Proposal splits council along unexpected lines, several members cite ‘genuine cultural significance’
The New York City Council spent a portion of Tuesday’s session debating whether Pizza Rat, the viral subway rodent seen dragging a full slice down a flight of stairs nearly a decade ago, deserves a permanent public statue somewhere in the transit system.
An Unlikely Icon
“Pizza Rat represents something real about this city,” said one council member, arguing in favor of the proposal. “Determination. Resourcefulness. An unwillingness to abandon a perfectly good slice regardless of the obstacles. I’d argue that’s more relatable to the average New Yorker than half the historical figures we already have statues of.”
Opponents of the measure questioned both the practicality and the message of formally commemorating a subway rat, however famous, with one council member noting that “encouraging any positive association with subway rodents seems like a genuinely bad long-term public health strategy, viral fame notwithstanding.”
Public Reaction
Residents contacted for reaction were largely supportive of the statue concept, with several noting Pizza Rat’s video remains one of the most universally recognized pieces of New York City internet folklore nearly a decade after it first circulated. “That rat did more for New York’s global reputation than half our tourism budget,” joked one Brooklyn resident. “Give it the statue. It earned it.”
Coverage from New York Daily News has previously chronicled Pizza Rat’s cultural staying power, while Gothamist has documented several other viral New York City animal moments that have since entered informal local folklore status.
Next Steps
The council has tabled the proposal pending further public comment, with a formal vote expected sometime in the coming months. Supporters say they remain optimistic, noting that stranger things have received formal city recognition, while opponents say they will continue pushing back against what they consider a “genuinely bizarre use of council time,” regardless of the rat’s undeniable cultural footprint.
A Long Tradition Of Odd Statues
Supporters of the Pizza Rat proposal point to the city’s existing collection of unconventional public art and monuments as precedent, arguing that a small, whimsical tribute to the viral rodent would fit comfortably within a broader tradition of New York embracing its own eccentricities. “This is a city that already has plenty of unusual public art,” said one supporter. “A small nod to Pizza Rat is not exactly going to break the aesthetic bank here.”
Critics remain unconvinced, with one council member suggesting the funding, however modest, would be better directed toward actual subway rodent mitigation efforts rather than a monument celebrating one particularly photogenic example. “I understand the sentiment,” the council member said. “I still think there’s something a little bit backwards about commemorating the exact kind of subway wildlife we’re also trying to reduce, resource allocation wise.”
What Happens Next
Council staff say public comment on the proposal has been unusually high in volume for what would normally be considered a minor agenda item, suggesting genuine public interest in seeing the debate through to a final vote. Whether Pizza Rat ultimately receives its bronze tribute or fades back into internet folklore without formal recognition, the council says it expects the conversation itself to remain a memorable footnote in an otherwise routine legislative session.
A Symbol Beyond The Statue Debate
Regardless of the council’s eventual decision, cultural commentators note that Pizza Rat has already achieved a form of permanence through sheer viral longevity that most physical monuments never manage. “The internet already gave it a kind of immortality,” said one local historian. “A statue would just be catching up to something that’s already true in the popular imagination, whether the council votes yes or no.”
A Final Word
Whatever the council ultimately decides, the debate itself has already generated more media coverage and public engagement than most routine municipal proposals manage in a full legislative session, a testament, supporters say, to the enduring, slightly ridiculous power of a rat with a slice of pizza and impeccable comedic timing.
Council staff say a final vote is expected within the next two legislative sessions, giving both supporters and skeptics ample time to make their case before Pizza Rat’s fate, statue or no statue, is formally decided by the body responsible for weighing its cultural significance against more traditional civic priorities.
A Rat’s Legacy, Regardless
Even council members opposed to the statue acknowledge Pizza Rat’s outsized cultural footprint, with one skeptic admitting he has personally referenced the video in conversation more times than he can count. “I don’t think it needs a statue to be remembered,” he said. “But I understand why some of my colleagues feel differently. It’s a genuinely close call, which is not something I expected to say about a rat and a slice of pizza when this session started.”
Whatever the outcome, the council’s willingness to spend genuine session time on the question has become its own small piece of the story, a reminder that even routine city governance occasionally makes room for the delightfully absurd.
For a city built on unlikely legends, that may be the most fitting outcome of all.
Bohiney Magazine continues tracking New York current events as part of its ongoing regional satire coverage.
Related humor coverage can be found at THE CITY.
SOURCE: https://bohiney.com/