I wear it every day and obsess over my favorite kind, but even this beauty blogger knows that this isn’t the time to be talking about lipstick.
I don’t care if it’s a pitbull or a pig or whatever kind of animal metaphor our political candidates are using here. And it doesn’t really matter to me who said the stupid phrase first — what bothers me the most is that this whole Drudged up lipstick hubbub — just like the Oprah thing — seems to me, to be a blatantly obvious distraction from the real issues that this country needs to focus on.
And from a gander at the headlines today, it’s working brilliantly.
Instead of lipstick, I’d like to hear the candidates address their solutions for the issues we’re not talking about. The 800 pound gorillas in the room, like mounting poverty. Like the terrifying rate of job losses. Like the plight of our soldiers when they return home from war. Some fine young men and women are returning home haunted by their experiences, and broken in body and mind. I just saw on the news today that the suicide rate of active duty soldiers is set to exceed the rate among the general US population. That hasn’t happened since Vietnam. That’s all kinds of sad and scary. Can we talk about how we’re going to help our troops, both now and later?
On the eve of September 11, can we talk about finding the terrorists responsible for the attack in the first place? Seven years later, and the official White House response to not finding Osama Bin Laden, is “This is not the movies. We don’t have super powers.” Can we talk about why resources aren’t being used more wisely to that end? Can we talk about the economy, education, health care, and dealing with this ongoing war on drugs that’s only succeeding in breaking the prison system?
We’ve got 56 days until the election. Can the politicians on either side of the divide lay off the trivial BS like lipstick, and talk about something real?
Yes, Afrobella, some of these politicians definitely like to talk about makeup. They like to make stuff up and pass it off as the truth. Make up whether or not they supported a bridge, make up lies about raising taxes, make up stuff about the economy. And of course, we should all know a ton about how our current administration made up a story about WMD’s and our national security because that’s why we’ve been at war in Iraq.
People are clamoring for more issues and less makeup but instead we get spin and distractions through controversy.
I do hate how we end up talking about things that are inconsequential to the election. And part of that is the media’s fault for trying to dumb it down and straddle the world of serious news and TMZ-style reporting. Anyone who’s ever watched CNN International abroad or the BBC has probably wondered how come a lot of news outlets here seem to make the trivial seem as important as the serious stuff.
Don’t worry Bella they’ll find something new tomorrow.It’s the 7 year anniversary of 9-11,and they’ll swear that Barack is really Osama Bin-Laden.
When I read it yesterday I immediately thought of George Allen and his “maccaca” moment. I winced, not because I thought BO was being malicious but because I could see the spin in my head. It was all over the web in a matter of minutes.
Was it a poor choice of term? Yes, considering how the media is paiting Palin as the only woman in America that wears lipstick. She has been crowned Queen of the World and therefore anything she has mentioned, talked about or discussed is HERS and HERS ONLY.
Whatver, Barack has weathered worse. I thought Rev. Wright was going to be the nail in the coffin but he did bounce back.
Girl, elections are never about issues. They are about personalities and drama. This is what America wants and this is what America gets. Al Gore polled higher than Bush on every major policy issue in 2000 but Bush polled higher on personality, so there you have it.
Huemanity I really do not see it as a poor choice of words. He was simply making an anology. If the Rep. took offense its because they know they have swine on their hands. I really think it was innocent. I am so tired of the parties tip toeing around Palin instead of punching her in the gut like she does everybody else. All while saying noting of substance. Its time to pop this chick back. She was an advocate of Hiliary not falling back on gender. Again, I say the only reason she and McCain are offended is because he knows he is rolling around the pen with pigs.
Poor Barack he’s basically playing the role of Michael Corleone in GODFATHER III—in the scene where Michael is trying to make the family business legit and all his enemies and certain family members want to do is keep dragging him down…he says: Just when I thought I was out… they pull me back in.
Yeah Barack tries to keep the focus on issues and true political discourse and the other side just keeps trying to SWIFT BOAT every word and every notion the man lies out…in the end Barack will raise above it…but only with the true and steadfast prayers of many.
