Disgraced Hollywood titan Harvey Weinstein is keeping a low profile these days, but a satin-robed sculpture of him seated a golden “casting couch” is making an appearance at Hollywood Boulevard and La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles.
Weinstein’s right hand is clutching an Oscar (The 90th Academy Awards ceremony will take place on Sunday).
The statue is a collaboration between street artists Plastic Jesus and Joshua “Ginger” Monroe, known for their avant garde installations. Plastic Jesus usually does Oscar-inspired works to show the underbelly of Hollywood, while Monroe is responsible for creations like this:
Plastic Jesus, whose real name is unknown, told The Hollywood Reporter that the Weinstein piece, which took two months to make, was intended to be interactive and allow passersby to sit next to Weinstein.
“For many years the exploitation of many hopefuls and established names in the industry was brushed under the carpet with their complaints of harassment and sexual abuse being ignored or worse,” said Plastic Jesus told the publication.
“Hopefully, now in the light of recent allegations against many leading figures in Hollywood the industry will clean up its act.”
The real Weinstein was felled in the wake of explosive October reports in The New York Times and The New Yorker detailing complaints that he had sexually harassed and assaulted dozens of women. The outcry launched a global movement against sexual misconduct by powerful men in entertainment, media, politics, business and sports. Weinstein has since apologized and plans to “do right” by those he has hurt.
Monroe told The Hollywood Reporter that the Weinstein statue’s couch suggests a “visual representation of the practices and methods that are used in Hollywood with these big powerful people.”
“They have money and power to give jobs and they use that for their own sexual gratification and there’s no better way to visualize this than the way we did with the casting couch,” he said.
The best way to take down powerful people is to “poke fun,” Monroe added.
“As Mark Twain once said, ‘Against the assault of laughter, nothing can stand.’”
People on Twitter had mixed reactions to the statue:
Where do you stand?
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