Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Sign Of The Times

After 20 months of debate and more than 33,000 votes, it's finally all over for the Wellywood sign.
Public voting on sign options for Wellington's Miramar Peninsula was overwhelmingly in favour (18,000+) of Wellington - Blown Away, which says Wellington but has windblown letters at the end.
I was pleased to see the PC Brigade didn't hijack the vote in favour of a giant taniwha eye on the hill (11,000 votes)! That would have been just plain stupid...and dare I say cultural insensitive to non-indigenous NZers?! LOL Mind you, isn't the whole issue of a sign also stupid?
Many still maintain the option of no sign at all would have been a winner, instead of one that so closely paradies the iconic Hollywood sign - which in itself was simply a real estate hoarding that became a symbol of the area (the original Wellywood idea garnered only 3,000 votes).  But 'no sign' was never an option.
So the question will always be: why was the airport so adamant it would erect a sign, regardless of public opinion? I guess, BECAUSE IT CAN! Still, it's all academic now: Wellington International Airport will build the sign by March next year.
Hmmm, is that offer of free beer, for anyone who rips the sign down, still available...?

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