It could be embarrassing to pose for a nude calendar you can't sell.

Imagine sitting there, four months into the year, with 5,000 unwanted copies of a calendar and almost $16,000 in debt.

Still, this sad situation might end up being just bizarre enough to turn things around for seven middle-aged moms in Spain who have a story that has captured attention and sympathy from around the world.

I can't argue with their intentions. They want to build a recreation center in a rural village so small that the elementary school has only seven pupils yet still manages to be cramped.

It's their solution that got them into trouble: a tongue-in-cheek "erotic" calendar, reminiscent of the one created by the "Calendar Girls," of Yorkshire, England, whose successful effort earned them $2.55 million and inspired a 2003 movie.

You might think that gimmick would only work once, anyway. Then the Spanish women got slapped with a complaint from their distributor, the local news picked up on the story, and from there it spread to media organizations and Web sites worldwide. I bet they get their recreation center now. Good for them.

Yet, I do have to ask why a nude calendar — even a humorous one — would seem like a good idea for an elementary school fundraiser.

Even as I pass judgment, though, I can't come up with any alternative way to raise enough cash for a rec center that will serve just a handful of kids. What government agency would put that kind of project on its priority list? What foundation would opt to help seven kids when it could help hundreds more for the same money?

I'm just troubled that the women ended up having to sell some dignity along with those calendars.

While the "Calendar Girls" story was empowering, the story coming from Spain seems more humiliating.

Did the Spanish women feel beautiful when they ended up with 5,000 calendars left over four months into the year? Did they feel a sense of accomplishment when their attempt to raise money left them with more debt than their meager salaries could cover?

It's sad to consider that these women, like so many others, thought that perhaps their "sex" was their most valuable asset, only to discover that perhaps it wasn't. That has to be a rough realization to reach.

I can only hope that the women are getting support now, as their story spreads around the world.

As other women read the story, I hope they learn the lesson that when they need money, they'd be better off trying to sell something other than themselves.

Reach Treena Shapiro at tshapiro@honoluluadvertiser.com. Read her daily blog at blogs.honoluluadvertiser.com.