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How Female is this "Female Soldier"?

By ubernostrum in MLP
Thu Jun 26, 2003 at 11:52:04 AM EST
Tags: News (all tags) 		News

Back in 1999 the state of West Virginia, home of the now-famously-rescued Private Jessica Lynch, commissioned a statue to honor female soldiers and veterans, and now the model’s been unveiled. There’s only one problem: some people say the proposed statue looks too much like a man.

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An article in today’s Charleston Daily Mail explains the controversy surrounding the statue, which was intended to grace the grounds of the state capitol complex in Charleston. The state reportedly already owes $50,000 for the statue, and bronzing it and placing it at the Capitol will cost an additional $300,000. For that kind of money, they’d better be getting a pretty good statue, so Larry Lynch, director of the state’s Division of Veterans’ Affairs and no relation to Jessica, is exhibiting the statue to veterans’ groups to solicit their opinions; it’s unclear from the article just what weight will be given to those opinions, but “[c]onsensus against the statue could knock it from its proposed location at the Capitol.” Lynch appears open to the possibility of commissioning another model.

The artist, Joe Mullins, maintains that having veterans decide on the statue is inappropriate: “I spent two years in the military,” he said, “and they didn’t spend two years in art school.” He reportedly chose the statue’s look in order to best represent female veterans of “all eras, service branches and jobs.”

What’s more, some of the negative comments seem to be rooted more in bias than in reality; the Daily Mail reports that critics are saying the statue is “too muscular” and “should have a skirt” instead of the pants and T-shirt currently depicted. So it may be that preconceptions of how female soldiers are “supposed” to look will derail the completion of the statue; it may be news to some, but they don’t all look like the girl on JAG.

Slightly milder criticism comes from the Veterans of Foreign Wars, whose adjutant quartermaster simply said, “They don’t think it’s appropriate for a lady that was in the service.” Similar comments are reported to have come from women who’ve seen the statue, with one claiming the depicted soldier looked “cheap.”

So does the statue really look like a man? Is it an inappropriate representation of female soldiers and veterans? Take a look and decide for yourself.

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Poll
Is the statue appropriate?
o Yes. 60%
o No. 13%
o You're sure they don't all look like Catherine Bell? 26%

Votes: 199
Results | Other Polls

Related Links
o Private Jessica Lynch
o article in today’s Charleston Daily Mail
o girl on JAG
o the statue
o Also by ubernostrum

Display: Sort:
How Female is this "Female Soldier"? | 177 comments (168 topical, 9 editorial, 0 hidden)
My take on it (5.00 / 18) (#1)
by ZorbaTHut on Thu Jun 26, 2003 at 01:03:46 AM EST

It has boobies. It's a girl.

No, seriously. Look at it. Either that's a guy who's been padding his shirt, a rather unfortunate case of hormones, or it's a girl. Girls don't have to wear skirts, they don't all have triple-D cups, some of them even carry rifles and look sexy while doing so.

No adam's apple + boobies = girl. (or transvestite.) I think it's a great statue, personally, for the exact reasons that they're complaining about :P

real easy fix.. (2.87 / 8) (#2)
by bankind on Thu Jun 26, 2003 at 01:10:23 AM EST

Give her a beard she'd look just like all the WMs (women marines) I served with.


"Insurgents are blowing up pipelines and police stations, geysers of sewage are erupting from the streets, and the electricity is off most of the time -- but we've given Iraq the gift of supply-side economics." -Krugman

doesn't look like a man to me... (4.20 / 5) (#3)
by cyclopatra on Thu Jun 26, 2003 at 01:29:19 AM EST

...but it does look more like a miner than a soldier, IMO.

Cyclopatra
All your .sigs are belong to us.
remove mypants to email

Indeed (3.40 / 5) (#4)
by fae on Thu Jun 26, 2003 at 01:36:51 AM EST

They should go look in some modern beauty magazines so that the statue's fashion is laughed at in 10 years.

Face it, men and women have very similar appearances.

