Saturday, May 31, 2008

Let the Statue Parade Hi-Jinx Begin!

I was downtown today for the first time since the human statues went up, and I was not disappointed. Driving up Atlantic, I was thrilled to see a statue of a little girl swinging on a stop sign who looks like she might fall into the road. That's gonna fool some people and give them a scare, and that's my favorite part of the human statue parade. I love having my mind messed with; I love a shot of drama on a hum-drum drive around town. (No, Trump Crane, that's not a hint for you to mess with me by tossing chunks of metal down at me. Stay the F away from me.)

Outside the Ferg, I saw my first instance of people playing jokes with statues. A man crouched behind the statue of the guy with the camera, made bunny ears, then sprinted back across the busy intersection to a large crowd of his laughing friends! Yes! Mayhem! Danger! Statue Parade, you rock!

Downtown again later today, at the same Ferguson intersection, I saw a person sitting on a bench who I was sure was fake. Nope, he was real. A moment later, on my green light, five people jaywalked right in front of me by the camera guy. I actually honked at them because they were ambling and sipping sodas as if they were at a carnival, rather than jaywalking in one of the busiest intersections in the city. I swear, with the line between fake and real being so blurred, pedestrians feel they can do whatever they want. I like this element of chaos even though it's annoying.

I passed the Marilyn Monroe statue outside the Avon Theatre. Don't forget the Marilyn Monroe Look-Alike Contest Tuesday, June 10. Round up your friends, talk a few of them into wearing a halter dress and a blond wig, and meet at Capriccio at 530 for dinner and drinks. Pre-contest party at the Avon at 615, contest at 7, then a showing of the movie Some Like It Hot. Only complicated thing: you have to submit a contest application by June 4, but you can do it online. Go to the Stamford Downtown website, click "Event Calendar", and scroll down. I think there is a singing portion of the competition, so it's pretty involved, but t
here are cash prizes! I'm going to try to get some friends to do it. I have one friend who I think might do well.

As I left the downtown area, a banner announced the Live at Five Thursday concerts coming up. Stamford, I feel you gearing up! I'm hearing non-residents talk about the concerts, and Stamford, we are getting so famous!

Related Stamford Talk Posts:

--March 27, 2008- "Human Life-Sized Art Downtown," in which I tell you why the human statues are too much for me to handle.

--May 26, 2008- "Stamford, NYC, Trump's Looming Cranes," in which Stamford residents weigh in on our very own Crane of Danger.

--May 23, 2008- "Falling Metal at the Trump Parc Site: I'm Angry," in which our very own crane finally attacks

--April 5, 2008- Sat AM: "Looming Crane and Road Closings," in which I take another swipe at the crane

--December 6, 2007- "Target Under Attack by Trump Parc?" in which I first bring up the possible danger of the Stamford crane


This guy on the bench is the one I thought was a statue, because he was sitting very still, and his skin tone looked a little odd, just like the statues.

9 comments:

Kevin McKeever said...

That's no statue. That's my chiropractor!

Anonymous said...

the little girl swinging from the stop sign?

wow, I think that's illegal

Igrecpoint said...

Hey, that a mine of ideas :D

Anonymous said...

check out the new "dancing couple" statue that stands like 20 feet high across from the Avon that was just put up today! It's kinda hideous until I learned the backstory on those characters...I'm thinking I like it! :)

Stamford Talk said...

I didn't go on Bedford St. today- tell me what the backstory is! Is it online somewhere?

Anonymous said...

ST: I will post the backstory tomorrow. To wit: supposedly there is a scaled-down version of said statue by Columbus Park/Washinton Blvd. area(?).

Sorry for my ignorance at this particular time, but I will get the full scoop from my co-worker (my source) tomorrow and report back...it's some kind of "cultural" thing is all I know....stay tuned ;)

Anonymous said...

the *best* one I've seen so far is on the north side of Latham Park (take the street on the right, just past the Avon)...the man that fell asleep in his chair while reading his book.

I swear, he's real...until I actually touch him, he's oh so real to me! :)

Vincent Rodriguez said...

http://vrod62.blogspot.com/

Sabrina said...

I loved those statues! I took pictures of everyone of them and The one of the man sleeping in the park was so real my siblings didn't believe me it was a statue until I sent a picture of me sitting on it :)

I wonder what are they going to use this year, last year I didn't like the animals as much as the human statues.