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As It Happens

'Scary Lucy' bronze statue to get a new home

It's meant to be a life-sized statue of the late I Love Lucy actress Lucille Ball, but — much to the amusement of the Internet, and the chagrin of residents in Celoron, New York — it looked more like actor Steve Buscemi.
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Lucille Ball and her 'scary' statue likeness. (Associated Press)

It's meant to be a life-sized statue of the late I Love Lucy actress Lucille Ball, but — much to the amusement of the Internet, and the chagrin of residents in Celoron, New York — it looked more like actor Steve Buscemi.

Many have said the 'Scary Lucy' statue looks more like actor Steve Buscemi than Lucille Ball. (Associated Press)

Ball's hometown has hosted the life-sized statue in its Lucille Ball Memorial Park since 2009. However, after the statue became a viral joke this year, the bronze artwork will have a new home. It is being adopted by the soon-to-be-built National Comedy Center in nearby Jamestown.

"All of a sudden over the last month or so, [the statue] became this controversial and somewhat disrespectful representation of who Lucille Ball really was," Tom Benson, chairman of the National Comedy Center, told As It Happens co-host Carol Off.

A scene from I Love Lucy, where Lucy pitches the fake product "Vitameatavegamin." This classic scene inspired the pose in the 'Scary Lucy' statue. (Screen capture)

Before her death, Ball arranged for her personal memorabilia to be left with the National Comedy Center.

Benson is planning to "rebrand" the statue so that it elicits respect rather than derision. He isn't sure on how exactly the Comedy Center exhibit will do that yet. 

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