I put you on a pedestal, they put you on the pill

[venta]

So, ages ago I invited people to name me the ten most famous statues in the world. From that, we could deduce what the ten most famous statues actually were, and people who got the most right (and got the fewest obscure ones along the way) could feel massively superior

Comments

[drdoug]

One of the things I like about Manneken Pis is how rubbish it is. How can such an ordinary, nondescript statue be so famous? Only in Brussels. Once he's finished wearing a costume, it gets added to a pointless collection in the Musée de la Ville. I think there must be thousands by now. All rubbish, and entirely unworthy of a visit, as is the statue itself. Except you have to go to reassure yourself that it really is that rubbish. I've been several times, and can attest that it is.

[bopeepsheep]

However - if you play Ingress, he's worth visiting several times in the same day! (For those that do, my IGN is the same as here, and you can spot the mission badges very easily. I ran out of time/dry weather to do *all* of them, though.)

[shermarama]

I wonder how much irony there is involved in it, or affection for the very daftness of it, that many people aren't picking up on? I mean, we all know Nelson's Column is famous, but we know it's famous as something tourists come and look at, not something anyone British goes to see - or maybe it's more like cheese rolling, which people do by now just *because* it's a Thing, and one they tried to ban so clearly it should be done just for the sake of it. (I wonder if tourist guides could do with an irony index for things?)

[ylla]

Hey, I've been to see Nelson's column *twice*!
(Once many years ago as a plain tourist from the wilds of the north, when you could still feed the pigeons, once after I actually got interested in Trafalgar and all the Age of Sail stuff :) )

I've been to see the Mannekin Pis too, but I don't remember it being very exciting.

[venta]

Someone (who shall remain nameless) did actually list "Napoleon in Trafalgar Square" as one of their statues. I assumed that was a brainfart and counted it as a vote for Nelson ;) Unless there really is a statue of Napoleon hiding away somewhere, subversively!?

[bopeepsheep]

The skeletal horse might be called Napoleon? There are some obscure busts lurking around the square but I'm pretty sure Boney isn't one of them.

[ylla]

I don't *think* it was me - I think I forgot Nelson completely :)

Forgot Greyfriar's Bobby too, despite working 5 minutes from it...

[shermarama]

*grins* I suppose I've been to Trafalgar Square a few times as a tourist myself, but I still don't feel like I've ever seen Nelson. There's all that other stuff - the lions, the fourth plinth, the National Gallery, and just the space itself - oh, and yeah, there's some bloke on top of the stick, isn't there?

When I went to see the Manneken Pis there happened to be some sort of traditional society having a gathering in front of him, with banners, all in fancy robes and with the Manneken in matching ones, so I remember it as more impressive than it would otherwise be, I think.