-- fae: but an atom in the great mass of humanity

Reminds me of... (4.00 / 8) (#5)
by drizzy on Thu Jun 26, 2003 at 02:02:13 AM EST

the character Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping) from Stargate SG-1. As such I reckon the artist did a pretty good job.

People have to whinge though.

Perfectly true (3.77 / 9) (#6)
by jman11 on Thu Jun 26, 2003 at 02:03:01 AM EST

I think they are right, the only appropriate way to have a female in representative for the military is with high heels, a shirt with the top few buttons undone, a skirt (really small shorts would also be acceptable) and caressing the barrel of a rifle.  She should be on a beach or maybe a river in a jungle and pouting.

It's either that or move on from chauvinism.

Kind of sad (3.63 / 11) (#8)
by Kasreyn on Thu Jun 26, 2003 at 02:48:26 AM EST

In our society, women cannot simply be asexual beings, which men can on occasion. No matter what her occupation or walk of life, a woman under the age of, say, 50 apparently is always judged based on her appearance first and foremost. People seem incapable of discussing a female's qualities without discussing her beauty, or lack of same, in the same breath.

A more important question to me is, why is the female statue not armed? Is it supposed to be a statue of a veteran (as in, retired from the army)? If not, it seems odd to me that most statues of male soldiers tote weaponry, but this female version has only a flagstaff. Perhaps the sculptor thought it would be too un-feminine for the statue to be armed?

It's impossible to please all the people all the time. Many people will say this statue is not feminine enough, for many reasons. Maybe they think any successful woman must be a voluptuous one. Maybe they think it's important to differentiate the statue physically. Many others will think the statue is overly feminine, and get offended that way. Just about the only thing you WON'T find is someone being neutral, and judging the statue on a basis other than its nubility.


-Kasreyn


"Extenuating circumstance to be mentioned on Judgement Day:
We never asked to be born in the first place."
R.I.P. Kurt. You will be missed.
can i vote +1 on this yet (2.66 / 3) (#9)
by wiremind on Thu Jun 26, 2003 at 02:51:46 AM EST

easy to read ( even when your drunk )

to the point, easy read.

the chicks jawbone is a little squared off which might give her the look of a man, but aside from that, if i saw a real chick like the statue, i would probably call her hot, wet tshirt, muscular, flexible, ... hehe, ya....
Kyle

I don't see a problem with it. (none / 0) (#16)
by locke baron on Thu Jun 26, 2003 at 03:26:31 AM EST

Though had it been my call, she'd likely have a rifle. As it is, I see that statue, and think 'Seabee'. Besides, it's a fairly realistic image.

I fail to see what all the arglebargle is about.

Micro$oft uses Quake clannies to wage war on Iraq! - explodingheadboy

it would be great* (4.00 / 7) (#17)
by etherdeath on Thu Jun 26, 2003 at 03:26:48 AM EST

if the replaced the statue with one that looked almost exactly like Queen Amidala in full peacock regalia without any explanation.

*great as in, great if it happened in an alternate universe

well (4.20 / 5) (#19)
by tetsuwan on Thu Jun 26, 2003 at 03:34:31 AM EST

If it's supposed to be a statue of a woman, and you don't get a hard on looking at it, then it's not really a statue of a woman.

What are these people thinking? The woman looks more like a professional than a babe, is that it? I agree, though, that to make it easier to interpret she could have a weapon.


Njal's Saga: Just like Romeo & Juliet without the romance

+1 fp $$$ cash money blingblingbling (nt) (1.40 / 15) (#20)
by circletimessquare on Thu Jun 26, 2003 at 03:37:12 AM EST



The tigers of wrath are wiser than the horses of instruction.
I think the problem is... (3.85 / 7) (#21)
by debacle on Thu Jun 26, 2003 at 03:41:53 AM EST

That the artist is just bad at what he does, in some points.

For one, the statue holds itself like a 16 year old girl on a date for the first time.

