Chicago's 'beyond-kitschy' Marilyn Monroe statue
"Forever Marilyn," a 26-foot-tall monument to an iconic New York film, is unveiled along proud Chicago's Magnificent Mile

A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Thank you for signing up to TheWeek. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
The video: Chicago already has a reputation for head-turning public sculptures, from the giant Picasso artwork gracing Daley Plaza to Anish Kapoor's mirror-clad "Bean" in Millennium Park. And as of last Friday, you can add Marilyn Monroe to the list. A 26-foot-tall statue of the iconic sex symbol, lace panties on full display under her billowy-skirt from The Seven Year Itch, sits smack in the middle of Chicago's Magnificent Mile. The J. Seward Johnson work, "Forever Marilyn," is a hit with tourists. (Watch reactions below.) But locals are having a decidedly more mixed reaction. The larger-than-life Marilyn is slated to stay up until spring 2012.
The reaction: "Marilyn's making us look bad," or maybe we're making her look bad, ogling the "beyond-kitschy" statue, gawking up her skirt, and licking her legs, says Richard Roeper in the Chicago Sun-Times. The worst part is that the "hideous" blight on a beautiful stretch of our city celebrates a film moment that has nothing to do with Chicago. Why not Blues Brothers? Ferris Bueller? Seriously, "did we lose a bet" with New York? Methinks Chicago "doth protest too much," says Carole Brewer in ChicagoNow. Not everyone is a fan of the resurrected sex symbol, but love her or not, she's "doing what public art is intended to do — to get us talking." See for yourself:
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
Sign up to our 10 Things You Need to Know Today newsletter
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
-
Nuclear drills: Putin urged to test atomic bomb
Speed Reads Russian rescue workers practise evacuating citizens as nuclear expert urges 'show of force'
By Rebekah Evans, The Week UK Published
-
Elix, part of Mar-Bella Collection review: a Greek beachside oasis
The Week Recommends This family-friendly resort offers access to a beautiful beach
By Kaye O'Doherty Published
-
The Indigenous referendum splitting the Australian public
The Explainer The referendum would form a federal body of Aboriginal people in Australia
By Justin Klawans Published