Trending News: Googly eyes have invaded the artistic streets of Bend in Oregon, turning the US city’s sculptures into unintended comedians and sparking a whirlwind of laughter, and headlines. They even made a cameo appearance on late-night TV.
Around the city of Bend’s famed “Roundabout Art Route”, these wobbly wonders have popped up on different art pieces — from stoic deer sculptures to a metal sphere. Nobody knows who the googly-eyed prankster is, but their sense of humour is undeniably on point. However, while local residents seem to be having fun, the city authorities are a bit worried.
Sharing snapshots of the googly transformation on social media, a post by the city agreed the googly eyes were funny, but said "it costs money to remove them with care to not damage the art".
"...let's stay away from adhesives, graffiti and all things that can damage the art," the post read.
The post received a lot of comments, with one user even giving a nickname to the now-googly-eyed “Phoenix Rising” sculpture.
"My daughter and I went past the flaming chicken today and shared the biggest laugh,” the user posted on Facebook. “We love the googly eyes. This town is getting to be so stuffy. Let’s have fun!”
"These googly eyes give me the hope to move forward each day," wrote an Instagram user, while another user said on Facebook: “I think the googly eyes on the deer specifically are a great look, and they should stay that way.”
Others, however, are raising a skeptical eyebrow (googly or not) at the city’s priorities. “Can we instead…talk about the daily traffic congestion and traffic jams...” asked one critic, while another post, laced with sarcasm, read: "Yes. THIS is national news...Please help us! It's an emergency!"
It seems most residents, however, want the googly eyes to stay.
"I see a missed opportunity to enjoy something as a community. The city should have highlighted the ways the art brings us together with humor. Not shut down the little bit of fun we have while sitting through traffic," wrote a user.
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A 'Sticky' Issue For Govt
Bend’s sculptures appear to have a history of seasonal accessorising. They have sported Santa hats, wreaths, and even leis in the past. But googly eyes, it seems, have crossed a line — thanks to the sticky damage they can potentially leave behind.
“We really encourage our community to engage with the art and have fun. We just need to make sure that we can protect it and that it doesn’t get damaged,” a report by The Associated Press quoted Bend’s communications director Rene Mitchell as saying.
The googly eye saga even caught the attention of CBS’s “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” where the antics were gleefully lampooned.
Still, Mitchell clarified that the city’s intentions weren’t to kill the fun.
“There was no intent to be heavy-handed, and we certainly understand maybe how that was taken,” she told AP, adding: “We own this large collection of public art and really want to bring awareness to the community that applying adhesives does harm the art. So as stewards of the collection, we wanted to share that on social media.”
So far, the city has shelled out $1,500 to remove the googly eyes from seven of the eight affected sculptures, and is considering repainting the “Phoenix Rising” sculpture, which took the brunt of the adhesive assault, according to the AP report.