Secondly, the brim of the cap is so low you can't even tell whether or not it's a man, or a woman except for the tits, which are hanging down like an udder. You'd figure a chick in the military, besides having a more muscular chest, would wear a sports bra.

You make a chick do the same amount of work that any man does in the military, which (as far as I know) they do, her chest is going to be more built, and she's not going to have a coy stance, especially when she's holding the flag of $her_country.

Pfft, his argument is bunk: "I am an artiste! You do not understand this work of mastery! Now I will dirty sanchez this bitch and let the flag on fire!"

Art, heh, what a fuckup that was.


It tastes sweet.

Fun test.. (4.50 / 2) (#25)
by Kwil on Thu Jun 26, 2003 at 03:45:15 AM EST

..quick, without thinking about it too much or reading the responses to this message, what is it she's holding?

I like to think of myself as fairly liberated, but when I first looked at the statue, the thought that popped into my head is.. "Hey, she's a soldier, why is she holding a broom?"

Then I looked closer.

Looks like I still have some work to do on my pre-conceptions.

That Jesus Christ guy is getting some terrible lag... it took him 3 days to respawn! -NJ CoolBreeze
Geez... (3.50 / 4) (#28)
by MMcP on Thu Jun 26, 2003 at 03:51:59 AM EST

Is she holding a freaking mop?  Whats the dilly yo.  I don't get no respect.

The statue is a hot ass MILF. (3.42 / 7) (#30)
by pocide on Thu Jun 26, 2003 at 04:01:41 AM EST

Look at those big, perkey, supple breasts and the way her clothes show off her toned figure. I wonder if I could get that as a realdoll.

If women in the military actually looked like that, I would enlist.

*** ANONYMIZED ***

Why a statue to female soldiers? (1.50 / 8) (#31)
by V on Thu Jun 26, 2003 at 04:13:06 AM EST

All real wars have been fought mainly by men. Well, maybe some korean and vietnamese women fought in some wars, but commies can't have statues, right?
---
What my fans are saying:
"That, and the fact that V is a total, utter scumbag." VZAMaZ.
"well look up little troll" cts.
"I think you're a worthless little cuntmonkey but you made me lol, so I sigged you." re
"goodness gracious you're an idiot" mariahkillschickens
I think it's just sick. (3.88 / 9) (#34)
by gordonjcp on Thu Jun 26, 2003 at 04:39:39 AM EST

The whole Jessica Lynch rescue was made up. It's all fake as a tin shilling.

Give a man a fish, and he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he'll bore you rigid with fishing stories for the rest of your life.
eh, (4.80 / 5) (#35)
by Sairon on Thu Jun 26, 2003 at 04:44:39 AM EST

Looks like several of the female soldiers I served with. What's the big deal? I've seen them look rougher than that. I've also seen them look more feminine in uniform, too. This seems rather middle of the road to me. Jared

Hmm (4.16 / 6) (#37)
by TheModerate on Thu Jun 26, 2003 at 04:58:58 AM EST

The only problem I have with the statue is that it would be nice if it doesn't look like she is slacking. She's holding somthing or other---but it doesn't seem like she cares at all. Like she is waiting for the general to get done talking already.

"What a man has in himself is, then, the chief element in his happiness." -- Schopenhauer

Statues (3.47 / 17) (#38)
by Score 5 Demented on Thu Jun 26, 2003 at 05:33:19 AM EST

If they are going to be making statues for women soldiers, few of whom have actually died in combat, how about a statue representing the soldiers killed by "friendly fire"?

And how about making a statue that represents the thousands of enemy civilians (Afghani and Iraqi) that have recently been killed?

Now those statues would actually represent something meaningful.

It sucks (3.00 / 6) (#42)
by Quila on Thu Jun 26, 2003 at 07:23:56 AM EST

Aside from the gender issue, the artist just sucks.

I was in the Army for seven years and have been around it for another 10.  Up to the neck, it looks like about the average white female soldier ("calling Jesse Jackson..."), although she is in a bit better physical shape than many. But the neck and face is practically non-human, not just non-female.

