Italy's Displeasure with Botticelli's Venus as an 'Influencer'

Italy's tourism ministry launched a year-long campaign to attract younger tourists by turning Botticelli's Renaissance masterpiece "Birth of Venus" into a 21st-century "virtual influencer." The digital Venus, fully clothed, can be seen noshing on pizza and snapping selfies for her Instagram page. However, the campaign has faced significant backlash, with critics calling it a "new Barbie" that trashes Italy's cultural heritage. The campaign's estimated cost is 9 million euros, and it has already been memed mercilessly online.