Members of a church in Stamford, Conn., are upset with the placement of a massive statue of a scantily clad Marilyn Monroe.
The 26-foot statue of the blonde bombshell went up this week in a local park as part of the downtown district’s “Art in Public Places” series, The Stamford Advocate reported Friday.
Artist Seward Johnson’s statue depicts Monroe’s iconic dress scene above a subway grate from the movie “The Seven Year Itch.”
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Monroe’s statue, however, was placed in front of First Congressional Church, with Monroe’s underwear-clad buttocks directly facing the church.
“If God had something to say, he probably would’ve sent a bolt through it,” First Congregational member Michael Dagostino told the newspaper.
Dagostino said he preferred a Christmas tree that was in the area where the statue now stands. The tree was cut down last month after it died from disease, a Stamford downtown official told The Advocate.
“It’s disrespectful to the church,” Pam Riley, another church member, told the newspaper of the Monroe statue. “Her skirt is up in the air and everyone’s under there looking up her skirt.”
Other residents are complaining that the gigantic statue, weighing nearly 30,000 pounds, is inappropriate.
“I just find the position to be offensive,” resident Lorri Tamburro said. “It was, in my eyes, very disrespectful. I looked at it and I think because of what I saw with all these little kids looking up, the height is ruining it. It’s ruining beautiful Marilyn.”
City officials have reportedly received several phone calls complaining about the statue, especially as children are climbing up the model’s legs.
Not all residents are disturbed by it, The Advocate reported.
One nearby resident, Marilyn Lodato, was named after the famous actress.
“This is an iconic pose,” Lodato said. “This art is incredibly well done from the details on her toenails to the shoes. I don’t think that it’s so offensive … I think it honors her.”