Last year I wrote about an ugly statue of Lucille Ball that existed in a park meant to honor her in her hometown of Celeron, NY (pop. 1,112). Quickly dubbed “Scary Lucy” by locals, the statue was created by sculptor David Poulin and erected in 2009 in Lucille Ball Memorial Park. Since then there’s been quite an outcry to somehow recast or change the statue.
Well, Saturday it finally happened. On what would have been Ms. Ball’s 105th birthday, the lovely “New Lucy” was erected in the park. It was created by sculptor Carolyn Palmer.
“Scary Lucy,” a tourist attraction, is still in the same park but has been moved 75 yards away.
A longer story about “New Lucy” appears in the New York Times.
Scary Lucy looks like either a drag queen or a transgender woman. The new statue looks like Lucy Ricardo stepped right out of a television. It’s flattering.
I was born in 1970; I’d like to see a statue of young Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman. And since I live in Santa Barbara, that’s where I want it erected.
I agree the old statue was horrid. The new one couldn’t be more lovely.
Didn’t like “scary Lucy” at all, and am so glad that the statue has been replaced with one that does her justice!
I couldn’t agree more. I think the new statue is wonderful. Not going to NY to see it, but I’m glad her hometown got an appropriate memorial.
I would never have recognized the first statue, perhaps you should use it for the post you did on “Ugly Americans”; as the ‘logo’ or whatever they call the damned things :'(
the new statue looks so true to life almost like those ‘live statues” that one sees at railway stations, (not train stations) and around Circular Quay, also seen in London Paris Rome and NY
You’re right. Spray some appropriately dressed woman with bronze paint and she’d look just like this.
The so-called original statue is truly dreadful. Thank goodness they did something about it.
It’s a shame it took so long, but I imagine a small town doesn’t have a lot of money to spend on public works of art.
The new statue is OK.
You sound less than enthusiastic. But “OK” is OK.
Something that representational in bronze kind of creeps me out. I would prefer some sort of abstraction to that.
Oh yes, now I understand. Yes, the fact that she seems ready to move any second seems a little … disturbing. Like at night, you wouldn’t want to turn your back on her.
The new one looks like she did on TV. Sooo much better.
I’m so glad that little town with no other claim to fame finally got the truly lovely statue they deserve.