Shield your eyes, art aficionados.
A giant inflatable sculpture was erected in Place Vendôme in Paris, France, on Oct. 16, and ever since, it has been making waves for locals and tourists alike. The reason may be fairly obvious: The sculpture, called "Tree," looks suspiciously like giant butt plug.
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Paul McCarthy's piece of art, which measures roughly 80 feet tall, was installed as part of a contemporary art fair. Despite McCarthy's insistence that his work is simply meant to resemble a Christmas tree, people can't keep their minds out of the gutter.
Some, including those from a movement called the "French Spring" (Printemps Français), were humiliated by the installation.
Un plug anal géant de 24 m de haut vient d'être installé place Vendôme ! Place #Vendome défigurée ! Paris humilié ! pic.twitter.com/vv7fzZWC62— Printemps Français (@nelachonsrien) October 16, 2014
(Rough translation: Place Vendome is disfigured! Paris is humiliated!)
But others can't take enough hilarious pictures of themselves hanging out next to a giant sex toy in a public square.
McCarthy's art has come under fire before, according to the Daily Mail, which noted his history of taking innocent icons (such as Santa Claus, below) and reimagining them in a risqué context.
It's hard to imagine this sculpture's sexually suggestive appearance was merely a coincidence, but either way, you can't help but feel a bit awkward. Especially if you're reading this at work.
The art fair ends on Oct. 26, but it's unclear whether the butt plug -- oops, tree -- installation will be dissembled by then.
BONUS: 25 Awkward GIFs for Your Cringe-Worthy Moments
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