Marilyn Monroe stands 26 feet tall statue in sunny Palm Springs, an oasis in the desert two hours east of Los Angeles that has been haunting the Palm Springs residents.
Marilyn Monroe’s 2011 monument by the late artist Seward Johnson depicts the renowned actress in a scene from the 1955 film The Seven-Year Itch.
The number of tourists wishing to take pictures of the statue annually greatly exceeds the city’s 485,000 population. In addition, due to blocked street traffic on the street where it is located, the artwork has become an eyesore and a driving hazard for many locals.
From its founding, Forever Marilyn has called Chicago, Illinois, home. The artwork was subsequently acquired in 2020 by the travel agency PS Resorts. Shortly after, the Palm Springs City Council voted to install for up to three years in front of the city’s Art Museum.
A recent lawsuit filed by the Committee to Relocate Marilyn (Crema) was dismissed on February 23. The group contends that the statue dehumanizes women and that the city lacks the legal authority to close the street where the statue is located.
Because the Monroe sculpture was temporary and not permanent, Palm Springs claims that the street might be closed for three years.
Former Palm Springs Art Museum executive director Louis Grachos also spoke out against the statue.
According to Grachos, the first thing you’ll notice while exiting the museum is a 26-foot-tall statue of Marilyn Monroe with her entire rear end and panties showing. She wondered, “What message does it give to our youth, guests, and community when we display a statue that objectifies women, is sexually charged and is disrespectful?”
The three-year timeframe will expire in 2024, so the furious residents will likely be forced to endure the statute for another year.