And it is an extremely non-inspirational pose.

Sorry, (4.50 / 4) (#51)
by Akshay on Thu Jun 26, 2003 at 08:23:26 AM EST

but all this tells me that there'll always be nincompoops who'll be offended by everything, and that there'll be reporters peddling stories about them.

Nice try, but -1 from me.

Um, hold on a sec (2.50 / 8) (#53)
by silicondecay on Thu Jun 26, 2003 at 08:32:25 AM EST

"I spent two years in the military," he said, "and they didn't spend two years in art school."

Does any one else see anything wrong with this? If he only spent 2 years in the military, he most likely got a dishonorable discharge. Maybe a medical, but I doubt it. Would be interesting to research this. It would be ironic if he got a dishonorable discharge, and is now making a statue depicting honorable veterans.

His comment about spending 2 years in art school seemed kind of off. Don't you need 4 years to get a degree? Of course he could of gotten an Associates, and a degree doesn't necessarily make you a better artist. He seemed like was indignant that people with no art school would criticize his work.

It would be interesting to get some background on this guy. Find out if he was dishonorably discharged, and if perhaps he dropped out of art school.

"You can't make a crabby patty until you understand P.O.O.P" SpongeBob SquarePants
Heathens! (3.33 / 6) (#56)
by Ta bu shi da yu on Thu Jun 26, 2003 at 08:59:53 AM EST

How dare you make graven images of humans! I hope that common sense and decency prevails and they knock down this edifice to paganism.

Yours humbly,
Ta bù shì dà yú

---
AdTIה"the think tank that didn't".ה

Does a bloody mess spew forth from the statue's (2.60 / 20) (#59)
by Tex Bigballs on Thu Jun 26, 2003 at 09:16:35 AM EST

vagina on a monthly basis? If so then it's not female.

Quod erat demonstrandum.

hm (3.66 / 3) (#68)
by EMHMark3 on Thu Jun 26, 2003 at 09:55:45 AM EST

The question shouldn't be 'How female does it look' but 'How much does it look like the original model'.

T H E   M A C H I N E   S T O P S

Secondary sexual characteristics (4.20 / 5) (#73)
by IHCOYC on Thu Jun 26, 2003 at 10:07:56 AM EST

Speaking as someone who has given some thought and attention to the matter (Caution! Amazonian pinup art may be considered sexually explicit, weird, and not appropriate for reading at work) ----

--- visual cues are a problem when you are drawing or sculpting tomboyish, athletic, or muscular women. Art is not real life. At least in the adventure comic style, it is typically necessary to give such a woman exaggerated secondary sexual characteristics in order to make the figures emphatically female, even as in the comic book and fantasy art traditions most male characters are drawn as bodybuilders in order to exaggerate their secondary sexual characteristics and make them obviously male.

A tomboyish figure wearing sexually uncoded clothing is going to pose problems. You don't have other cues, so you will have to work on the figure. The problem is that a strictly photorealistic style isn't going to work here --- even if it is a good portrait --- and an idealized/heroic approach is necessary. You are going to have to call attention to her secondary sexual characteristics to enable the viewer to read it right. In plain English: give her some hooters.
 --
Quod sequitur, sicut serica lucis albissima tingere rogant;
Quod sequitur, totum devorabit.

Better picture (5.00 / 4) (#78)
by sllort on Thu Jun 26, 2003 at 11:34:59 AM EST

"That girl from JAG".

Hardly representative of military women. But I guess it gets the ratings.
--
Warning: On Lawn is a documented liar.

He can't win (5.00 / 2) (#82)
by gidds on Thu Jun 26, 2003 at 12:25:59 PM EST

Personally, I think the statue looks fine: realistic, obviously feminine but not exaggeratedly so.  (BTW, I can't see how people can say that only the breasts make it female.  With those thighs???)

Maybe what all this fuss really shows is just how common unrealistic images of women are?!

