Update on the Wandering 'Rocky' Statue

The fate of the "Rocky" statue, a 10-foot-high lump of kitch that few people would mistake for a Rodin, remains in doubt as the Philadelphia Cultural Police argue over where it should be placed.

The statue appeared as a prop in "Rocky III," a 1983 sequel in the popular movie series that starred Sylvester Stallone as boxer Rocky Balboa, Talia Shire as his long suffering girlfriend, Adrian, and Mr. T as Clubber Lang, who challenges Rocky for his world heavyweight boxing title.

The statue was placed at the top of the Philadelphia Art Museum steps for the filming of "Rocky III." Commonfolk wanted the statue to stay right where it was after filming was completed, and a hilarious but dead serious fight broke out between the Art Museum and city's Art Commission over what defined "art."

Was the statue art or was it not art?

The museum balked at having the lump as a permanent guest and it was moved to the front of the Wachovia Spectrum, a South Philadelphia sports arena, although it was temporarily returned to the art museum for several other movies, including "Rocky V," "Mannequin" and "Philadelphia."

The huge Art Museum, which rises like a Roman temple from the banks of the Schuylkill, is one of the finest anywhere and a worthy tourist attraction in its own right.

But it has fallen on hard times because it relies on public monies to make up the difference between paid admissions and bankruptcy, and Philadelphia has more pressing needs such as funding its chronically underperforming schools, prosecuting crooked politicians, dealing with citizens contemplating suicide because of its chronically losing professional sports teams, and hiring more cops to get down its murderous homicide rate.

So the bluebloods at the Art Museum decided they wanted the statue. But the city Art Commission, which has final say over such important matters, is deadlocked 3-3 over the question.

Check out my original post on the issue here.