Latest news with #LaMacarena
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Virgin Mary 'glow-up' sparks outrage in Spain after statue's makeover 'left her looking like she got botched plastic surgery'
The restoration of an iconic 17th century statue of the Virgin Mary has sparked outrage among worshippers who claim it left her looking like she got 'botched plastic surgery'. La Macarena - a beloved 5ft 9in wooden effigy of the Virgin Mary in Seville, Spain - was sent out from her shrine back in June for some regular touch ups. However when she came back, furious devotees said they no longer recognised her face. Her glow-up saw her gain longer eye lashes, a changes to the colour of her complexion and tweaks to her skin and nose. La Macarena's usual restorer, Francisco Arquillo Torres, 85, is now in disgrace and lying low following the botched procedure. He had offered to do just a general check up, to remove the stains in tear duct and inspect her eyelashes. But Seville's faithful and those who travel from across the world to catch a glimpse of the figure during the city's Holy Week parades were left demanding answers. 'Her facial expression has completely changed,' one outraged worshipper told Spanish newspaper El Pais. 'It pains me deeply to say it, but she looks like a poor copy of the original.' 'It was like she got makeup,' another added to The New York Times. 'And the Macarena cannot be made up!' One woman even accused Mr Arquillo, a professor at the University of Seville who has worked on the figure for years, of 'murdering' the Virgen live on television. The makeover sparked huge protests in Seville and also triggered instability within the Brotherhood of the Macarena - the group entrusted with protecting her image. Hundreds of angry worshippers gathered outside the Basilica de la Macarena in June calling for the resignation of the brotherhood's leader. The church quickly issued an apology and closed for half a day while last minute touch ups were carried out. And when it reopened, the effigy, which is paraded around Seville every year during the city's historic Semana Santa celebrations, had shorter eyelashes. However, the changes did little to quell the unrest - with worshippers saying her facial expression had got even worse. Pedro Manzano, the Seville's 'doctor' to the divine, has now been entrusted to fix La Macarena's botched makeover. 'It's a big responsibility, there's nothing more dangerous than this job,' Manzano told The Times. 'If people don't like what you do, they can come at you on the street.' Nevertheless it is expected to be months before La Macarena reappears above the Basilica in Seville. The religious icon's controversial makeover has been likened to the botched art restoration of a painting of Jesus Christ, which resulted in the artwork being dubbed: 'Monkey Christ'. In 2012, Cecilia Giménez, 82, decided to touch up the 'Ecce Homo' (Behold The Man) fresco in the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Mercy church in Borja, northern Spain. However, her brushwork completely obliterated the face of Jesus transforming the painting into what locals described as more like a hedgehog or hairy monkey rather than Jesus. It also comes after a Polish village was left outraged earlier this year after a botched renovation of a 1820 shrine of Jesus and the Virgin Mary left the Blessed Mother looking like a 'Simpsons' cartoon character. Once described by experts as 'tall and slender', the Virgin Mary statue just outside the village of Stuszionka now has oversized mitten-like hands, exaggerated eyes and a crooked frown accentuated by bright red lipstick. The figure of Jesus, meanwhile, appears to be wearing grey underpants, and both figures have been repainted with an unnatural yellow hue. Posting a photo on Facebook, the Conservator of Monuments said: 'A rather rare depiction of the Virgin Mary looking upwards. 'Another example of good intentions... Let's hope that in the near future this valuable object will receive professional conservation, because it deserves it very much.' It added that the unknown restorer had also painted over the shrine's original German inscription, replacing it with the markings 'VII 2024, JC 2,' written in what appears to be a black marker pen. Locals vented their fury with the botch job, with some describing it as 'desecration'. Posting on social media, one outraged viewer said: 'The times of the greatest barbarity and ignorance of Spirit and Reason have come.' Another commented: 'I would take a risk and notify the prosecutor's office about offending religious feelings. Because this is nothing more than an example of desecrating an object of religious worship.'
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trans rights activists bizarrely perform silent 'Macarena' dance at New York City education meeting
Bizarre video shows dozens of trans rights activists recently protesting at a New York City education council meeting by silently dancing "La Macarena." The meeting, which was held by the Community Education Council for District 2 (CEC 2), was held on Feb. 26. A YouTube stream of the meeting shows the protesters quietly performing the iconic '90s dance, some out of step with others. The dance began when a female attendee named Jo Vitale took the microphone to voice support for Resolution 248, a measure passed last year that was aimed at researching the effects of allowing biological males to compete with women. Council members appeared to hide their smiles while the activists silently danced in the background as Vitale spoke. New York City Mcdonald's Starts Carding Teenagers In Response To Crime: 'People Fight In There' "I'm here to support Resolution 48," the New Yorker said. "And let's be clear on what Resolution 248 is. It would allow for the research of the impacts of having biological males compete with biological females in sports." Read On The Fox News App "The research," she emphasized. "And that's what these people have all come out against, the research … they're just virtue-signaling, and they're baby bullies. So let's not placate these baby bullies." New York Ag Letitia James Advises Hospitals To Ignore Trump Eo About Sex-change Procedures For Minors CEC District 2 "oversees public elementary/middle schools in NYC Community School District 2," according to its Facebook page. Its schools are in the Lower East Side, Hell's Kitchen and Chinatown, among other Big Apple neighborhoods. Fox News Digital reached out to CEC 2 but has not yet heard back. CEC 2 Vice President Leonard Silverman told the New York Post that he "appreciate[s] their advocacy, but it's completely misplaced." "But they still keep on showing up, and it's really disruptive because it's discouraged other parents from talking about other educational issues," he article source: Trans rights activists bizarrely perform silent 'Macarena' dance at New York City education meeting
