Every artist would love to become known worldwide for their work but, in today’s social media climate, that dream can quickly turn into a nightmare. Last year Emanuel Santos’ dream was marred by ridicule after the unveiling of his bust of superstar football player Cristiano Ronaldo at the Madeira Airport.
The original bust has now been replaced.
Ronaldo's Madeira Airport bust got an upgrade. pic.twitter.com/XLV7oxKUnl
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 18, 2018
In a sad turn, no one told Santos about the replacement. He found out when a friend called him after the news broke on the internet. Not believing it could be true, Santos drove to the airport only to discover his statue was, in fact, gone.
Santos appeared in a documentary discussing the humiliation he suffered after the unveiling of his statue.
Emanuel Santos’s dream commission turned into a nightmare when his Ronaldo bust was ridiculed around the world.
He told his story to @brfootball in a mini-documentary earlier this year pic.twitter.com/TLV1iJv1MN
— B/R Football (@brfootball) June 18, 2018
But the public can be fickle, and it seems all those haters want the original statue back. A petition is circulating among locals calling for the old bust to be returned.
Cristiano Ronaldo bust at Madeira Airport replaced by new statue… but an online petition has been launched to have the original brought back https://t.co/GtDLl7jXNI
— MailOnline Sport (@MailSport) June 18, 2018
The petition, however, doesn’t appear to appreciate Santos’ art. Instead, it seems the bust had become a tourist attraction.
“The petition, on https://t.co/UokKGzza9D, is titled 'Petition for the immediate return of Cristiano Ronaldo's bust to Madeira airport' and calls the original bust 'an attraction for our island'…”
“Travel Itinerary —
1) see comedically ugly bust of Ronaldo
2) eat local food” https://t.co/lYBtioL3WW— Morgan Bagg (@MorganBagg) June 18, 2018
The main reason i am going to Madeira on holiday has just been scrapped. Gutted
BBC Sport – Cristiano Ronaldo: Mocked statue at Madeira airport is replaced https://t.co/Hl3NsnXr6e
— Rob Connor (@TheMightyBoomer) June 18, 2018