Image: Wally Skalij (Getty Images)
A 26-foot tall statue of Marilyn Monroe and her iconic billowing white dress is coming back to Palm Springs, California after a seven-year absence. But NPR reports that some locals are petitioning against the return of the statue they’re calling “misogynistic” due to its prominent exposure of Monroe’s underwear.
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The statue, “Forever Marilyn,” sculpted by Seward Johnson, is inspired by photos of Monroe on the set of 1955 s
The Seven Year Itch in which Monroe stands over a subway grate, enjoying the breeze as the subway passes by, blowing up the skirt of her dress in the process. The scene is not only the most celebrated photo of Monroe, it’s also arguably one of the most recognizable photos of the 20th century.
Nurse who served at Palm Springs military hospital during World War II to be honored kesq.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from kesq.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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I m Kristin Scharkey, features editor for The Desert Sun in Palm Springs, wishing you a happy Friday and sincere apologies for missing our Thursday edition. The news cycle never sleeps! We re still here : Palm Springs historic gay bars see light at the end of the tunnel. Despite more than a year of pandemic-related closures, many of the bars located in the Southern California destination are open again.
The city has long been one of the most popular LGBTQ destinations in the country. These bars are more than just drinking places, Rob Giesecke, owner of Chill Bar Palm Springs, told Desert Sun reporter Amanda Ulrich. This is where the community comes together.”
Palm Springs sells land from Grit settlement to Coachella Valley Conservation Commission
The city of Palm Springs is selling a 42.3-acre property acquired in the city s settlement agreement with Grit Development to the Coachella Valley Conservation Commission, which plans to protect the land as a nature preserve in perpetuity.
The Palm Springs City Council approved a purchase and sale agreement between the city and the conservation commission on Thursday. The conservation commission will pay $460,000 for the property, which is located at 2801-2899 Palm Hills Drive.
The site occupies a portion of the Palm Hills area, home to the popular Goat Trails hike. An adjacent roughly 900 acres are still privately owned by the Palm Hills Land Corporation. The Oswit Land Trust recently announced that it is working to purchase this property to protect it from development in perpetuity.
MORE When “Forever Marilyn” was last in Palm Springs, the statue had a primo downtown location at the intersection of Palm Canyon Drive and Tahquitz Canyon Way. Since departing in 2014, the once open lot that was unofficially dubbed “the Marilyn park” has been turned into the Kimpton Rowan Hotel. Photo by Fred Miller (CC BY-SA 2.0).
For generations, Hollywood celebrities have seen Palm Springs as a glamorous desert escape. And legend has it one of the biggest stars of the 20th century was discovered in that little town: Marilyn Monroe.
The iconic actress was 5’ 5” when she wasn’t wearing heels. But a sculpture of the star that passed through Palm Springs a while back had her at 26 feet tall (with heels). That’s about the height of a three-story house.