Texas Officials Hot Under The Collar Over Iconic Playboy Sculpture [Video]

Marfa, TX – Texas officials are hot and bothered – not the way you’d expect – over an iconic Playboy sculpture which was erected alongside US Highway 90 near Marfa.

The installation – depicting the Playboy bunny logo along with a classic, stylized version of a 1972 Dodge Charger atop a tilted concrete platform – has been deemed illegal by the Texas Department of Transportation.

Now, Playboy Enterprises has less than 45 days to remove the 40-foot neon artwork from the highway, reports the Huffington Post.

Several complaints preceded the department’s decision, as many Marfa locals have shared their issues with this type of advertising, either out of personal moral reasons or for simply being sticklers for the rules.

One resident, Lineaus Lorette, filed an official complaint, stating, “I thought it was a sign – a corporate logo. And in Texas you can’t put up signs without permits. I was really ambivalent. It’s a beautifully made sign. The problem is that it’s a sign. The rules have to apply to everybody.”

Playboy Enterprises’ creative director of special projects, Neville Wakefield, in cooperation with New York contemporary artist Richard Phillips – who designed the piece – felt the work would attract readership, but ultimately deemed the creation art first and foremost; a refreshing attempt to re-image the brand.

However, technically, Playboy failed to file the proper permits according to reports – allowing the agency room to order the removal. But Playboy lawyers plan to fight the edict against the bunny sculpture.

Playboy is an American men’s magazine known for primarily featuring photographs of nude women. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc. and is one of the world’s best known brands.

The magazine generally reflects a liberal editorial stance and does feature monthly interviews with notable public figures – artists, architects, economists, composers, conductors, film directors, journalists, novelists, playwrights, religious figures, politicians, athletes and race car drivers.

[Feature image via Playboy Enterprises]