Flatiron District Bonus

From Furbies to Manatees

A couple of people asked me about the final picture I posted last week of a bright orange cement mixer spewing a stream of hot pink foam and cordoned off with police tape.

When I first came across it, I figured it was some sort of cheesy temporary art installation until I saw a concerned looking security guard circling the area. He was soon joined by another guard who arrived breathless and sweating, saying, “I got here as fast as I could.”

The two would periodically look over at the mixer and shake their heads with concern.

Now my curiosity was piqued. I went over to take a closer look. Within seconds, one of the guards approached me. He mumbled something in a low voice that I couldn’t make out. That was followed with a very clear, “If you see a Furby, say Furby.”

While I was glad that nobody was trying to pass this off as art, I was slightly disappointed that it was all just an elaborate marketing stunt to promote the return of the Furby, the fuzzy, half-hamster, half-gremlin talking toy whose popularity once caused literal stampedes at Walmarts across the country.

I briefly considered asking the guards if they were aware that seeds for Furby mania (58 million sold) were sown a mere 50 yards away in Hasbro’s former headquarters.

I decided against it.

I sat for a while, watching the guards as they approached various groups of confused tourists, asking them repeatedly to say Furby if they saw a Furby.

It then dawned on me that the Furby we were supposed to see on this sweltering summer day may actually be some poor soul getting minimum wage to wander the streets of the Flatiron District in a synthetic Furby suit.

That instantly kindled memories of the strangest photo assignment I ever worked on.

A few years ago, I spent a week outside of Orlando photographing a manatee. Well, not actually a manatee, but someone dressed in a bright orange polyester manatee costume.

In conditions similar to those this past week in NYC, the poor manatee had to assume forlorn poses in various South Florida locations, like an abandoned mall, a forest preserve, and an amusement park.

The shoot also involved twin sisters and a 1962 Impala.