HOW-OF-WHY

I have nothing at all against Henry Winkler.
The Fonze made the NYC born performer a full time, working actor (a rare occurrence within the profession that boasts a 95% unemployment rate) and eventually a Hollywood/Big Apple celebrity, producer and TV/film director.
He paid his dues (as we say in the biz) and was educated in his art/craft at Emerson College and the Yale School of Drama.
A talented and fortunate fellow.

But the "Bronze Fonz" seems silly, expensive, ill conceived and bordering on another "Milwaukee desperate".
Plus it does not look like the character very much (as sculptures go).

I doubt people will visit Milwaukee specifically to have a photo op with a bronzed fictional mannikin.

The Calatrava (which looks like a big bread slicer to me, and attracts more drug commercial shoots than visitors), Miller Park (looks like an alien space craft crashed, and keeps a fair number of people away) and now the faux Winkler are another Milwaukee embarrassment (and all relatively expensive mistakes).

"Bronze Fonz" should include a 24/7 web cam and a digital counter per photo.
Maybe a coin operated Polaroid in place for instant pictures to pay for the up keep and ward off vandals.

Couldn't a few live Fonze look-a-likes be hired to show up in the warm months to pose for tourists?
Milwaukee actors need work. Spend the $$ on them.

The Chicago Bob Newhart statue makes perfect sense.
Newhart is actually from Chicago.
His original TV show pretended to take place there and used location footage in the intro.

The map is not the territory. In the case of HAPPY DAYS the TV show is not a representation of Milwaukee.

Cable's "IN PLAIN SITE" films in Albuquerque and New Mexico.
Why can't a current TV show film in MKE - WI? (good project for your organization)

Milwaukee has many worthy attractions to bring people here as well as many famous former residents.
How about public statues of Milwaukee area actual people who made a difference: Al Jarreau, Tom Snyder, Gene Wilder, or Liberace, to mention a few...

Visit Milwaukee seems to want to sell the sizzle and ignore the steak, hype gimmicks rather than the real deal.

Labels: desperate, milwaukee, money talks, politics