Yes, the New ‘Obese Black Lady’ Statue in Times Square is Ghastly, But It’s Worse Than You Think
A new statue just went up in Manhattan, and once again, it’s being pushed as a symbol of female empowerment. But take one look at it, and you have to ask, who exactly is this supposed to inspire?
The statue is of a fictional, obese black woman with a blank expression, slumped shoulders, and a very saggy-looking chest. They’re calling it a nod to Michelangelo’s David, but there’s nothing noble or uplifting about it. She doesn’t look proud or strong. She looks tired, checked out, and maybe on a cocktail of antidepressants.
Visitors and residents of Times Square have a new piece of artwork on view these days: a 12-foot-tall sculpture of a woman, titled Grounded in the Stars, stands at Broadway and 46th Street.
The bronze sculpture is the brainchild of London-based figurative artist Thomas J Price. By creating the fictional character, Price aimed to encapsulate the observations, images, and open calls of New York, Los Angeles, and London.
According to Times Square’s official website, “Times Square stands as an iconic symbol and site of convergence, uniting people from all walks of life, individual stories and experiences intersecting on a global platform.”
The new installation, presented by Times Square Arts, is a subtle nod to Michelangelo’s David and captures familiar everyday qualities through the woman’s stance, countenance, and clothing.
So this is how they imagine a woman’s stance now? Slouched shoulders, dead eyes, overweight, and simmering with quiet rage? This isn’t a celebration of femininity. It’s a warning sign. The statue looks less like a tribute to strength and more like a Karen caught mid-meltdown, ready to demand a manager or lecture a barista over oat milk.
And we’re supposed to believe this is a “subtle nod” to Michelangelo’s David? David was carved with precision, pride, and intention. This? This is a blob in yoga pants with attitude. There’s no grace, no energy, no presence, just the embodiment of how low the bar has been set for what counts as art and empowerment today.
This is about celebrating a female stereotype: fat, miserable, and worn out.
That has become the new feminist archetype, and it’s not just ugly, it’s dangerous. The truth is, Cardiovascular disease is killing black women at staggering rates. So, why on earth would they promote a black lady who needs to be on a diet?
Needless to say, people online had a lot to say about this statue, and the memes came in fast and furious. Take a look:
“For a minute there I thought this was a statute of Leticia James.”
“Really? I thought it was LeBron James…”
“Why are glorifying obesity?”
“congratulations black people. This is what the liberals think of you. They think a fat black woman in a “ready to fight a Walmart employee” stance, represents the African American communities.”
“Why does Leticia James get a Statue? For destroying New York or for going after Trump on fraudulent charges? She is a complete failure.”
“That’s the “White people ain’t done enough fo me” stance.”
“Is this a tribute to diabetes and a bad attitude?”
“Y’all got them reparations yet”
Here are some of the memes:
This same artist also created a similarly unflattering statue in Rotterdam.
Mr. Price also created a similar statue in Florence, Italy. This one sparked controversy too. She’s not obese, but she’s masculine-looking and clearly lacking elegance or culture.
None of this is empowerment. It’s poorly done left-wing propaganda.
Women today are so starved for meaning, they’ll cling to a lifeless, joyless statue like this and pretend it says something powerful. But it doesn’t. What it really says is, “Hey, we’ve given up.”
That’s not power. It’s surrender.