Mall Christmas Katrina display is back

December 3, 2005 10:42 AM

Remember the Katrina Christmas display at the mall in New Orleans that was taken down because some were offended? It's back up. Turns out the mall received hundreds of emails in support of the display and only 10 complaints. Here's the original story and mefi thread.
posted by wsg (14 comments total)

Moderation abounds: the display is returned, the orange X's have been removed from the little doors, and the Seattle PI is opting for the phrase 'Christmas display' rather than 'holiday display'.
posted by scheptech at 10:58 AM on December 3, 2005

Turns out the mall received hundreds of emails in support of the display

damn sockpuppets!
posted by matteo at 11:05 AM on December 3, 2005

See what needs to happen now is 500 people complain, the mall takes it down, 501 then write to approve, it goes back up... wash and repeat...
The orange cross where a bit tacky for a shopping mall environment, although they add to the artistic integrity of the piece as a whole. imo


I wonder if the artist gets paid to put it up again, hope so, can't be a simple task.
posted by edgeways at 11:08 AM on December 3, 2005

Thriffiley confirmed the mall is allowing Evans to put up the display, and it will include a bulletin board with comments from both sides, so people can judge the arguments for themselves.

This move is heartening. A wise choice. Rather than decide that the delicate sensibilities of the public must be protected by whisking away the display, they've devised a way to present the display while including disparate viewpoints on it, and encouraging a continuing discussion. Here's hoping Americans can manage this in other public fora. There will be more discussion and thought created by presenting the display with comments pro and con than by removing it or changing its theme to something innocuous.
posted by Miko at 11:11 AM on December 3, 2005

What a shrewd marketing move... Create a little controversy, watch the sheep mosey through the door.
posted by mischief at 11:16 AM on December 3, 2005

I am glad the display is going back up, but have no "warm and fuzzy" feelings about the mall management. It was taken down because of complaints, and put back up because of complaints. imo There was zero social responsibility or concern. Just business responding willy nilly. Which may be how they should act in that environment (this is not a thread on that topic). The nature of the public interaction make shopping malls an awful place to display art that may cause some level of controversy.
posted by edgeways at 11:26 AM on December 3, 2005

Common Sense: 1
Drudge: 0
posted by cell divide at 11:33 AM on December 3, 2005

Not to be all negative and stuff, but shouldn't this have gone within the original thread, which is, after all, only 2 days old?

Just asking.
posted by dersins at 12:10 PM on December 3, 2005 [1 favorite]

dersins, I thought about that and searched to see if the original story was still on the front page. If it had been, I would have added it to the thread, but the old thread's not on the front page, so nobody would have seen it.
posted by wsg at 12:21 PM on December 3, 2005

nobody would have seen it.

except anybody who bothers to sort by recent comments.
posted by dersins at 12:22 PM on December 3, 2005 [1 favorite]

I stand corrected - beg your pardon.
posted by wsg at 12:25 PM on December 3, 2005

The N.O. Times-Picayune article features this lovely bit:

Even the administration of Jefferson Parish President Aaron Broussard, himself parodied in the display, offered to let Evans move the display to the lobby of the Gretna courthouse, the artist said.
posted by Ian A.T. at 12:59 PM on December 3, 2005

Uh, I should point out that Broussard is parodied in the display for reasons having to do with regional politics, not for the heart-rending video I linked to. That would be insane.
posted by Ian A.T. at 1:21 PM on December 3, 2005

I'm going to Lakeside Mall this weekend with my camera.

Thanks wsg for posting this.
posted by djeo at 1:23 PM on December 3, 2005