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"I’m trying not to offend anybody. I did it for the purpose of being happy, being positive, and I think it’s cute and quirky and kind of funny, and certainly was a time for the emoji."

Said Kathryn Kidd, quoted in "'Emoji house’ feud erupts as frustrated residents urge Manhattan Beach to take action" (LA Times). Kidd had her house painted as you see below after she was reported by a neighbor for using the house as an AirBnB and fined $4,000.


The Instagrammer, Z the Art, did the painting. Now, neighbors have reported the paint job and are seeking action from the city, which seems cowed by the notion that Kidd has a free-speech right to paint her house like that. I'd need to know if there's some generally applicable law about murals to have an opinion about that.

One of the neighbors, Chris Strickfaden, is quoted saying:
“Besides the obvious ugliness — and no one believes this is just artistic expression — it has now become a traffic nuisance issue with people stopping by to take selfies in front of the emoji house. It’s nuts... I believe generally people should be able to do what they want with their property within the guidelines of the city, without governmental interference, including painting their exterior. However, this situation is not about the right of the homeowner. It’s about one homeowner saying F-U to the person she blames for her plight and F-U to the rest of the street.”
I wonder what he means by "just artistic expression." If you're expressing hostility, it's not artistic?! To single out the "fuck you" expression is viewpoint discrimination.
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