An 80-foot inflatable butt plug by American artist Paul McCarthy was cut down from its supports early Saturday morning by vandals, forcing authorities to deflate the installation that many prudes in the city of Paris saw as an eyesore.

According to The Guardian, the vandals waited until the attention of security guards was elsewhere and then cut the cables keeping the sculpture, titled "Tree," in place. Police are investigating the incident; it had only been two days since the sculpture was inflated in Place Vendôme.

During the inflatable butt plug's grand unveiling on Thursday, one man's response was to slap McCarthy in the face three times, "yelling that he was not French and that his work had no business in the square, before running off," Le Monde reported.

The FIAC (a French contemporary art fair), who was responsible for bringing "Tree" to Paris, said they will reinflate McCarthy's work "as soon as possible."

[Image via AP]