Color me shocked, but the National Park Service has rejected an application to erect a 48 foot tall statue of a naked woman on the National Mall. Organizers hoped to install the "art" onto the National Mall and leave it standing for 91 days. The National Park Service said 'not a chance.' "The proposed nearly 48-foot height of the statue introduces a visual element that would diminish the property’s significant historic features by altering the setting and historic character of the National Mall landscape," explained National Park Service spokesman Mike Litterst in an email. That might be the understatement of the century. Of course building a 48 foot tall statue of a naked woman on the National Mall would be a negative. The fact that the organizers behind the permit application even though this was doable is shocking. A separate application also wanted to construct a "memorial temple" on the National Mall and have it stand for 119 days. That too was denied because the construction "would likely cause significant damage to and require replacement of the underlying turf and soil." You have to give the organizers - those behind the Catharsis on the Mall festival - credit. They dreamed big. Unfortunately, they learned the hard way that most people don't want some random giant naked woman statue to be on the national mall for months on end. They were actually preparing to pay $90,000 to make this statue dream of theirs a reality. So far, they have crowdfunded $65,916 on Generosity to help bring the R-Evolution statue to the Mall. Even with the permit rejection, they are still fundraising. It is unclear what the festival plans to use the money on if not the statue. Activists are trying to make this a first amendment issue and accusing the National Park Service, and the Trump administration, of simply not wanting to look at a giant statue of a naked woman on the National Mall. But that is kind of the whole point of the NPS rejection. Their plan was ridiculous and would have not only created an eyesore, but would have caused damage to the soil on the Mall. Organizers can still technically appeal the NPS appeal, however with the festival kicking off in less than three weeks, there simply might not be enough time left.