No joke.
amen sister…although I am mostly a lipgloss girl. Obama needs focus on the issues and let Biden handle the mud slinging.
alicia aka “fashiona”
http://todaystyle.today.com/
It’s time for the fear and smear campaign, forget about the issues. The sad part about it is, it works. It works because many Americans are petty and they relish in this kind of stupidity, it takes them away from the mundane for a moment.
The same goes for the polls, my Mom follows the old spin news and believes anything that Faux News, CNN and the others say. I always ask her did the pollsters call your house? They didn’t call my house either to ask for my opinion. If not, then they aren’t talking to many of us and are probably speaking to one demographic.
Lets keep the real issues on the forefront, we have the power to remind them so lets do it.
Amen, Afrobella.
I love makeup as much as the next fashionist, but really.
The are so many pressing issues in this nation–yet and still folks are using these weapons of mass destraction. It’s a hot mess.
Unfortunately baby gurl this is politics we’re talking about and bs is the name of the game. If u focus on the bs then the big things go untalked about and it becomes less about what the people want and those decisions are made by a very selected few. Politics are politics for a reason, smokescreens and scandal and headlines about a quip that’s been used hundreds of times and has an obvious meaning are what we are forced to watch on the news. the news channels, the papers are all tools of a bigger force. when u forget that u forget its power. make ur voice louder than CNN’s by going out and voting changing ur life and in turn changing others bc we can wait on someone to be our savior or we can take ourselves back and begin with one. It starts in the mirror, each one teach one and if we start to live a better life Barak will jus be adding to what we’ve already started. start with urself and build from there, if they dont focus on the big picture then u begin to paint it and with each one painting they will be forced to see it eventually.
God bless
I wholeheartedly agree w/ you Bella. There is so much personal crap going on and too many low blows being taken. I think the focus has been lost and they need to get back on track ASAP… A lot is at stake here, I don’t think much has been taken into consideration.
Can the “chuch” say, “AMEN”….
I totally agree w/you, Bella!
Let’s focus on what’s really important — the solution to the issues that are affecting our country!
Love your lipstick comments. I do however think Obama should apologize – to pigs everywhere.
I’m so over hearing about Palin. She is not the top of the ticket. She is a distraction.
Obama should just ignore her from this point on. The choice between the two campaigns is crystal clear. Hit hard the on issues, issues, issues. Let the surrogates worry about the mud. The repubs can’t run on issues so they want to make it about personality. McCain campaign advisor Rick Davis said in public “this election is not about issues”. Sad.
Bella..
I couldn’t have said it better. This is why it is up to you and bloggers/journalists like you to continue to speak up and demand that the candidates and mainstream media outlets cover the issues that matter most to us. This is esp. true for African American women who continue to be ignored. Great job.
She is a great distraction, but it is up to voters to educate themselves. Yes, we have one party talking about country first and whatever, but how have they been running ou country for the past eight years? How do they treat the very soldiers who come home after serving multiple tours of duty? No former vogue model can detract from that. No matter how big her mouth is.
I meant how do they treat the very soldiers they purport to stand behind when they come home from serving multiple tours of duty. 🙂
Bellas….
Here we have a prime example as to why a lot of us don’t vote. None of the issues are being addressed, and when they are it is not geared to our needs. I am so angry with the media’s coverage of the candidates and how their personalities, family ties and experiences are being weighed, when the issues they claim to tackle and CHANGE are not. People still do not know they have to be registered to vote before Election Day.
The GOP has to focus on that one little comment instead of addressing the real point that Obama was making.
I recieved this in my Inbox today and I thought I’d share:
If you are biracial and born in a state not connected to the lower 48,
America needs darn near 2 years and 3 major speeches to “get to know
you.” If you’re white and from a state not connected to the lower 48,
America needs 36 minutes and 38 seconds worth of an acceptance speech to
know you’re “one of us.”
If you get 18 million people to vote for you in a national presidential
primary, you’re a “phoney.” Get 100,000+ people to vote you governor of
the 47th most populous state in the Union, you’re “well loved.”
If your pastor rails against inequality in the United States of America,
you’re an “extremist.” If your pastor welcomes a sermon by a member of
Jews for Jesus who preaches that the killing of Jews by terrorists is a
lesson to Jews that they must convert to Christianity, you’re a
“fundamentalist.”
