Staff Reports
In a city renowned for its towering skyscrapers and frenetic energy, New York never fails to dazzle—or perplex. And this time, as if 2023 didn’t already have its fair share of mind-boggling events, a colossal statue of a black woman has popped up in the heart of Times Square. One can’t help but chuckle and wonder if this is New York’s latest attempt to blend art with amusement—or perhaps confusion.
This oversized tribute, seemingly to some floating concept of diversity, seems as fitting in Times Square as a five-star culinary masterpiece in a fast-food drive-thru. Plastered amidst Peppa Pig and Elmo costumes, the towering figure stands as yet another punchline in what you might call “Woke World: The Reality Series.” While Times Square tourists eagerly snap photos, one must question if transforming the space into an exaggerated game of statue musical chairs is the best way to address representation.
The statue is purportedly part of an art series dubbed “Grounded in the Stars.” It’s a title that sounds profound until you realize the artwork seems more grounded in the kind of whimsy that leaves tourists scratching their heads and conservatives rolling their eyes. Isn’t it puzzling how tough it is these days to discern art from satire? Really, is anyone shocked that this artistic endeavor hasn’t bombarded every mainstream news feed? After all, sculpting a sign of modern-day virtues isn’t nearly as fun as chuckling at New York’s dedication to circus acts masquerading as culture.
Now, don’t get this twisted—there’s nothing wrong with breaking up Times Square’s existing statue lineup of George M. Cohen or Father Duffy, those bastions of old white male excellence. But how ironic to install a new figure alongside them? Sure, she’s not a founding father, but the finished product is as inflated as the very identity politics it claims to challenge. To cap it all off, the memes practically write themselves. Think of it as a modern take on that iconic Planet of the Apes scene, with Charlton Heston substituted for every befuddled onlooker wondering when they accidentally wandered into a Saturday Night Live sketch.
It’s almost poetic that this statue manifests in the same city that removed Thomas Jefferson from its chambers. Oh, how the pendulum swings! One year you’re out of style, the next you’re replaced by an ambiguous artifact deemed too avant-garde to critique. The sudden obsession with adding statues is practically a sport at this point, weren’t we warned of this slippery slope? But fear not, dear reader, because the endgame for statue additions seems just as uncertain as this latest artistic gusto: a cautionary tale wrapped in bronze for all to ponder—or not.
