The national nightmare is over for Celoron, New York — the hometown of Lucille Ball whose 2009 statue of the “I Love Lucy” star was labeled a “disasterpiece.”
As The New York Times reported: “The replacement statue, referred to as New Lucy by its creator, Carolyn Palmer, was unveiled at a ceremony … on what would have been the comedian’s 105th birthday. It is a more lifelike representation of the “I Love Lucy” star than its predecessor, a grimacing, glaring hulk that would be unrecognizable were it not for a bottle of Vitameatavegamin in her hand.”
Palmer was quoted as saying: “Lucy fans are all hugging me and saying, ‘Thank you.’ They’re all very passionate about Lucy. They feel somehow that she was desecrated before. They see her as a Hollywood icon, a god. I was glad they felt she had been honored.”
The Times added: “The original statue’s detractors eventually came to include the artist who created it, the sculptor Dave Poulin, who said in a 2015 letter to The Hollywood Reporter that he considered it to be ‘by far my most unsettling sculpture.’ He said that the work was originally made for a couple who donated it to the town and that he had wanted to redo it for several years before the controversy erupted.”
Celeron Mayor Scott Schrecengost said: “A little over a year ago, we got beat up pretty good.”
A Facebook page did much of the beating up, but is celebrating now.
Stunning new statue of Lucille Ball finally replaces “Scary Lucy” https://t.co/pz9cOkc6YE pic.twitter.com/qm609UEylD
— MeTV (@MeTV) August 8, 2016
“Scary Lucy” sculptor unveils new polka-dotted statue: “I just hope everyone’s pleased” https://t.co/HnytdP9TfN pic.twitter.com/1fU7UFT50c
— Hollywood Reporter (@THR) August 7, 2016