‘Monster’ Lucille Ball statue isn’t playing well in her hometown

This might be the first time Lucille Ball has people screaming for real, instead of screaming with laughter.

A 400-pound bronze statue of the comedian that stands in a park in her hometown of Celoron, N.Y., is, shall we say, less than flattering.

In theory, it captures Ball as she appeared in the classic Vitameatavegamin episode from the first season of “I Love Lucy.”

In reality, some people want it gone.

Why? Well, make sure the kidlets aren’t nearby and then click here to see the statue -- if you dare. Not enough for ya? Then try this alternative view.

The statue went up in 2009, and a Facebook page advocating its demise was created in 2012. The issue didn’t go global until now, however, after publication of a story in New York’s Post-Journal newspaper about the effort to have it improved or disappeared.

“I think it looks like a monster. That is just my opinion,” the founder of the We Love Lucy! Get Rid of this Statue page on Facebook told Yahoo News. “When you see it at night, it is frightening.”

The man, who wanted to remain anonymous, told Yahoo he didn’t think the bronze could be repaired to look more like the “stunning beauty” he considered Ball to have been.

The Facebook page, which notes that artist Dave Poulin’s body of work includes “other works which are quite good!,” urges people against donating to the town of Celoron to have Poulin tweak the statue. Instead, the idea of commissioning a new artist to do a new statue is raised.

Still -- maybe Lucy is simply a tough spirit to capture in statue form? Madame Tussauds did a decent job sculpting her out of wax, but Palm Springs’ bronze isn’t a heck of a step up from Celoron’s.

Follow Christie D’Zurilla on Twitter @theCDZ and Google+. Follow the Ministry of Gossip on Twitter @LATcelebs.