Slap Hubby In Public
I have always been a fan of our first lady. Laura Bush is intelligent, classy and ladylike. I may revise that opinion on the basis of her speech at the April 30, White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. I realize that everything was scripted and timed by speechwriters. However, it seems that the first lady must have some veto power over the content. Some of her remarks seemed designed to be "hip" and "edgy" in order to pander to the lowest common denominator among the audience. The result was that portions of the speech were tacky and tasteless.
The thing that bothered me most was that she made some very cutting remarks about her husband. When I heard clips of the speech and read the transcript, I felt like I was witnessing a marital spat. I understand the concept of a roast where the guest of honor is lightheartedly teased. Some of the first lady’s jokes were entertaining. "I said to him the other day, George, if you really want to end tyranny in the world, you’re going to have to stay up later" was amusing. I thought "Andover and Yale don’t have a real strong ranching program" was hilarious. "George’s answer to any problem at the ranch is to cut it down with a chainsaw" was also funny. Those were perfectly acceptable little jibes, but some of the other remarks crossed the line.
I didn’t like the way she began the speech by interrupting President Bush with, "Not that old joke – not again." She followed that by saying she had been quietly sitting through these dinners for years followed by "Well, I’ve got a few things I want to say for a change." Those comments were meant to be humorous, but they fell flat because they portrayed the President a bad light by implying he doesn’t let her talk. The comments were unsuited to Mrs. Bush’s position as first lady although they probably pleased the "female empowerment" contingent in the audience.
One of her jokes was downright mean: "Ladies and gentlemen, I am a desperate housewife. I mean, if those women on that show think they’re desperate, they ought to be with George." Ouch! Talk about a cheap shot. It reminded me of that old, tired "Take my wife, PLEASE" line, not to mention that I don’t want to think about what does or doesn’t happen in the first couples’ bedroom. The joke about President Bush trying to milk a male horse with its unsavory sexual implications was truly tasteless, (I’m sure the Bush haters loved it). Few Bush supporters wish to imagine the president grabbing equine genitalia in a beastiality situation. We had our fill of unseemly presidential images when Clinton was in office.
Publicly upstaging or mocking one’s spouse is tacky. Fortunately, it usually backfires and generates sympathy for the attacked spouse. A husband or wife will make his or her spouse look bad in public for several reasons including 1) to express hostility without risking a confrontation because the other won’t want to make a scene. 2) To make himself or herself look better by deflecting others’ attention. 3) To pander to others present in order to be "one of the guys" or "one of the gals". As for the First Lady’s remarks, I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt and assume she was pandering to liberals in the audience rather than venting hostility or propping up her own ego. The problem with pandering to some is that it can be distasteful to others. People are often judged by how they treat others.
Mrs. Bush ended her speech in her usual gracious manner by describing her husband and family in glowing terms. That was the first lady who I am used to. A woman who seemed to be a completely different person than the woman who began her speech with "Not that old joke – not again." It sounds like she could use a new speechwriter.
Liberals see conservatives as humorless because some jokes offend them although liberals seem just as humorless when exposed to "politically incorrect" jokes. Locker room humor, put downs and potty humor are more juvenile than funny. Why do so many people only find humor in material meant to appeal to the lowest common denominator? There are types of humor other than burlesque. If political speeches continue to follow this track, what can the White House Correspondent’s Association look forward to at next year’s dinner – the Bush’s shoving cream pies into each other’s faces?
Copyright Eva Ellsworth, 05/08/05, all rights reserved
The thing that bothered me most was that she made some very cutting remarks about her husband. When I heard clips of the speech and read the transcript, I felt like I was witnessing a marital spat. I understand the concept of a roast where the guest of honor is lightheartedly teased. Some of the first lady’s jokes were entertaining. "I said to him the other day, George, if you really want to end tyranny in the world, you’re going to have to stay up later" was amusing. I thought "Andover and Yale don’t have a real strong ranching program" was hilarious. "George’s answer to any problem at the ranch is to cut it down with a chainsaw" was also funny. Those were perfectly acceptable little jibes, but some of the other remarks crossed the line.
