A new statue of an overweight black woman placed in Times Square in New York City is inspiring a lot of reactions online, especially since it’s being compared to Michelangelo’s “David.”
Times Square Arts recently erected the statue by artist Thomas J Price, which is called “Grounded in the Stars,” as a temporary display in the tourist-heavy area of Manhattan. There will also be a “Man Series” of billboards displayed in the area.
The Times Square website says of the piece: “Price’s multi-channel presentation on the screens and sculptural installation on the plaza below forms a two-part takeover in Times Square that foregrounds the intrinsic value of the individual and amplifies traditionally marginalized bodies on a monumental scale.”
The website notes that the statue depicts “a fictionalized character” who was “constructed from images, observations, and open calls spanning between Los Angeles and London.”
“The young woman depicted in Grounded in the Stars carries familiar qualities, from her stance and countenance to her everyday clothing,” it says, noting that her “stance is a subtle nod to Michelangelo’s David.”
The site also says, “the woman in Grounded in the Stars cuts a stark contrast to the pedestaled permanent monuments — both white, both men — which bookend Duffy Square, while embodying a quiet gravity and grandeur.”
Social media users have had overwhelmingly negative reactions to the statue.
“They tear down statues of American heroes and replace them with statues of random obese black women. That’s because the Left has no historical heroes. Everyone who was born before approximately 2005 is inherently problematic,” Daily Wire podcast host Matt Walsh wrote.
They tear down statues of American heroes and replace them with statues of random obese black women. That’s because the Left has no historical heroes. Everyone who was born before approximately 2005 is inherently problematic.
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) May 7, 2025
“In 2021, NYC removed a statue of Thomas Jefferson from City Hall due to ‘racism.’ The city has now erected a huge statue of a rotund woman in Times Square,” conservative commentator Allie Beth Stuckey wrote.
“So, we’re taking down monuments to people who accomplished some of [the] greatest feats in human history, from which we are all still benefitting (sic), and instead honoring random people who have zero notable contributions. Doomed,” she added.
“Statues aren’t just art. they’re markers of who we are and what we stand for. But the Left doesn’t want heroes, they want a blank slate to push their woke agenda,” another commenter added.
