Barely unveiled, the new Taylor Swift wax statue at Dublin’s National Wax Museum Plus has found itself at the heart of a veritable bad buzz. Supposed to cause a sensation and please fans of the American star, Taylor Swift’s wax replica ended up creating controversy. Described as an “atrocity”, or a “plastic mannequin stolen from a store”, criticism was rife from the moment the first images were released. At issue: a resemblance deemed insufficient with the singer, particularly in the face, as well as make-up deemed outrageous.
It’s enough to divide the Irish, and amuse more than a few!
Designed after several months’ work, the statue is directly inspired by the “Eras Tour”. Taylor Swift is depicted wearing a sparkling outfit, carrying a pink guitar and wearing silver boots.
The ambition was clear: to recreate the singer’s unique energy and provide a realistic experience for visitors to the Dublin museum.
On paper, all the ingredients are there. The sculpture takes up the tour’s emblematic visual codes, and the materials used – wax for the face, resin for the body – comply with industry standards.
But in reality, the final rendering is divisive. While some visitors applaud the effort and recognize the desire to modernize the exhibition, many feel that the statue does not faithfully capture the artist’s features. Worse still, some even consider it offensive!
This discrepancy is all the more frustrating given that Taylor Swift remains one of the world’s most recognizable personalities.
This bad buzz comes in an already sensitive context for the museum. The National Wax Museum recently came under heavy criticism for a statue of Sinéad O’Connor, which was also deemed to bear little resemblance to her, and was eventually withdrawn.
Against this backdrop, the new Taylor Swift figure was expected to boost the museum’s image. For the time being, the effect has been the opposite: the controversy has rekindled debate about the quality of the sculptures on offer and the museum’s ability to meet the public’s expectations.
Despite the criticism, the controversy gave the museum unexpected visibility. Online reactions, sometimes mocking, have paradoxically helped to spread the word about the attraction far beyond Dublin.
This phenomenon is nothing new: in the world of wax museums, controversial statues often become curiosities in their own right. Some visitors now come as much to see the resemblance… as to notice the discrepancies.
In a city like Dublin, where the cultural offer is dense, this kind of buzz – even if negative – can play a role in attracting tourists! As a result, visitors flock to the site with just one desire: to pose next to this controversial statue!
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