote on Facebook, according to The Indianapolis Star. The drawing is by Los Angeles artist Jules Muck, who often uses bunnies in her work.

Johnnye Davis, who lives near the restaurant, said the mural should be considered a piece of art, according to CBS4.

“I got a great sense of humor and I got an act for art,” he told the TV station. “I see it from an artistic view.”

In a Facebook post, the restaurant itself also defended the drawing as a boundary-pushing mural meant to promote discussion.

“We have created this space and this food to encourage our community to explore culinary and cultural boundaries,” the Facebook status reads. “Not everyone is going to get it — the food — the art — we understand that, but we will continue to support and contribute to the creative culture in Indianapolis.”

The restaurant, located in a residential area, is also right next to a Family Dollar, according to The Indianapolis Star. Coralyn Turentine said she was shopping with her 9-year-old daughter Gabby when they came across the mural.

“It’s a conversation starter, is what it is,” Turentine told the newspaper. “Come on Gabby, let’s go talk about what the rabbits are doing.”

Still, not everyone appreciates the mural.

“I don’t think it should be there because there’s children that come here all the time to Family Dollar,” said Devin Stephenson, according to RTV6. “I’d have to explain they’re wrestling.”

Local Valerie Davis complained that the mural is “promoting cigarettes in the inner-city where people don’t need to be promoting unhealthy habits like that,” according to CBS4. She said she hopes to ask the building’s owner to repaint the wall.

Commenters on the restaurant’s Facebook page had a wide array of opinions on the bumping bunnies.

“Will never go with this trash painted on the building,” one user wrote.

“This has been going through all the pet rabbit Facebook pages like wildfire, to much acclaim. It’s beautiful. Keep up the good work,” a second replied.

Brooks himself also left a now-deleted Facebook comment that angered some online, according to The Indianapolis Star.

“ ’It’s not my favorite mural’ WHO (expletive) ASKED,” he wrote. “Go do your own thing... and you’re welcome for the rising property values. Bye.”

And what does Muck think about all the controversy surrounding her artwork?

“I want to go on the record stating that there’s no proof that the bunnies are doing anything other than hugging,” she said, according to The Indianapolis Star.

This story was originally published October 19, 2018 at 9:09 AM.