A news story about "Levitated Mass," a new exhibit at the L.A. County Museum of Art that accidentally dropped the "M" from the piece's name has sparked threats of a lawsuit against the newspaper.
"After months of waiting, the giant, awe-inspiring 'Levitated Ass' is finally on display for the public to see," read the story in the Los Angeles Daily Times. "Museum goers will have the opportunity to walk directly underneath the enormous ass suspended above a walkway."
A lawyer for the museum said the fact the typo appeared twice in the story was a sign it was done purposely to smear the art piece.
"It's hard to believe the reporter simply made a mistake and the whole copy desk missed it," said John Johnson, attorney for LACMA. "If you ask me, the paper has an agenda to harm my client and the artist behind this masterpiece."
In response, the newspaper released a statement saying, "The mistake has been corrected and the people responsible for it have been disciplined. Our sincerest apologies are offered to the artist and the museum. In no way did we mean any harm or insult to anyone involved in the creation and display of this ass-terpiece."
The reporter who wrote the story, Janie Simons, declined to comment on the error and chief editor Brian Benson, referred all queries to the statement. When asked if the statement itself contained a similar typo, Benson snickered and hung up.
Museum goer Alicia Adams said she thought the news article was more interesting than the display.
"I mean, maybe it's me. But I just don't get it," she said, standing under the 340-ton rock on Saturday. "It's just a big ass rock."
Johnson said only the most refined art aficionados would understand the "depth of artistry" that went into the piece.
"The symbolism of this piece runs so deep you'd have to write a book to explain," he said, swirling a bright blue martini and breathing deeply through his nose. "We will pursue damages from the newspaper and the money will used to find more big rocks to put on display all over the country."
