Walter White and Jesse Pinkman, the main characters of “Breaking Bad”, now have statues of them in Albuquerque, the city of New Mexico where the action of the series takes place. And not everyone likes it…
Since last month, Walter White and Jesse Pinkman, the heroes of Breaking Bad, have statues with their effigy in Albuquerque, city of the State of New Mexico where the action of the cult series takes place. An inauguration ceremony was even held in the presence of actors Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, Vince Gilligan, the creator of the show, and Tim Keller, the mayor of Albuquerque.
During this inauguration, Vince Gilligan had declared to see in these statues “two of the finest actors America has ever produced. Two actors, in their characters, like two tragic figures in cautionary tales.” But he also sensed that honoring these fictional characters would not be universally welcomed in New Mexico. And he was right.
The presence of these statues in Albuquerque indeed irritates Rod Montoya, Republican representative of New Mexico. “I’m glad it’s running the business of the state, but really? Are we literally going to glorify the meth makers?”gets carried away the politician at the microphone of Fox News.
“This is not the kind of recognition we want for the city of Albuquerque or for our state.”says radio host Eddy Aragon in comments reported by Variety. “Honestly, what you saw in Breaking Bad should be seen as a documentary. I really think it’s reality in New Mexico. We try to say it’s fiction, but it’s reality …”
Aragon regrets the arrival of these statues while that of the conquistador Juan de Onatethe first Spanish governor of New Mexico, was dismantled. “We now have brand new statues, fictional characters that we put forward, something that our progressive mayor supported. We’re funding that, getting rid of real historical figures to, now it’s even better, to have fictional characters who are drug dealers”he blurts out ironically.
For Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller, erecting these statues was appropriate given the economic impact of Breaking Bad on the city. “Although the stories may be fictional, the jobs are real every day”he says. “The city is also a character… We see ourselves on the show in so many ways, good and bad.”
Did you notice the little hidden details of “Breaking Bad”?