A couple of nights ago I finally watched The Queen, a most excellent movie about the royal family's reaction to Princess Diana's death. I have a fairly useless undergraduate degree in British history, and had to spend some time explaining to The Boyfriend that Elizabeth isn't really a "cold fish." Elizabeth was raised in a "different time." She was taught that duty is above everything. I mean, hello? This was a girl who found herself staying in Britain all the while the Nazis were bombing the hell out of them during WWII. Was she scared? I'm sure! Anyone with two brain cells to rub together would have been. But it was her family's duty to stay. To "rally the troops" so to speak. And that's what they did.I admire that. So much so that it's what I prefer in my political leaders. I don't want them reduced to a pile of sniveling goo. I want them there, stoic and strong, taking care of the rest of us who are falling to pieces. Which probably explains why I've been so insulted by the Hillary Clinton news over the last couple of days. You know - how she got emotional and weepy in New Hampshire because she's getting her ass kicked in the polls. It's like the media is telling us, "She's a woman, of course she's bound to get weepy!"
Bah humbug.
Maybe Clinton thinks this will "soften" her image. Me? I think the people who hate her will always hate her and that this moment of weepiness is a gross miscalculation on her part. I don't want my potential political leaders falling to pieces. I want them to suck it up! But hell, what do I know? It's not like I have George Stephanopoulos tied up in the Bat Cave.
Wow, politics here at the Bat Cave. I promise, I won't make a regular thing out of it.
Footnote: The Queen really is a very good movie and the chap who plays Tony Blair is fantastic! Highly recommended.
4 comments:
Personally, I have no problem with Hillary getting a bit emotional(she's on a tough road), but the media and her nay-sayers will take it and run run run.
I'd imagine Queen Elizabeth spent/spends some time behind closed doors crying and punching pillows. But as a world leader, it's the public face people will see and remember and hold on to when things are falling apart. Even if you don't feel it, you have to show your strength when you're the person in charge. Or want to be in charge : )
In a way it's too bad we can't cut our leaders a little slack and let them show their human sides.
Hillary's stumbling block is that she has too much baggage. People either seem to love her or hate her with seething passion. My problem with her getting weepy on national TV is that naysayers will point and say, "Ha! Women can't be leaders because they're too emotional! One bad case of PMS and they'll start WWIII!" Which just gets my feminist panties in a wad.
Sorry to keep on this, but I'm with you in the Wadded Panties Club, Wendy. If they could blame WWIII on PMS, what do they think this current mess was caused by? Brilliant use of intelligence and strategic planning? More like a pissing contest to me. But what do I know, I'm just an emotional woman ; )
All that aside, I plan on renting The Queen. I love Helen Mirren in just about everything she does.
I loved that movie.
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