I'm still catching up on the events of Super Tuesday. I can't believe Trump has done as well as he has. I never imagined, when I was chuckling over the "short-fingered vulgarian" as he was known in the pages of Spy Magazine more than 25 years ago, that he would one day be running for president -- and succeeding.
(Incidentally, I always falsely remember that epithet as "thick-fingered vulgarian," which I suppose is pretty much the same thing. I had to Google it to be set right.)
Of course, these are just primaries. It remains to be seen whether he can appeal to a broader spectrum of voters in a general election. I maintain that he can't. A Trump candidacy would be a boon to the Democrats.
(By the way, I got an automated e-mail yesterday notifying me that my overseas absentee ballot has been received for the Florida primary, to be held on the 15th. I've done my part!)
In other news, did you hear about singer Sam Smith's Oscar speech faux-pas, in which he mistakenly asserted that no other gay man had ever won an Oscar? Apparently he based this on a misreading of a newspaper column by Sir Ian McKellen, in which McKellen pointed out that no openly gay actor had ever won. Anyway, Smith made a series of remarks afterwards that only buried him deeper in controversy. Owen Jones in The Guardian wrote an interesting column in which he pointed out how necessary it is for young LGBT people (Smith was born in 1992) to know the history of the movement.
I learned a lot about LGBT pioneers as a member of the Gay-Lesbian Coalition (as it was then known) at the university I attended in the mid-1980s. We had discussion groups and events focused on queer history, and I hope student and community groups are doing the same today. Still, I think we should cut Sam some slack -- he is awfully young, and God knows what I would have said in an Oscar speech at that age. If I'd been capable of making one at all. I shudder to think.
(Photo: Dave's sartorial choices for evening TV-watching.)
If you had been making an Oscar speech you'd have gulped, bent to the microphone and blurted, "Hi! I'm Oscar...!"
ReplyDeleteYet another Oscar moment I missed.
ReplyDeleteI haven't watched the Oscars in decades so I'm totally ignorant of what went on. and Ted Cruz won my state. it would have been a low blow if he hadn't since it's his home state. I certainly hope Trump (or any of the republican contenders) don't get elected. this country will be in a world of hurt if any one of them gets elected. I voted in the democratic primary for the first time ever. I voted my conscience, voted for Bernie, even though I don't think he will win the nomination and I think we need him in congress.
ReplyDeletebtw, that picture of your leg ? made me laugh.
York: Probably, or worse.
ReplyDeleteMs Moon: I missed it too! Just read about it afterwards. :)
Ellen: Not my leg, Dave's leg! But laughter was the goal, so that's good. :)
Two great articles...thanks for the links! I love those socks!
ReplyDeleteTrump is disgusting and terrifying. You should go to YouTube and watch John Oliver's recent show talking about him...it's hilarious!
ReplyDeleteI don't know much about Sam Smith except that I wasn't very impressed with the song he did for the last James Bond film.
Love the socks...Voted for Bernie but and I'm embarrassed to say, Trump has a good chance of winning ... our angry voters don't really care that Mr. Brown shirt is more than a buffoon...Frightening...
ReplyDeleteI think we forget sometimes that young famous people are just as new at life as young not-famous people. I can't imagine being so well known in my early 20's, and having to make a speech of any kind in front of what is really millions of people!
ReplyDeleteLove the ducky socks.
The use of fear and insecurity is frightening as in reality there's very little to worry about. We live in two of the best countries in the world.
ReplyDelete