Friday, February 25, 2005

"Thank you Ms. Rice, May I have another?"

When I heard Hugh mention this story today I thought maybe April Fools Day had come early. But no he spoke the truth. One of this country's top newspapers thinks Condi could be a dominatrix.

Rice's coat and boots speak of sex and power -- such a volatile combination, and one that in political circles rarely leads to anything but scandal. When looking at the image of Rice in Wiesbaden, the mind searches for ways to put it all into context. It turns to fiction, to caricature. To shadowy daydreams. Dominatrix! It is as though sex and power can only co-exist in a fantasy. When a woman combines them in the real world, stubborn stereotypes have her power devolving into a form that is purely sexual.
My favorite part is that instead of running this is say People, Weekly World News, or Dominatrix Today they run this on the front page of their Fashion Section ("Page C01"). I suppose that better than the front page of the paper in general, but still... does crap inanity like this deserve to be printed? Even Hugh's guest (name eludes me at the moment) who said he works for the Post said he wouldn't have run it.

Was it said tongue in cheek? Probably. Was it stupid? Definitely. But if this type of commentary is fair game, just wait to see what the blogosphere does to Hillary Clinton when she runs for president.

Game on!