Why not foment pop idol worship?

The decision of a district in Seoul to immortalise the man — or at least the most distinctive part of him — who brought that area into world renown should definitely be emulated by others. If the Charging Bull was installed to epitomise the energy of Wall Street, the proposed $300,000 bronze statue of Psy will be an apt commemoration of the phenomenal success of his Gangnam Style music video. With The Beatles — clad in their iconic 1960s-style smart suits — also set to be enshrined in bronze this December in their hometown Liverpool — even as another earlier one of them is garaged in Houston — and Amy Winehouse slated for a permanent brass gig in London, ‘pop idol’ acquires a literal significance.

However, unlike the others in this genre — such Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain and even Michael Jackson — Psy is still, quite literally, a performing artist. That should be a cue for Indians to step up to the plate, as we love putting people on pedestals anyway. Gandhiji, of course, is the first choice for official statuary and the Sardar colossus at Sadhu Bet may become a tourist draw in Gujarat. But urban arts authorities should consider commissioning bronze likenesses of popular modern Indian icons; cricketers and Bollywood stars come readily to mind. The selfie potential of such secular installations is obvious.