- Title: Drone flies high over giant Marilyn Monroe statue in Palm Springs
- Date: 24th June 2021
- Summary: PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (JUNE 23, 2021) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF DRONE VIDEO OF MARILYN MONROE'S STATUE IN DOWNTOWN PALM SPRINGS TOURISTS POSING FOR PHOTOS IN FRONT OF MARILYN MONROE'S STATUE TOURISTS TAKING A PHOTO WITH A VIEW OF CELL PHONE SCREEN TOURIST POSING FOR PHOTO NEXT TO MARILYN MONROE'S HIGH HEELS MORE OF TOURISTS POSING FOR PHOTOS IN FRONT OF STATUE 77-YEAR-OLD JOHN MCDERMOTT PALM SPRINGS RESIDENT CLAPPING IN FRONT OF STATUE (SOUNDBITE) (English) 77-YEAR-OLD JOHN MCDERMOTT, PALM SPRINGS RESIDENT, SAYING: "I speak for the vast majority of the residents of Palm Springs, where everybody is ecstatic to have her back here, absolutely ecstatic. It's good for the community, it's good for the businesses. You know, this is going to be our Eiffel Tower. This is going to be the Eiffel Tower of Palm Springs." MORE OF DRONE VIDEO OF MARILYN MONROE'S STATUE WITH TOURISTS POSING FOR PHOTOS MORE OF TOURISTS POSING FOR PHOTOS IN FRONT OF STATUE MARILYN MONROE'S FACE VARIOUS OF TOURISTS POSING FOR PHOTOS IN FRONT OF STATUE (SOUNDBITE) (English) AFTAB DADA, CHAIRMAN OF P.S. RESORTS, SAYING: "Knowing we had pandemic and our businesses in downtown were suffering, we thought this would be the ideal time to bring her back to Palm Springs, where she was discovered in 1952." TOURIST POSING FOR A PHOTO AND CLAPPING VARIOUS OF AFTAB DADA CHAIRMAN OF P.S. RESORTS TALKING WITH TOURIST (SOUNDBITE) (English) AFTAB DADA, CHAIRMAN OF P.S. RESORTS, SAYING: "We truly feel that the traffic she will generate, knowing with the past experience how popular she was. And at that time in 2012, 13, 14, the social media explosion wasn't as great as it is now." STATUE OF MARILYN MONROE SEEN FROM MAIN STREET IN PALM SPRINGS "WELCOME HOME FOREVER MARILYN" SIGN IN FRONT OF A RESTAURANT TOURIST WALKING IN MAIN BOULEVARD IN PALM SPRINGS VARIOUS OF DRONE VIDEO OF STATUE FRONT AND BACK 65-YEAR-OLD MELISSA MANSON RETIRED ARTIST POSING FOR A PHOTO UNDER THE STATUE (SOUNDBITE) (English) 65-YEAR-OLD MELISSA MANSON, RETIRED ARTIST, SAYING: "I'm glad women have a voice, but I think there's an appropriate place to express it. And I don't think this is the place to do it. I don't think this offends anybody. I don't think it's misogynistic. I don't think it exposes women to anything dangerous or uncomfortable. I mean, there's plenty of things out there to protest. And I don't think this is the right place for it." DRONE VIDEO OF STATUE VARIOUS OF CHRIS MENRAD FOUNDER OF THE "COMMITTEE TO RELOCATE MARILYN" WALKING ON THE STREET AND LOOKING AT MARILYN MONROE'S STATUE (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHRIS MENRAD, FOUNDER THE COMMITTEE TO RELOCATE MARILYN, SAYING: "The issue that the committee to relocate Marilyn has with the current location of the statue is that, it is placed in the middle of a new street that was created to open up our world famous Palm Springs Art Museum and connect it to our main street, which is Palm Canyon, just that direction. And we have an issue with placing a large statue that is blocking that view on a quote unquote, temporary basis that everybody knows is not going to be temporary." MARILYN MONROE'S STATUE SEEN FROM A SIDE STREET (SOUNDBITE) (English) SONIA, PALM SPRINGS PART-TIME RESIDENT, SAYING: "I don't think it's sexist, it's who she was, the beauty she represents, so I'm good with it." SONIA PALM SPRINGS PART-TIME RESIDENT POSING FOR A PHOTO DRONE VIDEO FROM PALM SPRINGS ART MUSEUM TO MARILYN MONROE'S STATUE (SOUNDBITE) (English) 50-YEAR-OLD BROOKS THOMAS, RESIDENT OF PALM SPRINGS FOR 8 YEARS, SAYING: "It's absurd that you're going to leave the museum and see the backside of someone's underpants from any era, regardless who it is or what it is like. It's you know, people have all kinds of issues with other things that they find obscene, but this you know, they think it's acceptable." VIEW OF STATUE FROM PALM SPRINGS ART MUSEUM STAIRS TOURIST TAKING A SELFIE SHOWING MARILYN MONROE'S UNDERPANTS VIEW OF MARILYN MONROE'S LEG WITH A VIEW OF A TOURIST TAKING A PHOTO PAN DOWN OF MARILYN MONROE'S LEG (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SONIA, PALM SPRINGS PART-TIME RESIDENT, SAYING: "I'm glad she's here again, Marilyn so fabulous." SONIA PALM SPRINGS PART-TIME RESIDENT POSING FOR A PHOTO WITH FRIENDS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SONIA, PALM SPRINGS PART-TIME RESIDENT, SAYING: "The history of Palm Springs has a lot to do with celebrities and Hollywood and it is an attraction and the city needs more visitors." KIDS POSING FOR A PHOTO IN FRONT OF STATUE MAP OF DOWNTOWN PALM SPRINGS WITH MARILYN MONROE'S STATUE INCLUDED DOWNTOWN PALM SPRINGS WITH BUSY TRAFFIC PALM SPRINGS SIGN
