Thursday, May 28, 2015

UIW statue receives national attention

University of the Incarnate Word, no kidding, that a real thing. Erk *brakes* full stop.

That should be the post right there. Incarnate, that means "in the body," right? Then "word." So, "university of the word that becomes human form." That's what they're calling themselves. It's a private Catholic school then because no one else would do that. Although odd, I admit the name is a better than some of the other slightly more macabre names that Catholic schools proudly display that I pass and wonder, that's a bit odd; The Collected Study Halls for the Eternally Bleeding Flogged & Punctured Body of Crucified Christ Pre-Elementary School for Little Girls. Their tendency in nomenclature is a bit sanguinary sometimes.

A young feminist noticed a statue at the school that stood out to her and that she didn't like. It's one of these statues of a bench with a person that invites you to sit and join them, but then you'd be in limited space in the middle of a conversation going on between two statues with you as flesh bologna to their metallic Wonder bread sandwich and there you'd be sitting in the middle of a path with no shade where an ornamental statue would go.

For a feminist there is much to object to about this statue at this university in this state. It reminds them of so many other similar statues and similar things they don't like and that get on their nerves like Catholic Schools and like Texas. So much to get busy in Instagram and ridicule. It does fit a pattern and that pattern is annoying once noticed and damaging besides as it persists through time with new art. Here are the things that they say. Follow their links if you like and see other statues of mansplaining and manspreading and men domineering all over the place. They may seem charming to you but pisses them off.

Fine.

Annoying person. Not my issue. Not my conversation. Not my school not my state not my hangup not my problem. Here, I'll fix it.


8 comments:

Chip Ahoy said...

I just realized something. The statue boy is offering his jacket or sweater. Something draped in his hand that I hadn't noticed.

Amartel said...

Mental exercise (to the extent that's possible) for Lady Progressives and their Greek chorus of enablers: Try to come up with a scenario in which the figure which is seated is in the power position and the figure standing on one leg and bending forward toward the seated figure is less powerful. The leg up on the bench is the supplicant's false pose of confidence belied by the crossed hands and slightly hunched shoulders. He wants a date, or at least he wants to continue the conversation. She's considering that possibility but hasn't decided yet.

Geez, only feminists could find this offensive. Probably the same jittery insecure asshats who couldn't deal with the paunchy underwear guy in the snow statue that turned up on a campus last (?) winter, possibly mistaking him for their boyfriend.

Rabel said...

"Something draped in his hand that I hadn't noticed."
I think that's just his pants leg. Or maybe you're seeing his right hand on top of his left sleeve. It's a little darker than the left hand because it's the one he slaps her with when she won't shut the fuck up.

Chip Ahoy said...

Oh.

Chip Ahoy said...

The idea of the statue is students have a relaxed conversation. One is reading another comes up, "Oh hi."

But I must say, I saw the same as the feminists did.

Michael Haz said...


So this lovely and benign statue appeared on campus yesterday? Or was it there when Ms. Snowflake toured the campus before enrolling, and just suddenly *poof* became scary and stuff?

If she ever makes it into the chapel, she's going to have a really rough time with the stations of the cross.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

When these kids leave school and try that with an employer...

ricpic said...

My problem with the sculpture is that it's insipid. A reproduction of Matthias Grunewald's Crucifixion on this Catholic campus would not be insipid. Which is probably why the college would never have it placed in an entry hall or a student dining room. Wouldn't want to upset the precious flowers with real emotion, real commitment, real belief. Which is what art is all about on the rare occasions it is worthy of being called ART. That's why Chip's beloved Egyptian Art still holds a charge for us, though we share none of the Egyptians' hierarchical belief system. The charge survives because of the absolute commitment with which it was made. Anything less, 98% of what passes for art, is piffle.