Giant Marilyn Monroe Statue Returns To Palm Springs, But Its Backside Faces Backlash

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After seven years, Palm Springs, Calif., is about to scratch its Marilyn Monroe itch. A towering sculpture of the screen icon called "Forever Marilyn" that spent almost two years in the city is coming back permanently.

When she was there from 2012 to 2014, she was one of downtown's hottest attractions. But while some like it hot, others have a frostier take on the star's comeback.

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"The thought of those kids leaving our museum and having the first thing they see is the undergarments and underwear of this enormous Marilyn sculpture would be highly offensive," Grachos told the council.

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Enter #Metoo Marilyn.

"She's literally going to be mooning the museum," says Elizabeth Armstrong, a spokesperson for a Change.org petition objecting to Marilyn's objectification. It has more than 40,000 signatures. Armstrong is also a former director of the Palm Springs Art Museum. "It's blatantly sexist," says Armstrong. "It forces people almost to upskirt."

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