Notes from the Cloister
I have read the petitions, and I still cannot understand why so many of the (all female) students of Wellesley College are having a major freak-out about this piece of sculpture. This is from a student petition to have it removed:
On contrary, this highly lifelike sculpture has, within just a few hours of its outdoor installation, become a source of apprehension, fear, and triggering thoughts regarding sexual assault for many members of our campus community. While it may appear humorous, or thought-provoking to some, it has already become a source of undue stress for many Wellesley College students, the majority of whom live, study, and work in this space.
Seriously? It's a freaking sculpture. I had thought that the whole point of women's colleges was to focus on creating strong, empowered women. My wife always felt that way about Vassar (where the culture of educating strong women apparently existed even after it went coed). But this story tells me that women's colleges have become cloisters to protect hothouse flowers whose fragile sensibilities can't handle a piece of art that is not particularly racy or outré (in the context of today's standards). This is taking the fake campus right to not be offended and turning it into a pathology. If you think I am exaggerating, go to the linked article and read the students and alums quoted.
To me, this art tells a story of a man's vulnerability and helplessness. I would have thought the feminists would have loved it.
