Molly Malone statue: Video reignites debate over groping statues for ‘luck’

A viral video has ignited a debate over the bodily autonomy of statues.

If you read that sentence and thought, ‘That’s silly, it’s just a statue!’ the issue is it actually goes much deeper than that.

The video circulating on social media shows the famous Molly Malone statue in Ireland, with one person after another coming to take a photo with it – and instead of posing politely by her side, every single one decides to place their hands on her breasts.

Watch the video above.

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The video, posted by @beyoncegarden, was shared alongside the caption, “this is so weird and disgusting like it’s just sad.”

Billie Eilish’s heartbreaking anthem What Was I Made For? plays in the background of the clip alongside audio from a video of Brittany Broski condemning the fact statues of females are always treated this way.

For many, it seems the issue comes not just in the blatant disrespect for women’s bodily autonomy, but also in the fact this kind of treatment toward a statue can diminish the meaning behind it to nothing but a sexualised image.

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Trinity College student Tilly Cripwell, who also performs as a busker around Dublin, has started a campaign to “Leave Molly mAlone”.

In hopes of ending the bizarre groping tradition, Cripwell has begun to protest, telling the Irish Independent it’s “one of many cultural traditions that needs to be questioned and quashed”.

“The majority of people will touch her boobs for good luck, that’s a misogynistic tradition,” she said.

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“A lot of people clamour around her, kiss her on the cheek, kiss her boobs, it’s all inappropriate.

“It’s reducing her to this derision and not giving her the status of being a national treasure.”

Malone is a figure in Irish culture and the subject of many songs and stories, although it’s unclear if she ever existed in real life.

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Her statue now has visible discolouration on her breasts.

“When I see men and women touching the Molly Malone statue, their kids are looking at them. What example is this setting? Why is it a part of Irish culture?” Cripwell continued.

“If kids are seeing that it’s the norm, seeing it’s a tradition to grope a woman, how can we move on from the patriarchal history?”

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