Parents Complain About 'Pornographic' David Statue, Principal Fired

Art is in the eye of the beholder. With that in mind, to some parents in Tallahassee, Florida, Michaelangelo's "David" isn't art. It's straight-up pornographic.

Because, porn, like art, is also in the eye of the beholder.

The famous statue — which is of a completely naked man — is considered one of the greatest sculptures ever sculpted. For this reason, it was included in a course about Renaissance art at Tallahassee Classical School meant for sixth graders, according to The Daily Mail.

And what middle schooler doesn't love some Renaissance art?

Some parents weren't pleased about this and three of them complained. One even called it "pornographic."

They argued hadn't been informed the statue would be informed that the statue would be shown and that the images "upset" their kids.

The school's principal, Hope Carrasquilla, was forced out over the incident. The Daily Mail reports that school board president Barney Bishop admitted he had given Carrasquilla the choice to resign or be fired.

A restoration specialist works on Michaelangelo's David. (Photo by Franco Origlia/Getty Images)

How Could You Be Caught Off Guard By This Statue A Class About Renaissance Art?

Now, this may come as a shock, but I'm not an art historian. Especially not a Renaissance art historian. Still, I know that ceiling painting in the Sistine Chapel, the one Da Vinci did of that ugly lady (the Mona Lisa, I think it's called), and I know this statue.

If you see your kid is taking a class about Renaissance art, you shouldn't be surprised when the statue and its less-than-prodigious member make an appearance in the textbook.

"...So, my kid is taking this art class and I was stunned to see that the textbook included a picture of the most famous sculpture ever made. Can you believe that?"

I can.

Now, whether that's age appropriate is another matter, and something each parent will probably see differently.

Here's the easy fix: stop teaching kids about the David statue. Not because it's inappropriate, but because it's overrated. We have better, newer art we can talk about.

That statue wouldn't be popular if it came out today. The only reason anyone talks about it today is that someone managed to chisel it out of marble at a time when sneezes could kill you.

In the 500+ years since Michaelangelo sculpted a naked dude, people have made way better statues. Mount Rushmore, the Lincoln Memorial, and that statue of Fonzie giving a thumbs up in Milwaukee are all better.

Here's the other benefit of those statutes: teaching kids about them never would've angered parents or cost a principal her job.

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