Palin vs. Maddow

Compare and contrast:

The Republican National Committee has spent more than $150,000 to clothe and accessorize vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and her family since her surprise pick by John McCain in late August. (Politico)

On one side of [Rachel Maddow's] still-bare office hang about a dozen suits in varying shades of black and gray, her on-air uniform.

“It is a rainbow of monochrome,” acknowledged Maddow, who dresses off-air like a gangly teenager in baggy jeans and sneakers. “I just want to meet a basic threshold of what you’re supposed to look like on television so it’s not a topic of concern or discussion.” (LA Times)

Clearly this means the American people would save money if Maddow was in the White House.

The Sarah Palin Cocktail

For those of you watching the presidential debate tonight, I offer up a libation for your consideration—the Sarah Palin Cocktail:

Lipstick on the rim, but nothing inside.

Naw. I’m going for something stronger. I think I’ll need it. I might also invite some friends to bring over their favorite ingredients so we can create a community-organized Chicago deep-dish pizza in honor of the junior senator from Illinois.

How will you celebrate the debate?

The Lipstick Schtick

Ellen Degeneres revealed she is the new face of Cover Girl barely a week after the first smear in the lipstick wars between Sarah Palin and Barack Obama.

Barbie Dykes on Bikes

Random lesbian cultural moment for the weekend: Barbie dykes on bikes, from the sixth annual Altered Barbie art show.

It’s almost enough to make me want a Barbie—never thought I’d hear myself say that.

See, It Does Lead to Polygamy

Headline from 365gay.com:

“LA Mayor Weds Gay Couple”

(Or am I the only one who parsed it this way? Compare, for example, “Gay Bishop Weds Longtime Partner,” or, on a straight note, “‘SNL’ alum Chris Kattan weds model Sunshine Tutt,” not to mention, from the amusing annals of straight, marriage-themed reality shows, “Ex-Bachelor Firestone Weds Model Bride.”)

A Cultural Icon?

I’ve kept my presidential preferences quiet. I think both Democratic candidates have their pros and cons, and while I favor one a bit more than the other, it’s not by enough to make it worth preaching or getting into debates here. As long as it’s not McCain.

As a sometime student of medieval history and (later) professional marketer, though, I have to say that Obama totally rocks the iconography.

Not that I’m equating the two; just noting the resemblance.

(Obama photo from the NY Times; Christ icon from Wikipedia Commons.)

Some/Thing Blog Meme

Robin Reagler of The Other Mother has come up with a clever blog carnival idea. For the rest of the week, post a photo, memory, poem, music, or a combination on the following theme:

• Tuesday, 2/12: Something old
• Wednesday, 2/13: Something new
• Thursday, 2/14: Something borrowed
• Friday, 2/15: Something blue

Further details at her site.

Here’s my “Old” item for today, part memory and part photo:

As some of you know, I am a recovering academic, and nearly spent my life as a scholar of medieval history. (No, not the “dressing up in chainmail and running around a field” kind, but rather the “dressing in jeans and spending time in dusty old archives” kind.) Although I’m no longer working in the field, I’ve watched with great interest as Internet technology makes its mark even here.

If you haven’t yet discovered the British Library’s Turning the Pages project, which offers stunning online facsimiles of some great works of history, do check it out. There are medieval Christian classics like the Lindesfarne Gospels and Lutrell Psalter as well as a Haggadah and a Qur’an from the 14th-century. Of later provenance are Jane Austen’s manuscript of the History of England and the original Alice by Lewis Carroll.

No, this has nothing to do with lesbian moms (except insofar as it’s educational for the kids), but Robin said we should be surprising.

You’ll need the Shockwave plugin for your browser and a zippy connection speed, but it’s worth it.

Do People Take Women with Short Hair More Seriously?

Strollerderby asks this provoking question in reference to Hillary Clinton.

Heh. If it was true, of course, there would have been a lesbian president long ago, and Martina Navratilova’s birthday would be a national holiday.

(Yeah, yeah. It’s a stereotype. Laugh with me here.)

Ilene Chaiken: Channeling Shakespeare?

It came to my attention that January 6, when The L Word, Season Five premieres, is the date traditionally celebrated as “Twelfth Night” (though modern observances may place it on the 5th). Shakespeare, in his gender-mix-up comedy Twelfth Night, has Viola, in male drag, comment upon the Countess Olivia:

She made good view of me; indeed, so much
That methought her eyes had lost her tongue,
For she did speak in starts distractedly.
She loves me, sure . . . .

Coincidence?

(Yes, I know Olivia and Viola don’t end up together. I can dream of a rewrite, though, can’t I? Maybe Jenny’s available.)

Whatever the answer, I’ll be bringing you my thoughts on the show’s handling of parenting themes (and Helen and I will also cover this in our vlog) over the coming weeks. Congratulations also to Lee for winning The L Word DVD giveaway I held a few days ago. I have another DVD giveaway (not The L Word) coming up next week, so stay tuned.

Post-Holiday Haiku

I’ll start the year on a light note, with a bit of post-season haiku:

Spouse is back to work
Son is still awash in toys
Legos underfoot

And reflecting on some of the year-end political news:

Oregon waylaid
New Hampshire civilized now
Trip to Uruguay?

Feel free to leave your own contributions in the comments.