Googly eyes bring viral fame to Bend, Oregon in unusual case of vandalism

Statues in the Oregon city of Bend, which have been given a makeover thanks to the addition of googly eyes, have gone viral online and attracted an international audience - with even The Late Show host Stephen Colbert poking fun at the unusual case of vandalism.

The official local government for the city took to Instagram earlier this month to call out the antics and its potential to damage the artwork in question.

They said: “We love our roundabout art in Bend, so let’s do our part to take care of it.

“While the googly eyes placed on the various art pieces around town might give you a chuckle, it costs money to remove them with care to not damage the art.

“While we don’t condone the wreaths, leis and Santa hats, let’s stay away from the adhesives, graffiti and all things that can damage the art.”

The caption was accompanied by pictures showing googly eyes affixed to a statue of two deer, as well as a giant metallic ball.

Rather predictably, people are now calling for the googly eyes to remain a permanent part of the artwork, with one individual even going so far as to write that the googly eyes “give me the hope to move forward each day”.

“Googly eyes keep my mental health in a good place. Long live googly eyes,” a second comment reads.

Others, meanwhile, have criticised the local government for focusing its attention on the vandalism, instead of other issues.

“Good lord! Your priorities are not in line,” commented one.

Another wrote: “Idk, it seems like there are other issues the city could be prioritizing?”

Earlier this week, Stephen Colbert showed a photo of the statue of two deer with the googly eyes affixed to them on his programme, and added: “Oh, come on, you’re going to get mad about that? It’s fun!

“And frankly, it’s safer; if Bambi’s mum had had those eyes, maybe she’d have seen that hunter coming.”

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

Ouch.

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