# Boston University unveiled a new Martin Luther King Jr. statue. Is it just me or does it look like someone performing a sexual act? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 14, 2023, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boston-university-unveiled-a-new-martin-luther-king-jr-statue-is-it-just-me-or-does-it-look-like-someone-performing-a-sexual-act/978230 "2023-01-14T19:01:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2023, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boston-university-unveiled-a-new-martin-luther-king-jr-statue-is-it-just-me-or-does-it-look-like-someone-performing-a-sexual-act/978230/21 "2023-01-14T20:23:13Z")
I think this does depend which angle it is viewed from. I am surprised this is the first you (and Boston to hear you tell it) have heard of this though. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2023, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boston-university-unveiled-a-new-martin-luther-king-jr-statue-is-it-just-me-or-does-it-look-like-someone-performing-a-sexual-act/978230/22 "2023-01-14T20:25:40Z")
I probably hang with a crowd that reveres Dr. King more than most. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2023, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boston-university-unveiled-a-new-martin-luther-king-jr-statue-is-it-just-me-or-does-it-look-like-someone-performing-a-sexual-act/978230/23 "2023-01-14T20:26:18Z")
I am a big fan of Dr. King. I still see it (per the OP). ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2023, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boston-university-unveiled-a-new-martin-luther-king-jr-statue-is-it-just-me-or-does-it-look-like-someone-performing-a-sexual-act/978230/24 "2023-01-14T20:27:03Z")
I guess I don’t have a dirty enough mind. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2023, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boston-university-unveiled-a-new-martin-luther-king-jr-statue-is-it-just-me-or-does-it-look-like-someone-performing-a-sexual-act/978230/25 "2023-01-14T20:30:38Z")
Just to be clear, that was a dig at me, not you. ---
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2023, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boston-university-unveiled-a-new-martin-luther-king-jr-statue-is-it-just-me-or-does-it-look-like-someone-performing-a-sexual-act/978230/26 "2023-01-14T20:34:33Z")
It looks like the proverbial “he’s got his head stuck up his ass” or something. Sex act, or not, it’s horrible. Who the fuck signed off on this? ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2023, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boston-university-unveiled-a-new-martin-luther-king-jr-statue-is-it-just-me-or-does-it-look-like-someone-performing-a-sexual-act/978230/27 "2023-01-14T20:36:28Z")
Curious about that too. I can only guess the sculpture was only shown at a more favorable angle. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2023, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boston-university-unveiled-a-new-martin-luther-king-jr-statue-is-it-just-me-or-does-it-look-like-someone-performing-a-sexual-act/978230/28 "2023-01-14T20:36:40Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Well, when correctly viewed… ISWYDT ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2023, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boston-university-unveiled-a-new-martin-luther-king-jr-statue-is-it-just-me-or-does-it-look-like-someone-performing-a-sexual-act/978230/29 "2023-01-14T20:42:33Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Really (re: sex act)? They’re arms. What kind of ‘sex act’ are you envisioning? Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2023, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boston-university-unveiled-a-new-martin-luther-king-jr-statue-is-it-just-me-or-does-it-look-like-someone-performing-a-sexual-act/978230/30 "2023-01-14T20:45:25Z")
I just can’t go down this road here (I was about as explicit as I can get earlier in this thread). If you do not understand what people are on about I cannot help you. I am certainly not the only one who sees this. ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2023, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boston-university-unveiled-a-new-martin-luther-king-jr-statue-is-it-just-me-or-does-it-look-like-someone-performing-a-sexual-act/978230/31 "2023-01-14T20:46:43Z")
One thing I’ve noticed looking at a very few pictures is the ones from the air look really bad, but the ones from the ground look much better. Just at the top of the thread, the first two pictures are full of WTF, but the last one is clearly arms embracing. I can’t speak to the artistic merit of the statue, but it seems clear that it was designed to be viewed from the ground, so judging it from drone photos is a bit unfair. Just a bit though. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2023, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boston-university-unveiled-a-new-martin-luther-king-jr-statue-is-it-just-me-or-does-it-look-like-someone-performing-a-sexual-act/978230/32 "2023-01-14T20:57:25Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > If you do not understand what people are on about I cannot help you. I “see” it but it’s more one of those “This looks… wrong” things than an explicit “That’s obviously a person doing [specific act]”. Like just general bad horny vibes from particular angles. I agree that, if a person says they don’t see it, then it’s probably not something you’re going to be able to make them see. