Seven Fictional Characters They Should Turn Into Statues

Rocky Balboa has one in Philly. If the people of Detroit get their way, they’ll have one of Robocop. This got us thinking… who are some other fictional characters that cities should erect statues of?

We discussed our choices (and more) in the latest episode of our podcast, “Raise the Stakes!” Here are the ones we came up with:

Chicago – Ferris Bueller

By virtue of watching this movie, you essentially get to tour the city of Chicago (art museum, Sears Tower, Wrigley Field, parade in downtown). It makes it look like the most awesome place to spend a day. (Granted, basically anything is better than high school.) And Ferris’s manipulation and hoodwinking is somewhat reminiscent of mob bosses from back in the day, just with far less killing.

San Francisco – Dirty Harry

The persona of Clint Eastwood is in directly conflict with the overall perception of SanFran (that is, hippies). But that’s what makes this perfect. It shows that these two types of people can live together in harmony. Or, more accurately, it shows that Harry will protect all law-abiding citizens no matter how much he dislikes them.

Boston – Good Will Hunting

This is the first film that popped into our heads when thinking about this city. Maybe that’s just by virtue of it being an Oscar-winning film and remembering the thick accents. The pose would likely be from the “how do you like them apples” scene where Will holds a piece of paper up against the store window because this sums up the obnoxiousness of Boston sports fans’ all too well.

San Fernando Valley – Dirk Diggler (Boogie Nights)

This PG-13 statue, which would show a clothed Diggler preparing to undress, acknowledges the Valley’s highest commodity (porn) while at the same time aspiring to something great with Dirk’s quote “I have good things and you don’t know about!” Just one of the nuggets of wisdom dispensed in what is either a terrible acting job or a virtuoso comedic performance by Mark Wahlberg.

Austin – David Wooderson (Dazed & Confused)

The city’s official motto is “Keep Austin Weird,” and nothing could be weirder than erecting a statue of Matthew McConaughey’s character from this classic 90′s film. In this case, the hippie lifestyle fits in perfectly with the vibe of the city, a strange liberal oasis in the middle of a very conservative state. So conservative that we don’t think they’d allow Wooderson’s praise for high school girls (“I get older, they stay the same age.”) to adorn it. Instead, we’ll settle for “I love them redheads!”

Baltimore – Bubbles (The Wire)

At this point, the city is known mostly for the HBO series “The Wire,” so much so that if you ever tell anyone you’re from Baltimore, you can except the conversation to shift to that show. There are so many characters to choose from, both on the right and wrong side of the law (and plenty more where it’s hard to say exactly which side they’re on). Ultimately I settled for the one that feels most like the “common man,” if the common man is a recovering heroin addict who spends most of his days on the streets. But through his ups and lows you never give up on him. He represents hope, and Baltimore could use some more of that.

Los Angeles – The Dude (The Big Lebowski)

There’s an endless amount of films set in LA, but more often than not that’s only because they want to save money by filming there. It’s rare to find one that actually attempts to capture the culture of the city, and while Lebowski doesn’t necessarily set out to do this, The Dude represents a kind of person you always seem to meet at parties: someone who doesn’t seem to do much of anything and yet is somehow able to pay rent and afford to eat. These people make a life somehow because like The Dude, they abide.

Tags: austin, baltimore, boogie nights, boston, bubbles, chicago, cities, clint eastwood, david wooderson, dazed and confused, dirk diggler, dirty harry, ferris bueller, good will hunting, Los Angeles, mark wahlberg, san fernando valley, san francisco, statues, the big lebowski, the dude, the wire