San Diego: Greatest Generation Walk, including monstrosity

I just keep hating that statue more. 

If at some points I sound less than enthusiastic in my review of the Midway Museum (which was very well done), that relates to concerns about the military-industrial complex and some of the macho domination issues that go with that, even while seeing the value of World War II and appreciating traits like courage, loyalty, and sacrifice.

So I am not against the various memorials in the area, and see a logic to their placement, even though the way things are done it seems like there is always some construction or something in the way.

I could have tried harder to get good pictures, and I admit that, but I also think it is fair to say that the execution could have been better.

Which I guess makes everything about the monstrosity make more sense. And I was not going to go any closer!

Having seen it in some commercials, I had been thinking that having it so large and in color was in questionable taste. My bigger concern was with the origin of the photo.

https://nypost.com/2012/06/17/the-true-story-behind-the-iconic-v-j-day-sailor-and-nurse-smooch/

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/11154561/Iconic-kiss-sculpture-depicts-sexual-assault-says-French-feminist-group.html

The woman did not want to be kissed. The man just grabbed her, even though he was on a date with another woman who was standing right there and he could have kissed her. People still call it romantic, even when they admit it wouldn't fly today, that back then it was okay.

In addition, even though everything about the statue makes you think of Alfred Eisenstaedt's photo "V-J Day in Times Square", to avoid copyright infringement the "artist" says it was based on a similar, non-copyrighted photo. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unconditional_Surrender_(sculpture)

I can't believe it works, I hate the tackiness of the names, either "Unconditional Surrender" or "Embracing Peace" (because there are a whole bunch of them out there), and all I see is an assault, glorified and romanticized by a patriarchal culture. Boo!

COVID: It is outside.

Accessibility: It's pretty navigable.


https://fundiegofamily.com/san-diego-fun/san-diego-attractions/san-diegos-greatest-generation-walk/