An Oop De Doo For ‘Rocky’

Way back in May, the Fairmount Park Commission announced it was going to move the Rocky statue to the side of the Art Museum. It seemed like a move that would please everyone: The Art Museum doesn’t have to put a giant ad for the new Rocky movie on the top of the steps, tourists going to the Art Museum steps can get their photos taken with the statue in an out-of-the-way place and birds have a new place to shit.

Of course, then we remembered: This is Philadelphia. Yesterday, the city Art Commission put the kibosh on the idea, at least for now. Commissioner Moe Brooker’s reasoning:

“It’s not art,” said artist Moe Brooker, a commissioner. “It was a prop.”

Aw, c’mon, Moe. Can’t you see the similarities between your work, Oop De Doo (pictured, available for $500 from Brandywine Workshop), and the Rocky statue?

Tell you what: We’ll put it at the top of the Art Museum steps, call it a meta-commentary on the comercialization of American art and charge $25 to get your photo taken with it. Hell, we’ll cover the Art Museum steps with a giant print of Oop De Doo, too, and sell prints of that. It’ll be so artistic our heads’ll explode.

Art Commission doesn’t like site near museum for ‘Rocky’ [Inquirer]
May 21: People Quackers Over ‘Rocky’ Statue