But I feel sorry for the sculptor.  If he creates something that's overtly feminine, people will complain that it's unrealistic of women generally, or of army women; if he makes it realistic, people complain it's androgynous!

But then, I'm a (straight) man; I haven't had to deal with issues of sexual or sex-preference inequality/bias/discrimination all my life.  Anyone here more qualified to comment?

Andy/

Bah. (4.25 / 4) (#83)
by jmzero on Thu Jun 26, 2003 at 12:26:48 PM EST

I'm sure lots of male soldiers have pot bellies and slob around in T-shirts.  But the statues don't.  Statues are idealized a bit.  Make her stand up straight, get her a bra and a uniform.  Somehow avoid the hat covering her eyes - ruins an otherwise good determined look.

Realism and art and whatever other excuse this statue might have are fine, and we can serve those interests too - none of them need to get in the way of making something that looks dignified and appealing.
.
"Let's not stir that bag of worms." - my lovely wife

stupid. (4.66 / 3) (#84)
by Suppafly on Thu Jun 26, 2003 at 12:39:10 PM EST

its obviously a woman.. what more do they want? long flowing hair and a bikini?
---
Playstation Sucks.
West Virginia, you say? (4.00 / 3) (#94)
by speek on Thu Jun 26, 2003 at 01:56:23 PM EST

Oh yes, let's debate for hours whether the people in West Virginia are making good sense. Sounds like a primo way to waste some time.

--
al queda is kicking themsleves for not knowing about the levees

Statue isn't doing anything (3.20 / 10) (#95)
by godix on Thu Jun 26, 2003 at 01:57:09 PM EST

It's just standing there in a rather bored and unmilitary like posture. If this is truely meant to honor women in military they should show it doing something women in military actually do. Perhaps have a group of men behind her waiting to molest her. Maybe the artist could try and convey the feeling that this is a woman who sued to get into the military then dropped out shortly after winning. They might even make the statue a woman beating the shit out of sexist assholes who think all women 'should have a skirt'.


"I think you're right"
- Rusty speaking about godix
Hey, it's my damned
It's the hat (3.00 / 3) (#105)
by Eater on Thu Jun 26, 2003 at 05:11:07 PM EST

The hat squares off her head and emphasizes the slightly flawed cut of her chin (which by itself wouldn't be much of a problem), which makes her look neither like a women nor like a human being. Though if I were judging this thing, I would let it go as is - sure, it's not perfect, but it gets the point across.

Eater.

I'd do her (3.16 / 6) (#109)
by mcgrew on Thu Jun 26, 2003 at 07:56:01 PM EST

of course, I haven't had sex in so long I don't need beer to have beer goggles

"The entire neocon movement is dedicated to revoking mcgrew's posting priviliges. This is why we went to war with Iraq." -LilDebbie

They should hire those japanese fuckers to do that (1.72 / 11) (#119)
by Nigga on Thu Jun 26, 2003 at 11:50:37 PM EST

shit. I can't remember the last time I saw an anime figurine that didn't make me beat off.

--------
The fuck happened to Nigga?

What a waste of tax-payer money (3.00 / 3) (#125)
by skim123 on Fri Jun 27, 2003 at 01:59:35 AM EST

Why not spend $350,000 in the form of tax refunds? Meh. Anywho, the only man that statue looks like is Meatloafs character in Fight Club.

Money is in some respects like fire; it is a very excellent servant but a terrible master.
PT Barnum
Too caucasian and too thin (2.66 / 3) (#139)
by threaded on Fri Jun 27, 2003 at 12:16:20 PM EST

My experience of female American soldiers is that they are mainly of a different race and surprisingly overweight.

/*Good, Quick, Cheap: Choose two!*/
Speaking from over 30 years of experience... (4.66 / 3) (#140)
by X-Nc on Fri Jun 27, 2003 at 12:51:34 PM EST

I grew up and lived among the military all my life. I still work with many. I can't say anything to the appropriateness of this status but I will comment on its "look".

