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That's Sexist! Rep. Anthony Weiner Says 'Offensive' Queens Statue Has Got to Go

That's Sexist! Rep. Anthony Weiner Says 'Offensive' Queens Statue Has Got to Go

"Some art is simply offensive."

As Wisconsin rumbles and Libya roars, New York Rep. Anthony Weiner has his own problems to worry about:  the Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives wants New York City to remove "a public statue in Queens that depicts a nude man standing over two prone women and to sell it on Craigslist," according to the AP.

The "Triumph of Civic Virtue," as the nearly 100-year old statue is called,  is sexist says Weiner. "I believe in art, I believe in public art...But that doesn't mean that we don't have a right to say, forcefully, some art is simply offensive to us and we think it should go."

What should the city "forcefully" do with the "simply offensive" statue? Weiner and City Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras (D-Jackson Heights) have the rosy solution: sell the thing on Craigslist to raise funds for the financially beleaguered city!

One sane New York City resident reminds us that the statue "is an allegory. This is a representation in the classical style." The statue, which you can see above, depicts a burly male figure--"civic virtue"--triumphing over the twin-evils of vice and corruption, depicted as defeated women.

According to the New York Observer, the congressman's office intended to prematurely place an ad on Craigslist yesterday evening to sell the statue. A copy of the ad, given to the Observer, appears below. It looks like the ad was placed on Craigslist yesterday, but has been "flagged for removal" since.

Sexist Statue for Sale

For Sale: 22-ton (sexist) marble "Triumph of Civic Virtue" statue by renowned sculptor Frederick MacMonnies.

Own a (tasteless) piece of New York City history! Triumph of Civic Virtue created by sculptor Frederick MacMonnies - the artist behind iconic figures such as the Quadriga in Brooklyn's Grand Army Plaza - is now up for sale for a limited time.

This controversial and offensive statue crudely depicts a young man with a sword triumphantly standing over the defeated bodies of two women. In 1941, then-Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia had the good sense to banish the figure from its initial location in City Hall Park.

Unfortunately, it ended up in Kew Gardens, where it remains to this day.

Now, community leaders want to see it go.

All proceeds from the sale of this sexist eyesore will benefit the city of New York. Shipping is not included.

The AP gives us some background on the statue: "The 20 foot high marble statue was designed by sculptor Frederick MacMonnies and unveiled in 1922 in Manhattan's City Hall Park. Its allegorical portrayal of vice as female was even controversial back then and in 1941 it was moved to its current location near Queens Borough Hall."

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