- Embargoed: 8th July 2021 16:04
- Keywords: California Marilyn Monroe Metoo movement Palm Springs statue tourism
- Location: PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
- City: PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Celebrities,Arts/Culture/Entertainment,United States,Editors' Choice
- Reuters ID: LVA001EIMIN9J
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Marilyn Monroe is back in Palm Springs in a big way, but not everyone is happy about it.
A 26-ft tall statue of the Hollywood icon in the famous billowing white dress has been installed in front of the Palm Springs Art Museum, facing Palm Canyon Drive, the city's main tourist strip.
The piece of art was created by sculptor John Seward Johnson II and inspired by a scene from the film, "The Seven Year Itch" and was officially unveiled on Sunday (June 17).
The statue represents hope for city leaders and businesses who seek to attract tourism and boost sales after the pandemic. After just three days, it's already proving popular with tourists, who stop to take their photo with Marilyn.
"We truly feel that the traffic she will generate knowing with the past experience how popular she was. And at that time in 2012, 13, 14, the social media explosion wasn't as great as it is now," Aftab Dada, Chairman of P.S. Resorts told Reuters.
Dada says the statue was brought to Palm Springs in 2012 on a rental basis for 26 months and then moved to New Jersey in 2014.
77-year-old John McDermott, a Palm Springs resident, was on his morning bike ride when he stopped to look at the sculpture.
"I speak for the vast majority of the residents of Palm Springs, where everybody is ecstatic to have her back here, absolutely ecstatic. It's good for the community, it's good for the businesses. You know, this is going to be our Eiffel Tower. This is going to be the Eiffel Tower of Palm Springs," said McDermott.
But the towering sculpture doesn't impress 50-year-old Brooks Thomas, a Palm Springs resident of for 8 years.
"It's absurd that you're going to leave the museum and see the backside of someone's underpants. From any era, regardless who it is or what it is like. It's you know, people have all kinds of issues with other things that they find obscene, but this you know, they think it's acceptable," he said.
When the statue was unveiled on Sunday, protesters, including the Women's March Foundation, chanted that it was misogynistic and exploitative.
65-year-old Melissa Manson is a retired artist and moved to Palm Springs 3 years ago. Manson says "Forever Marilyn" shouldn't be a place to denounce women's rights.
"I'm glad women have a voice, but I think there's an appropriate place to express it. And I don't think this is the place to do it," said Manson. "I don't think this offends anybody. I don't think it's misogynistic. I don't think it exposes women to anything dangerous or uncomfortable. I mean, there's plenty of things out there to protest. And I don't think this is the right place for it."
The location of 'Forever Marilyn' has also caused controversy.
Chris Menrad, founder of the Committee to Relocate Marilyn says the main purpose of opening the road was to give more visibility to the museum. Instead, the statue was installed in front of the museum, when the original plan was to place it in the adjacent park. The group has filed a lawsuit citing public codes, and has fundraised more than $70,000 in efforts for the removal.
"We have an issue with placing a large statue that is blocking that view on a quote unquote, temporary basis that everybody knows is not going to be temporary," said Menrad.
'Forever Marilyn' will remain in its current position for three years, then community leaders will reassess its location.
(Production: Sandra Stojanovic, Norma Galeana) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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