Monthly Archives: September 2008

Notes from the RNC, Post 2: Palin’s grandchild is a good thing?

Posted on by

One of the more interesting takes on the whole teen pregnancy upset was given to me by Brian Weber, a 25-year-old delegate from Dodge City, Ks:

“I don’t think it’ll have an effect on elections. I think Palin’s daughter’s choice to have her baby will ring true with Americans.”

Weber says he has spoken to many delegates from many states, all of whom say this hasn’t shaken their faith in the McCain/Palin ticket; instead, Weber said, they feel this is proof that the pro-life conviction can be put into action by anyone in any sphere of life. That view is shared by James Dobson, founder of the conservative Focus on the Family. According to an NPR story, he:

“commending the Palins ‘for not just talking about their pro-life and pro-family values, but living them out even in the midst of trying circumstances.’ He added: ‘Being a Christian does not mean you’re perfect. Nor does it mean your children are perfect. But it does mean there is forgiveness and restoration when we confess our imperfections to the Lord.'”

Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized

Class and Compassion are not in Vogue in India

Posted on by

fendi bib and a bad attitude.jpg

I saw it myself and then a few of you blew up the tip line (thanks, Taara), my twitter and my skypager; on Sunday, the Grey Lady featured an article about Vogue India’s…interesting choice of models, for one of their recent editorial shoots. The “creative” (and by creative, I mean not at all) direction the magazine (which I still can’t procure in DC) stumbled through raised your threaded-eyebrows as well as some of your hackles, and rightly so.

Giving impoverished people $10,000 bags, Burberry bumbershoots and Fendi bibs for their children reeks of an appalling level of arrogance, an utterly clueless infatuation with “edginess”, and a heartless disregard for those for whom India does not yet shine. But let me tell you how I really feel, as I fisk the NYT article freely:

NEW DELHI — An old woman missing her upper front teeth holds a child in rumpled clothes — who is wearing a Fendi bib (retail price, about $100).
A family of three squeezes onto a motorbike for their daily commute, the mother riding without a helmet and sidesaddle in the traditional Indian way — except that she has a Hermès Birkin bag (usually more than $10,000, if you can find one) prominently displayed on her wrist.
Elsewhere, a toothless barefoot man holds a Burberry umbrella (about $200).
Welcome to the new India — at least as Vogue sees it.

Way to keep it classy, VI. Also, just so you know, the text on that picture says, “Baby’s Day Out: It’s never too early to start living in style.” Continue reading →

Notes from the RNC, Post 1

Posted on by

I overheard some writers from the Daily Show talking about how great it is that Hurricane Gustav has been downgraded: now they can write some jokes about it, they said.

That kind of practicality is pretty much the attitude shared by the rest of the convention. The hurricane itself is treated not so much as a reality here as it is a political device, part of the strange tableau that began at the DNC when the Clintons delivered so magnificently. The overriding sentiment (at least in the Reuters camp) is that this is a good thing, news-wise. Will the Republican Party use this opportunity to distance itself from Bush’s divisive legacy, promising a new era marked by restraint and candor? Or will the toned-down convention be a let-down – a sparse preview that leaves Americans bored? Either way, the news will be interesting. Way to go, hurricane.
Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized