The Fearless Girl statue is once again in the news.
Because some easily-irritated guy has had a very immature response to it.
No, this idiot didn’t hump the Fearless Girl, like some giant douchebags have done in the past.
But he did take even more thought-out steps to humiliate her.
First, some background:
The “Fearless Girl” was placed opposite the sculpture of a bull (created by Arturo Di Modica and meant as a power symbol for the financial sector of Wall Street) in downtown New York City in March on International Women’s Day on a temporary permit.
It was meant to represent women’s rights and equality and how females ought to play a vital role in the American economy.
Under pressure from women’s groups, Mayor Bill De Blasio extended the permit for an additional 11 months.
And neither of these acts sat well with artist Alex Gardega, who has chosen to retaliate with a work of his own.
In the form of a urinating dog. Right at the food of the Fearless Girl.
Seriously: Gardega created a statue of a small dog, titled “Pissing Pug,” and this lewd pooch is aiming his pee stream directly at “Fearless Girl.”
At her left leg, to be exact.
What inspired such an angry act?
“This is corporate nonsense,” Gardega told The New York Post of “Fearless Girl,” explaining that it was placed across from the bull statue as a publicity stunt by a Boston-based financial firm and adding:
“It has nothing to do with feminism, and it is disrespect to the artist that made the bull. That bull had integrity.”
A resident of the Upper West Side, the sculptor didn’t beat around any bushes.
He came right out and expounded on how he views “Fearless Girl,” telling the newspaper:
“I decided to build this dog and make it crappy to downgrade the statue, exactly how the girl is a downgrade on the bull.”
Gardega has never met Di Modica. He’s acting on his own controversial accord here.
(It’s worth noting, however, that Di Modica is suing the aforementioned financial firm that sponsored “Fearless Girl,” arguing that it unfairly implicates his creation and changes the interpretation of his art.)
Di Modica has not yet commented on the pissing pug.
But many users on Twitter certainly have:
“I have a lot of empathy for the creator of the bull, Arturo,” Gardega told NBC.
“I’m a pretty happy person, not seething or angry and certainly not anti-feminist. My piece is not without a sense of humor. There is plenty of room for ‘Fearless Girl.’
“It just interferes with another artist’s work/vision.”
Gardega has removed the dog statue (he never had any legal right to bolt it to the ground) and further explained his actions as follows:
“I took it away personally. I didn’t want to leave it to be taken and certainly had no rights to bolt it to the ground. Most people were amused or perplexed by it.”
We never thought we’d ask this question, but sound off below:
Are you on Team Fearless Girl or Team Pissing Pug?