with our President-Elect. The new Time magazine arrived today and as I read the several articles dealing with Barack Obama, I was struck by my attraction to him as a man. It isn't because he's handsome and young and sexy. It's because he is thoughtful and intelligent and funny (but apologizes when a joke goes askew) and adores his wife and children; he has stayed connected to his family of origin, he has a clear eye and a serene countenance. His words are measured and he seems to think before he speaks. Other people like and love him. He is a man of integrity who is not afraid to take bold steps. In short, he's the man of my dreams. I'm glad he's going to run the country for us.
During the Bush years, prominent (and not so prominent) men have been objects of ridicule. Though I have made jokes myself about some of the worst examples of despotic and/or clueless males, I always feel a little guilty about it, because males are too often the object of ridicule. Take most prime time sitcoms---who's the stooge? Why, the husband, of course.
I can't imagine anyone ridiculing Obama in the ways they have ridiculed George W. Bush. I know it will happen in some circles at least, but comedians will have a bit less to work with. And instead of making him look like a fool, jokes at his expense will give him a chance to respond in his characteristic serene ways, taking the punchlines and running with them. The best target of jokes is the one who can give as good as he gets; the worst target is the one who just looks foolish. What fun is that? And Bush has mostly just looked foolish.
I've had some great men in my life. My former husband, the FS's dad, the George Clooney lookalike, had such a knack with words and wordplay; we had our private word jokes that I still remember fondly. It wasn't enough to keep us going but it was good stuff. Another long-term love was encouraging of my budding musical skills, never critical, a good friend, a family man of integrity. And the man who still claims the "Love of my Life" title was funny, refused to think badly of others or to let a disparaging comment go unchallenged, and he thought I was beautiful. If I could have packaged all three of these guys into one single man, he would have been a lot like Barack Obama.
At my age, it's probably too late to hope for Mr. Mostly Right to arrive, though I've never given up hope! I love being with good men, men who can carry on an actual conversation, men who think, men who are good at what they do, men who don't make excuses, men who like me and are not threatened by my work. There are a couple out there in the island's music world who seem like contenders but at this stage in my life, I'm not pushing for anything, just enjoying their company!
8 comments:
And ... confident enough in his masculinity to not be afraid to be elegant.
Amen, sister, though now that I live on an island, clean jeans and a sweatshirt are the elegance I tend to accept. But isn't he beautiful?
I know it will happen in some circles at least, but comedians will have a bit less to work with.
Betcha it won't happen very much. His popularity is such that anyone mocking him with the same viciousness as Bush received is apt to find himself blackballed. I suspect he'll be considered a sacred cow for at least his first year.
And not just clothes -- he carries himself elegantly, crossing his legs at the knee, rather than that gauche way of hitching up an ankle on a knee that many men do because they think the other way is effeminate.
A gentleman in office. Hooray.
I was just reading an article about how comics are indeed having a hard time coming up with something funny about him, especially that doesn't involve mocking some racial stereotype. However, black comic D. L. Hughley admonished the nation's comics not to be standoffish, just because of his race. "He's the Man now! You can't just give him a pass!"
Eventually, he'll do something that will allow us to joke about him. But even with that, he's a pretty swell guy, bringing complete sentences back to the White House and all.
(Forgive me, the comic in me went for another cheap gag....)
Yep, I'm a sucker for complete sentences too, Pixie. And elegance. What a gorgeous fella!
Did you see Obama's roast of McCain at the Al Smith dinner? Or the roast he did of his new Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, which has been running here on YouTube lately. Our President-elect has fantastic comic timing and a great dead-pan delivery which makes me wonder whether he's got writers from Second City helping him with his material. Because yes, it's that good.
Just one more reason I'm in love, Tim!
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