Jackson butter sculpture plan churns up ire in Iowa

Summary.

Star Tribune

Last update: July 2, 2009 - 9:43 PM

For years, the state fairs in Minnesota and Iowa have played a sort of butter sculpture one-upsmanship: Princess Kay busts in St. Paul vs. full-sized cows in Des Moines.

This year, the Iowa State Fair has upped the ante, big time: A full-sized butter sculpture of the late Michael Jackson will be displayed alongside a butter Jersey bovine.

Fair officials announced the Jackson tribute on Tuesday only to quickly backpedal the next day after howls of protest that they were honoring a musician of less-than-impeccable character.

"We are not honoring him for his character, but recognizing his piece of Iowa State Fair history," they said in a news release.

Jackson appeared at the Iowa State Fair in 1971, as a member of the Jackson Five, performing before a crowd of 17,000. According to fair officials, "his inclusion in this year's sculpture acknowledges Jackson's historical connection to the fair."

They went even further to distance themselves from Jackson, even while trying to capitalize on the frenzy of news coverage that has enveloped him since his death last week.

The sculpture of the one-time King of Pop will be "featured in a small side portion" of a larger butter-carved exhibit celebrating the 40th anniversary of the first moon landing in 1969. The connection between Neil Armstrong and Michael Jackson? Jackson was "the first pop star to perfect and popularize choreographed moonwalking," fair officials said.

BOB VON STERNBERG