Levels

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Stupidity, like the Inferno, contains levels, each worse than that before.

Some years ago, an artist created a bull sculpture and left it in the middle of Wall Street in the dead of night. After some debate it was kept and moved to the north end of Bowling Green. Tourists like to pose with it, like to photograph it, and, based on where the bronze is shiniest, like to fondle its scrotum.

Because of some random threat and/or paranoia, the police erected a barricade around the bull during the Occupy Wall Street encampment last fall. Apparently, there were credible and immediate threats to the safety of the sacred animal. Because a barricade prevents nothing, the police have a seemingly-permanent presence nearby.

This morning I had to go to my office for ten minutes to retrieve some paper I left on my desk. As I walked by the bull, there were some thirty tourists jockeying for position for the perfect photograph. Since the sidewalk is narrow and made narrower by the barricades, most of them were in the street.

The cop in the car got on her bullhorn* and told the tourists that they were creating a safety hazard and had to immediately get back on the sidewalk.

I was gone – into the subway – before the arrests, SWAT teams, and napalming commenced.

*Heh.

15 thoughts on “Levels”

  1. In 2004, Di Modica announced that the bull sculpture was for sale, on condition the buyer does not move it from its present location. Di Modica continues to own the copyright to the statue. In 2006, Di Modica sued Wal-Mart and other companies for illegally benefiting from his copyright, by selling replicas of the bull and using it in advertising campaigns.[8] In 2009, Di Modica sued Random House for using a photo of the bull on the cover of a book discussing the collapse of financial services firm Lehman Brothers.

    That is a nice little scam.

    • Some time ago, a writer proposed in the Village Voice that we substitute “asshole” for “artist.” For example, “the Asshole Formerly Known as Prince.”

  4. To me it is a perfect metaphor. The bull is a symbol of Wall Street and Wall Street belongs behind bars.

  5. In 2006, Di Modica sued Wal-Mart and other companies for illegally benefiting from his copyright, by selling replicas of the bull and using it in advertising campaigns.[8]

    Ummm, okay, I can maybe see that. If I squint.

    In 2009, Di Modica sued Random House for using a photo of the bull on the cover of a book discussing the collapse of financial services firm Lehman Brothers.

    Douchebaggery of the highest order. I’m not even going to look for the results of that suit. Suing someone for using a photograph of something you put on the street? Good luck with that.

  6. Some guy who made public sculptures of some sort or another sued Warner Bros. for using them w/o payment (or his permission, or whatever) when they were in the background of one of the Batman movies. Whatta you got against copyright?

    More generally: How fucking stupid & irritating are police?

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