To be honest it would be very difficult to make one image of a group as diverse as female military menbers. Even of you only chose one branch, as in this case the Army. The statue itself does look like it could be modeled from a female soldier. But I wouldn't say it represented the look of every female soldier. The comments about masculinity and needing a skirt are assinine. If this were a real person she would be indestinguashible from any other femail soldier on any post I've been to. But she wouldn't look like any other specific soldier there. Just as any single soldier wouldn't like like any other.

The bruhaha over the look of the statue is redicules. I do think the money could have been spent on better things but there is nothing drastically wrong with the statue as it is.

--
Aaahhhh!!!! My K5 subscription expired. Now I can't spell anymore.

Never mind her feminity... (2.75 / 4) (#143)
by avdi on Fri Jun 27, 2003 at 02:09:04 PM EST

...does no one else take issue with the fact that she appears to be holding a mop?

--
Now leave us, and take your fish with you. - Faramir
Too muscular? (5.00 / 3) (#146)
by tgibbs on Fri Jun 27, 2003 at 05:21:17 PM EST

Give me a break! The army has pretty rigorous physical training requirements even for women. Few men in civilian life work out as much as a woman in the army. I have a friend who has been in the army for a couple of years, she now has bigger biceps than I do. I like it. No single statue is going to truly represent the diversity of women in the army, but it seems representative.

get over it (1.00 / 1) (#148)
by the77x42 on Sat Jun 28, 2003 at 04:45:35 AM EST

it's your mom with big tits and a lizard-like throat. it a woman, give her a gun and get rid of the apple-picking sachel and she's hot.


"We're not here to educate. We're here to point and laugh." - creature
"You have some pretty stupid ideas." - indubitable ‮

Where's the rifle? (none / 0) (#150)
by stodd on Sat Jun 28, 2003 at 01:08:31 PM EST

I know that we live in an age of political correctness and hoplophobia to the point of stupidity, but if this is supposed to be a statue of a soldier, shouldn't she be carrying a weapon of some kind?

But it was all as fake as a movie!!! (4.71 / 7) (#153)
by Insaa on Sat Jun 28, 2003 at 06:50:55 PM EST

What on Earth is going on. She was cared for by the Iraqi's with the best they had to offer, sacraficing equipment and personnel that could have been helping other critical Iraqis to help her and then have the US Army come storming in causing damage and scaring the shit out of everyone.
You want to build a statue, then build one of the Iraqi doctors, no infact, scrap the statue, I bet those doctors don't want one, so give the US$ 300,000 to the hospital where she was cared for for medical equipment and to help remove the damage. How would you like to be sick in a hospital looking at bullet holes. Feel safe?

A statue? What the hell are you thinking?

The Crime of Compromise (4.33 / 3) (#155)
by Chiron on Sun Jun 29, 2003 at 06:56:52 AM EST

I think the artist is guilty of making too many compromises; he obviously wants to show the soldier as being both part of a formation, or other dignified position, yet informal enough to be partially out of uniform, wearing an undershirt.  He wants her to look like a unification of Army and Marine.  He wants her to look modern, with a BDU cap from the 1980-2000 era, but blocked off to suggest a marine.  The lantern jaw and gizzarded neck, I assume, are an attempt to convey some essential stubbornness and tenacity.

The stance, however, is too slovenly for a bearer of a guidon (a standard for a military unit, normally presented before every formation, guidons are a physical representatino of a unit's dignity); a woman who is entrusted with a position of honor tends to treat it with careful respect, not slouch onto one leg like a five dollar whore.  The compromises made in an attempt to embody every female member of the military come out to a badly depicted girl playing dress up.

Score another point for mediocrity.

Shouldn't she be lying in a hospital bed? (1.00 / 1) (#156)
by livus on Sun Jun 29, 2003 at 08:18:15 AM EST

I mean, if it's meant to be of that woman, wasnt the most notable thing about her the fact that she got all messed up?