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2023, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boston-university-unveiled-a-new-martin-luther-king-jr-statue-is-it-just-me-or-does-it-look-like-someone-performing-a-sexual-act/978230/33 "2023-01-14T21:05:30Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > I “see” it but it’s more one of those “This looks… wrong” things than an explicit “That’s obviously a person doing [specific act]”. I agree. It just seems to me, for such a large and public display, someone might have noticed before it was built. It’s not that much of a stretch to see it. And it would not be the first time an artist snuck something subersive into their work (not saying this artist did). ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2023, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boston-university-unveiled-a-new-martin-luther-king-jr-statue-is-it-just-me-or-does-it-look-like-someone-performing-a-sexual-act/978230/34 "2023-01-14T21:19:47Z")
I feel compelled to point out that Boston University did not “unveil” this sculpture - it is located on Boston Common, a couple miles away from the BU campus. MLK, Jr. went to grad school at BU and of course the university tries hard to associate itself with his legacy, including donating $250,000 toward this sculpture, but it is not a BU sculpture. [Here](https://www.embraceboston.org/), by the way, is the website for the sculpture, with more info for those who are interested. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2023, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boston-university-unveiled-a-new-martin-luther-king-jr-statue-is-it-just-me-or-does-it-look-like-someone-performing-a-sexual-act/978230/35 "2023-01-14T21:25:46Z")
I’m curious about how it looks in person. Having seen the original photo that was the inspiration, from certain angles it is clear. But then from a slightly different angle I think, “WTF IS that?!” Undoubtedly a fine concept, but appears unfortunate in the execution. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2023, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boston-university-unveiled-a-new-martin-luther-king-jr-statue-is-it-just-me-or-does-it-look-like-someone-performing-a-sexual-act/978230/36 "2023-01-14T21:30:39Z")
Thanks for clarifying some details. I followed your link and got this screen grab: [![](https://i.imgur.com/MT7npkQ.jpg) ](https://i.imgur.com/MT7npkQ.jpg) I think it illustrates the point in the OP. ---
**Author:** ![duality72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duality72/32/3910_2.png) [@duality72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duality72)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2023, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boston-university-unveiled-a-new-martin-luther-king-jr-statue-is-it-just-me-or-does-it-look-like-someone-performing-a-sexual-act/978230/37 "2023-01-14T21:36:51Z")
It looks like a four dimensional eldritch horror that has incompletely projected its dreadful form into our three dimensional existence. So not entirely inappropriate for Boston. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2023, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boston-university-unveiled-a-new-martin-luther-king-jr-statue-is-it-just-me-or-does-it-look-like-someone-performing-a-sexual-act/978230/38 "2023-01-14T21:44:32Z")
It wouldn’t be the first time an MLK statue was involved in controversy. A previous one was reviled as “a monumental insult” and “too white”, among other things. An inscription was later removed. > **[The Controversial MLK Memorial](https://www.thoughtco.com/repair-at-the-mlk-national-memorial-178090)** > > Good intentions aside, sometimes designs end up just plain silly-looking. The disputed quote on the MLK Memorial exemplifies a questionable choice. Maybe this new statue will grow on people, like the Vietnam War memorial wall which initially drew harsh criticism. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2023, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boston-university-unveiled-a-new-martin-luther-king-jr-statue-is-it-just-me-or-does-it-look-like-someone-performing-a-sexual-act/978230/39 "2023-01-14T21:47:56Z")
I am fine with art being…art. I am just not seeing the MLK in this MLK sculpture. I get what they are saying it is meant to be and that’s cool but if I walked up with no context…MLK and what he was on about would not occur to me. As such, I think the sculpture fails. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2023, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boston-university-unveiled-a-new-martin-luther-king-jr-statue-is-it-just-me-or-does-it-look-like-someone-performing-a-sexual-act/978230/40 "2023-01-14T21:53:08Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > How do you know it was supposed to be about Martin Luther King Jr? It doesn’t look like him: Maybe a resemblance, just around the eyes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boston-university-unveiled-a-new-martin-luther-king-jr-statue-is-it-just-me-or-does-it-look-like-someone-performing-a-sexual-act/978230.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boston-university-unveiled-a-new-martin-luther-king-jr-statue-is-it-just-me-or-does-it-look-like-someone-performing-a-sexual-act/978230.md?page=3)