Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2020/12/13/the-rise-and-fall-of-peorias-cookie-monster.html
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Is this a reboing? Or deja vu?
ETA:
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For me it was jamais vu. Cool, there is a word for the opposite of déjà vu.
Using BoingBoing search for “Peoria’s” turned up only this story, and Cookie Monster turned up 9 stories including this one. Google listed the same story twice.
Seems like the store owner looses, and the artist was paid and got some publicity, and would likely get a commission to redo the work elsewhere. (I like it.) There still seems something off about the story.
Edits: to add sources and edit some text, and change formatting.
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The artist could have just painted it and said he was paid by a mystery man. Takes all the blame off him, gets lots of publicity
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Deja reboing?
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Where’s the t-shirt?
I was just ahead of the curve.
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First- Great name and icon/avatar. Sorry that you seem to be kidnapped and mind controlled a lot. My eldest has a lot to say about the subjugation of kaiju, and King Ghidorah in particular. Do three headed monster wear sweaters with 3 neck holes, or just one large one? Is a turtleneck(s) a proper gift for a three headed kaiju? So many questions today.
Second- I agree. That said there are all sorts of questions. What’s there a check written, or just cash. Was a ticket written for defacing or damaging someone else’s property? If not, why? (I am good with up this.). Did the arrest make up the “mystery man” ? Why Cookie Monster and Cyrillic characters? Was it a dig on the commercial property owner? Why the lack of commas? (See: Comma Abuse In Russian, none of the words spend in an “и” (Unicode small Cyrillic I ), so there should be commas, or perhaps because each word is it’s own independent clause or statement it should stand alone.- but I digress.) Why no translation text at the bottom of the art piece? Why am I spending so much time thinking about this post?
As you can see, so many questions.
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I’ve got family in Peoria that know the indie art scene there pretty well. Their suspicion is that the artist made up the “benefactor” and is trying to be a midwest style Banksy.
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That sounds vastly more plausible than “mystery man paid me to paint someone else’s building”. That’s the dumbest excuse for vandalism I’ve ever heard.
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So, the impersonator knows the actual owner of the property and pays the artist in full and leaves without a trace? That’s an expensive practical joke (this artists charge must charge at least $2500, probably more). Something in this fact pattern is amiss.
No suspects yet, but authorities are seeking a person of interest:
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So it turns out that mural didn’t end up playing in Peoria.
Judging by Conte’s over-the-top nasty reaction, I’d imagine there are numerous suspects in town for the patron behind that awesome mural.
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I was okay with Banksy until I considered the possibility of Regional Banksys.
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It does seem to smack of hyperbole, almost as if this same artist hired his aspiring writer friend to compose a lengthy explanation for his recently created mural, which appeared, ever so briefly, then disappeared when Sesame Street executives called up the landlord with a cease and desist letter! What a week in Peoria! Ok, maybe it didn’t happen exactly like that, but isn’t it great, everyone got some free PR in these crazy times.
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Branch Banksys?
First National Banksy?
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I guess it didn’t play in Peoria, as the saying goes.
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It’s the letter of the day!
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I’m hoping Comte hires someone to paint a giant Oscar the Grouch with “Замри, умри, воскресни” as the caption.
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