---
HIREZ substitute.
be concrete asshole, or shut up. - CTS
I guess I skipped school or something to drink on the internet? - lonelyhobo
I'd like to hope that any impression you got about us from internet forums was incorrect. - debillitatus
I consider myself trolled more or less just by visiting the site. HollyHopDrive
she looks like a porn star (none / 0) (#157)
by Mizuno Ami on Sun Jun 29, 2003 at 04:29:22 PM EST

If they wanted to make a statue of a real woman, they should have given her a realistic chest instead of huge implants. And if she absolutely needed to be a dd-cup or whatever, why isn't she wearing a sports bra?

Well. (none / 0) (#160)
by resquad on Mon Jun 30, 2003 at 11:12:35 AM EST

Looks like a woman to me.  Tomboy-ish, but thats kinda half the point now isnt it.  I mean what else are they going to do for a statue?  I am sure it could be alot lot worse.  Next time why doesnt the artist make her a double-d, with a bikini top and a micro-mini skirt on.  Then all thoes lame ass capitol hill guys would have something to stare at (which is all they want) and only the women would be superbly offended.

PS, I love the poll choices, at least the last one.


-----------
"I WIN THE END!" -Me

a better idea (none / 0) (#164)
by resquad on Mon Jun 30, 2003 at 11:28:13 AM EST

Since everyone is complaining the statue does look female why dont we just do it the easy way.  Get a bunch of techy's together with some high tech gadgets.  Have a bunch of women in the military run through a 3'd (full body) scanner.  Then have a few machines make a composite of them and print it out using one of thoes great 3d printers (plastic thingers).  Then they could brone that instead.

I wonder how hideous that would turn out.


-----------
"I WIN THE END!" -Me

Catherine Bell is HOTT with 2 T's (nt) (none / 0) (#165)
by Casioitan on Mon Jun 30, 2003 at 01:55:07 PM EST



A skirt?! What, they want tank-girl up there? (none / 0) (#166)
by alexboko on Tue Jul 01, 2003 at 01:11:05 PM EST

...or are people looking for more an anime-type look? Huge eyes, huge h00ters, exoskeletal armour, Gatling gun? I know, they probably mean a dress uniform... still, the statue looks natural and unpretentious the way it is. And it's silly that military dress uniforms include skirts anyway. If I made the statue, though, it would NEVER get approved. She'd be in Salvation Army hand-me-downs, banging her head against the side of her trailer home, holding a crumpled check that doesn't cover her monthly expenses because Bush cut her benefits again.


Godwin's Law of video games: if a company is out of ideas for a long enough period, they will eventually publish another World War II shooter.
Whoever did this should learn from the Russians (none / 0) (#170)
by Lord of Caustic Soda on Wed Jul 02, 2003 at 11:00:43 AM EST

They sure know a thing or two about making nice, stirring statues - and so don't end up with a figure of someone just standing around almost sloughing.

How about drawing inspiration from a certain famous painting by Delacroix?

http://www.artchive.com/artchive/D/delacroix/delacroix_liberty.jpg.html

Here's who they should be sculpting (none / 0) (#176)
by theElectron on Fri Jul 04, 2003 at 12:08:27 PM EST

You're never going to make everyone happy, but I think you'd have the best chance by sculpting a statue of one of the Dillon Precision models.

--
Join the NRA!
Looks fine (none / 0) (#177)
by wrax on Fri Jul 04, 2003 at 02:15:47 PM EST

Theres nothing wrong with this statue, I mean she's not uber attractive, but then 90% of the women on the planet aren't uber attractive either.

I wonder if anyone thought to ask woman soldiers and service people what THEY think about this statue, and if it describes what they think a woman in the military should look like.

Seems to me that they're the ones who should decide this, not the masses who wouldn't know a piece of art if it hit them in the nose.
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I don't know whats worse, the fact that people actually write this crap or the fact that people actually vote it up.

How Female is this "Female Soldier"? | 177 comments (168 topical, 9 editorial, 0 hidden)
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