I didn’t like the way she began the speech by interrupting President Bush with, "Not that old joke – not again." She followed that by saying she had been quietly sitting through these dinners for years followed by "Well, I’ve got a few things I want to say for a change." Those comments were meant to be humorous, but they fell flat because they portrayed the President a bad light by implying he doesn’t let her talk. The comments were unsuited to Mrs. Bush’s position as first lady although they probably pleased the "female empowerment" contingent in the audience.
One of her jokes was downright mean: "Ladies and gentlemen, I am a desperate housewife. I mean, if those women on that show think they’re desperate, they ought to be with George." Ouch! Talk about a cheap shot. It reminded me of that old, tired "Take my wife, PLEASE" line, not to mention that I don’t want to think about what does or doesn’t happen in the first couples’ bedroom. The joke about President Bush trying to milk a male horse with its unsavory sexual implications was truly tasteless, (I’m sure the Bush haters loved it). Few Bush supporters wish to imagine the president grabbing equine genitalia in a beastiality situation. We had our fill of unseemly presidential images when Clinton was in office.
Publicly upstaging or mocking one’s spouse is tacky. Fortunately, it usually backfires and generates sympathy for the attacked spouse. A husband or wife will make his or her spouse look bad in public for several reasons including 1) to express hostility without risking a confrontation because the other won’t want to make a scene. 2) To make himself or herself look better by deflecting others’ attention. 3) To pander to others present in order to be "one of the guys" or "one of the gals". As for the First Lady’s remarks, I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt and assume she was pandering to liberals in the audience rather than venting hostility or propping up her own ego. The problem with pandering to some is that it can be distasteful to others. People are often judged by how they treat others.
Mrs. Bush ended her speech in her usual gracious manner by describing her husband and family in glowing terms. That was the first lady who I am used to. A woman who seemed to be a completely different person than the woman who began her speech with "Not that old joke – not again." It sounds like she could use a new speechwriter.
Liberals see conservatives as humorless because some jokes offend them although liberals seem just as humorless when exposed to "politically incorrect" jokes. Locker room humor, put downs and potty humor are more juvenile than funny. Why do so many people only find humor in material meant to appeal to the lowest common denominator? There are types of humor other than burlesque. If political speeches continue to follow this track, what can the White House Correspondent’s Association look forward to at next year’s dinner – the Bush’s shoving cream pies into each other’s faces?
Copyright Eva Ellsworth, 05/08/05, all rights reserved
4 Comments:
What would have been truly funny, outrageously funny, is for George to have made disparaging remarks about Laura along the same lines as Laura did about George. Not funny because it is any more humorous, but because the PC media, the feminazis, and a slew of other victimologists would have been aghast, appalled, and outraged to the point of providing us all with some interesting humor as they expose themselves as hypocritical thought police.
I see nothing wrong with how L.B. was poking fun at G.W.
I think a little bantering between a married couple is very healthy and shows that they are very much in love with eachother as well extremely familiar with eachother.
My husband and I have been married for 17 years and we poke fun at each other ALL the time. It is a form of flirting with eachother and showing that comfort level that is so important to a marriage in mine and my husbands opinions.
I was a little offended to read your analogy: "Publicly upstaging or mocking one’s spouse is tacky. Fortunately, it usually backfires and generates sympathy for the attacked spouse. A husband or wife will make his or her spouse look bad in public for several reasons including 1) to express hostility without risking a confrontation because the other won’t want to make a scene. 2) To make himself or herself look better by deflecting others’ attention. 3) To pander to others present in order to be "one of the guys" or "one of the gals"." MOCKING OR UPSTAGING???
You are so wrong about that. If one can't poke fun at their spouse, then do you honestly think that is a happy, healthy marriage? Where is it written that for one to be married it must be constant business, no fun?
George and Laura seem VERY much in love and very accepting of eachothers jokes, ribbing. It's really too bad that so many people are so serious all the time and think into everything so much. You're missing out on a fun life.
You just can't trust them.
"We had our fill of unseemly presidential images when Clinton was in office."
Then you picked the wrong president.
This is the wrong era for anyone to be so aghast at the peccadilloes of anyone in office, because there's just too much going on at the upper levels. Honestly, if you're going to talk of hypocrisy, how about being pissed over a blowjob and completely tranquil over all the lies going on today.
Leaders are still human, they do dumb things, some more than others.
You're just pissed because you know about it, and you're not used to the concept of a leader who isn't a demigod.
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