AIBU in thinking living statue people are wasting their lives?

[TiggyD]

They probably think what they're doing is art. I dare say they wander round beforehand trying to get into character or some such bollocks, but all they do is stand still and hope people look at them. Well I don't like them. Can you imagine meeting one at a party?
Worthwhile human: "What do you do?"
Worthless entity: "I stand very still. The other day I stood very still for 4 hours. The stories I could tell you about standing still...Where are you going?! Come back!!!"
They're sad attention seeking people with no skills.

Ignore them!

£400 a day!!

I suspect they are not doing it full time, so you dont need to be concerned op.

You are also assuming what is worthwhile in life and what is not.

It is not as easy as it looks.

It is an art.

Like all performers.

op go get your paint, and try to stand very still.

You won't be able to do it.

I'm grateful for this thread.
I always knew that watching tv for hours, motionless, was an art form - but now I can educate people about it!
3 cheers for "no, I'm not a lazy bastard, I'm a living statue!"

TSS...

MN logo is a fab idea. I'll be the pg one!

Hate them. Smug metallic bawbags to a man.

Once saw one cycling down the Embankment in his full get-up with a massive painted cello on his back, barging past everyone. Hateful creature.

One thing you can say for living statue people. They are not as annoying as fucking mime artists.

The living statues themselves don't bother me at all, but I find the gaggles of tourists staring at them and blocking my way maddening. Especially the Italians - why is any crowd staring at a man dressed up as a silver, levitating Yoda always mostly Italian???

They come from the cradle of the Renaissance, here they are in London and what they really want to do is stand ten feet from Covent Garden tube see the same guy painted silver as is being Yoda/the Grim Reaper/a Roman centurion in Paris/Rome/Stockholm...?

At least mime 'artists' move around a bit eofa1.

I'm going to London soon and there's going to be loads of them.

You have a thing about people not moving, dont you TiggyD!

At work we used to have a small room to lock up people who didn't move. It was called the Stationary cupboard.

There are loads of these in my town. I walked past one day and it was someone I knew, not a lovey or actor type at all. In fact more of a Danny Dyer type, I was the kids love them though.

I have never thought about how they get to work, where they get ready etc, but now I HAVE to know!

I am disappointed that no one who does this has come on here to give their point of view!

DD loves them. There is a bloke painted up like a golden Popeye in Covent Garden who "speaks" through a squeaker and she always puts a few pence in his box so she can shake his hand and get squeaked at when we go there. There used to be a silver Elvis in Liverpool who'd burst into life and perform a bit when he got some money, he was fab.

I was on the South Bank last weekend and there was someone in a chicken outfit, so no facial expressions/stillness at all. They were just standing there with their arms (wings?) out whenever anyone went past. Now THAT's rubbish. Basically begging in a chicken suit.

The strangest ones I've ever seen were in Las Ramblas in Barcelona. One appeared to be floating in the air. I've no idea how he did it to this day

The ones in Las Ramblas were considerably better than any others I've seen.

The jugglers on unicycles are fine. The musicians on unicycles are perfectly acceptable, apart from bagpipists. Magicians on unicycles are OK too. It the statues. We need to enlist the help of Boris. He'll help rid he street from this menace!

As long as he can be on a unicycle

Goldigger perhaps MN could arrange a web chat with one? Obvs we have to keep paypaling them 10ps to enable them to move their fingers on keyboard...

@ begging chicken!

Define "wasting your life". You could say the same about spending time on Mumsnet. ..

YABU. The ones wasting their lives are

(A)those unable to understand the value of being able to still the mind

(B) people who spend hours every day doing something they hate

The Roma soldier one in Covent garden is creepy as fuck.

Roman not Roma.

Where I live there a couple of gray painted statuettes who pretend they are sitting down. They squat for hours, with people standing around in a massive semi circle every single bloody lunchtime going "ooooh how do they do that?" and filming them on their phones. I have broken the magical bubble a couple of times when forcing through the crowds to get to my chickpea and tuna pasta mumbling loudly its pretty obvious they have some sort of contraption in their trouser legs/arse that gives them support. The crowds drive me insane.