Biggest Megalodon Shark

Giant 60 foot Tall Shark on Oceanside Pier in Oceanside, California

Harry Callahan and Paul Kersey discuss some of the real life issues sculptors must deal with when preparing to have their sculptures installed in public locations. First, there is the money issue. Will it require public and/or private funding? There are zoning issues. There are groups that are or could be working against you. Does it offend this or that group? Is the sculpture sexist? Not politically correct? Is the media behind you? One bad article could shut you down. How do politicians feel about it? What about engineering aspects? Is the sculpture structured so as to not collapse?

There was a 50 foot tall sculpture of the Greek god Neptune called “Spirit of the Seas” which, according to the sculptor, was scheduled to be built and installed somewhere near the San Diego Bay by 2007. It never happened. Women’s groups were offended that it was going to be a sculpture of a male. Some felt that the sculpture should be more abstract and less representational. San Diego Union Tribune writer Robert L. Pincus was dead set against it:

“Spirit of the Seas” would be a towering monument to nothing more than artistic timidity and ambitious entrepreneurship. It has precious little to say about San Diego, while it would tell the world this is one excruciatingly parochial town when it comes to art or monuments.

If this is the future for art in public places here, then let’s have public places without art. I’d rather look at an unfettered view of the bay than see a 50-foot bronze Neptune done in some vaguely retro-mannerist style rise before our eyes.

-Robert L. Pincus, San Diego Union Tribune

Our report on the 60 foot Megalodon Shark roughly parallels some of the trials and tribulations of San Diego’s ill fated “Spirit of the Seas”.

The video:

Biggest Megalodon Shark Transcript, Mark Anders Channel

BEGIN TRANSCRIPT

top gun house in oceanside — Top Gun House in Oceanside, California

Harry Callahan: What is Oceanside known for? What kid of landmark? See, I don’t like this idea of what they’re going to turn into a landmark in San Diego, a giant shark munching on people.

Paul Kersey: That’s just the problem. Oceanside doesn’t have a landmark. They’ve got a military base.

Harry Callahan: They have that little house that was used in Top Gun.

Paul Kersey: They do have that. That is a landmark. That was from a huge movie. Top Gun. You’re right but they want to put in something else. They want to create an awareness. They want to bring a shark to the Oceanside Pier.

Harry Callahan: First of all, what’s the expense of having a 70 foot tall shark that blocks the pier?

Paul Kersey: It doesn’t block the pier. Its almost like having the statue of liberty. This is really going to do wonders for the city. It’s magic!

megalodon-shark — Megalodon Shark Statue Oceanside, California

Harry Callahan: They have a twenty foot wide, or whatever, pier where people can freely walk by. Now, they’re trying to propose a 50 foot shark that’s mouth is blocking practically 90% of the 20 foot pier.

Paul Kersey: You made a perfect point. Its blocking 90% of the pier. Its a bottle neck. You can’t ignore it. You’re now aware of a shark and you had to read to plaque that’s there telling you that this is a Megalodon shark and that sharks are going extinct.

Harry Callahan: Sharks are not going extinct and this is a shark that already is extinct. Why do people have to be aware of it? Why do we have to block people’s traffic?

Paul Kersey: They want people to be aware of the ocean and how we’re destroying them.

Harry Callahan: That’s not what its about. There’s a cryptozoologist named Max Outt, who’s also a personal trainer in Southern California, and he wants to make people aware of Cryptozoology and the Megalodon. So what? We’re aware of it. We don’t need this guy blocking off piers.

Paul Kersey: Are you saying that this guy, Max Outt, has brought this to the city of Oceanside?

Harry Callahan: He’s pushing it to go through.

megalodon billboard — Megalodon Billboard, Oceanside, California

Paul Kersey: I see nothing wrong with that.

Harry Callahan: What about the massive expense to Oceanside?

Paul Kersey: There’s money that local city governments have and have to spend it on art and this is an artistic endeavor.

Harry Callahan: Maybe they should spend it on education and the poor.

Paul Kersey: That’s a perfect point. Helping the education of the young and poor. That’s what this does. This drives home education. An artistic endeavor like this is educating people on how the oceans are being destroyed.

Harry Callahan: That’s not what its about. All it is is educating people about a 60 foot shark that used to exist. The can watch something on the SyFy channel about Megalodon and they’ll know that it existed. They don’t need to spend a million dollars on a fake shark.

Paul Kersey: Can you imagine what the investment of one millions dollars will return on this? It’s huge!

Harry Callahan: What return?

Paul Kersey: The tax revenues that will come in. People will be coming from all over the world to see this beautiful example of a fantastic blood-thirsty shark.

shark oceanside pier — Giant shark blocking Oceanside Pier, Oceanside, California

Harry Callahan: But they already know what one is.

Paul Kersey: The impact. This has impact.

Harry Callahan: Possibly, if that creates more tourism, but the only thing is is that shark is blocking a long pier that dead ends at a restaurant at the end of a pier. The only one that would benefit from it is that restaurant.

Paul Kersey: I think it slows the flow of traffic so they can become more aware of the shark.

Harry Callahan: Okay, something we didn’t talk about, what about all the goriness. Young people can’t even get in to R rated movies but we’re have a shark with someone’s severed bloody head, bloodied shark mouth, bikini top, a bunch of dead fish coming out of it’s mouth because the sharks upside down draining carnage on to the pier?

Paul Kersey: It’s simply human nature.

Harry Callahan: What’s human nature?

Paul Kersey: Blood and gore. Why shield the young from it?