If you give your wife dap on stage, it’s actually a “terrorist fist
jab.” If your daughter licks her palm so that she can slick down your
youngest child’s hair on national TV it’s an “adorable moment.”
(Seriously, forget about abstinence only, teach these folks some
grooming skills).
If you’re 18, white, and get a 16 year old girl pregnant “life happens.”
If you’re 18, black, and impregnate a 16 year old girl, you’re a
“registered sex offender.”
If you’re a black man and you use a scholarship to get into college,
then work your way up to being the president of the Harvard Law Review,
you’re “uppity.”
If you’re a conservative and your parents pay your way
to Hawaii Pacific University . . . you only have four more schools to
attend over the next five years before you somehow manage to graduate
(it might be five more schools over the next five years. No one has yet
verified whether or not Palin was actually ever registered at the
University of Hawaii at Hilo. But, you know how shady people are who
ever attended any kind of
school in Hawaii).
If you spend 18 months building a campaign around the theme of “Change,”
it’s just “empty rhetoric.” If one week before your party’s national
convention you SUDDENLY make your candidacy about “Change,” that’s “red
meat.”
If you’re a minority and you’re selected for a job over more qualified
candidates you’re a “token hire.”
If you’re a conservative and you’re selected for a job over more
qualified candidates you’re a “game changer.”
If you live in an Urban area and you get a girl pregnant you’re a “baby
daddy.”
If you’re the same in Alaska you’re a “teen father.” (Actually,
according to your own MySpace page you’re an F’n redneck that don’t want
any kids, but that’s too long a phrase for the evil liberal media to
take out of context and flog morning noon and night).
Black teen pregnancies? A “crisis” in black America.
White teen pregnancies? A “blessed event.”
If you grow up in Hawaii you’re “exotic.”
Grow up in Alaska eating mooseburgers, you’re the quintessential
“American story.”
Similarly, if you name you kid Barack you’re “unpatriotic.”
Name your kid Track, you’re “colorful.”
If you’re a Democrat and you make a VP pick without fully vetting the
individual you’re “reckless.”
A Republican who doesn’t fully vet is a “maverick.”
If you say that for the “first time in my adult lifetime I’m really
proud of my country” it makes you “unfit” to be First Lady.
If you are a registered member of a fringe political group that
advocates secession that makes you “First Dude.”
A DUI from twenty years ago is “old news.” A speech given without
proper citation from twenty years ago is “relevant information.”
And, finally, if you’re a man and you decide to run for office despite
your wife’s reoccurrence of cancer you’re a “questionable spouse.”
If you’re a woman and you decide to run for office despite having five
kids including a newborn with Downs Syndrome. Well, we don’t know what
that is ’cause THAT’S NOT A FAIR QUESTION TO ASK!
I agree!
Try & not get sucked in Obama…you are too classy & bright for that.
BTW..why is Palin acting as if SHE’s the Presidential Nominee? and if she is under investigation in Alaska fo rthe ex-brother-in-law matter how can she be a part of this? What about the misuse of taxpayers’ funds to travel all over along with ther kids..even for staying in her home she bills for it?
Finally..how do the underprivileged feel about Obama? His ticket seems to focus only on middle class…BUT I prefer him to those other 2 by far!
Please America don’t be blinded by the deliberate smokescreens. The world NEEDS you to get this right.
It would be nice but the Rethugs want a distraction so we don’t focus on their failed policies and incompetence. I was watching the Ugly Betty episode in repeat tonight where Betty and Justin are at his HS gym for a dance. Betty compliments the decorative efforts to spruce it up and guess what Justin said: It’s like putting lipstick on a pig!!!
How did the writers know it would become political fodder months later?!
If anyone should be outraged over this then hold McCain equally responsible for the comments he’s made about Hillary and Chelsea as well.
Excellent post! What’s happening is pretty clear: the GOP is masking the important issues of this campaign with the land mine that is their VP candidate and the media is licking it all up. It’s not just the mainstream media, either. Bloggers, twitterers, youtubers are all participating in this… Palin bomb. What I would like to see is a shift in the conversation and a focus on the people. More posts like this.