Sarah Palin: An Insult to Celebrities

I know that many women consider John McCain's having chosen Sarah Palin as a running mate to be an insult to women. You know, throw any woman at them, and they'll vote for her ticket. And if you read my Palin Fatigue piece, published here not long ago, you'll know that I see an inherent insult to women in that very sentiment. But let's set that aside for the moment.

What I am certain of now is that whether or not Sarah Palin is an insult to women, she is clearly an insult to celebrities.

From what I have been reading lately, it seems to me that McCain's choice of Palin was as much about picking a media-ready, photo-friendly moldable piece of political clay as anything else, if not more so. He saw Barack Obama's celebrity as a threat and set out to find his own. Celebrity that is. Since he knew that he had no chance of ever rising to such heights of celebrity, he found a running mate who could.

And did she, has she, ever. Sarah (last name unnecessary) must be the biggest celebrity out there at the moment. Bigger than Paris (Hilton), Nicole (Kidman) , Madonna (come on, you remember, Guy Ritchie's soon to be ex?) or even the kids from High School Musical (what ARE their names anyway?). Even I'm writing about her. And that makes twice now.

But now, more and more it seems, the creation has begun to peel away from the creator's mold and take on its own agenda. Like Galatea to Pygmalion. Like Dr. Frankenstein's monster. Like Mariah Carey on TRL back in the crazy days of her being, well, crazy, like Janet Jackson and the infamous wardrobe malfunction, like a Twilght Zone episode involving a ventriloquist whose dummy comes alive....Sarah Palin is on the loose.

Most notably of late, we've seen Sarah steering from the talking points, and instead offering bon mots and impromptu riffs on Fashiongate, telling us that she doesn't get to take the designer duds home, that the bills for all the clothing were essentially bills for props in the political theater (like the stuff they put on the human mannequins that grace the cover of Vogue).

Wink, wink, shout out to the "Native Americans for Palin" sign.

Yep, she's a celebrity, alright. No wonder so many of them are getting the word out for Obama.

Comments

[sharmdun]

high heel shoes and power tools and hunting. what a turn on. she's more woman than then most men will ever have and more man than most men will ever be

[Lauren Cahn - Huffpost Blogger]

This is true.

[Chip W]

I don't care what you say. I'm still going to ask her to the prom.

[Checquoline]

She won't go unless you are a rich old man running for office.

[TheHuffington]

A mostly lose-lose predicament for Palin in my opinion. On either pedestal -- celebrity or policies -- both aisles have had a field day these weeks.

I disagree with her solutions on such but I give her some credit for tackling energy politics. She's soaking in knowledge wherever weak at considerable rates and I'm sure she'll be up-to-speed before McCain dies or resigns (haha, I'm wrong for saying that).

But she's not steering our country in the right direction and is a church enabler; not to mention illogical armed services planning alongside McCain's. Her key recognitions come from religion radicals and patriots, yet its outrageous what they unearth in her defense. Its the same evangelist complex W. used to win and the same she's using now. Quite scary how much these people separate church and state and the way they let self-delusion guide our country's policies. Can't provide a concrete solution? Insert the name of God wherever applicable.

Luckily enough pollsters admit Republican moderates aren't falling for folksy rhetoric this go-around and are cross-voting in droves.

[Lauren Cahn - Huffpost Blogger]

Does anyone want to defend Palin...come on...we won't bite...?

[Overitall]

Let me defend Sarah Palin....at the risk of everyone beating me up. I only defend from this perspective:
* To attack anyone personally is not my cup of tea, unless that person has done major damage to me personally. Can't say that's the case here as I don't know her personally and doubt you do either.
* Sarah Palin may not be "Washington-worthy" and that's fine with me. I'm actually pretty fed up with the Washington worthy crowd - they ain't done nothing great of late.
* I've always been one to defend the underdog and no doubt, Sarah Palin is an underdog. Just my opinion but she's an under dog because she doesn't meet main street America's idea of a politician; she isn't arrogant enough nor cocky enough. She hasn't yet learned to lie thru her teeth and instead sometimes puts a foot in her mouth. But what you see is what you get. Unlike Biden who has much more experience at putting his foot in his mouth.
* Tired of hearing everyone beat up Sarah or McCain for that matter.
* Sarah Palin is not a celebrity. She's just a human being, a woman, a mother, and yes a politician who from her own perspective is trying to do the right thing. Not that different from McCain, Obama or Biden except for her gender. hmmmm

[Lauren Cahn - Huffpost Blogger]

You said "Main Street"...heh heh.

Sorry, I just had to do that.

I don't like the personal attacks either - most of them annoy me because it makes it difficult to cut through to the real issues. I do think that Sarah Palin has become a huge celebrity, at least for the time being, just like Obama became a celebrity. There is nothing wrong with that, per se, and it seems to me from what I am reading that McCain chose her for that role. Her lack of experience is not an issue for me - I believe in learning on the job, and no one is ever prepared to be POTUS. Her celebrity annoys me because it engenders so much talk and talk and talk about unimportant things. And I am a part of it....it's hard not to be.

[carrieanna]

If anything, I think McCain's choice showed how much he despises women. Their pairing made as much sense to me as J Howard Marshall and Anna Nicole Smith.

[OpinionsRMine]

This woman is an insult, period. Give us some credit as voters. I hope women wouldn't fall for the shiggedy and vote for her because she is a woman. I hope she's nothing like any woman that I know!

[ltruex39]

You got that right on the shiggedy! Thanks for this post - your theme and word usage made me laugh - well, at least the "shiggedy" part. Nothing about Palin is funny, except how grossly that team underestimated our intellect!

[androgony]

read about the Palin-Stevens relationship on Populista.com

[cckrueger]

I rebel against voting for/with anything with the celebrity stench to it! Gov. Palin grabbed attention because we knew nothing about her. Is she "our kind of folk?"

I don't care who Madonna is voting for, Alec Baldwin, Sean Penn, Oprah, or Dr. Phil. They're not part "Average America." They do have feelings about issues. But, is their opinion more important than mine? My neighbors? The people I work with? According to Senator Obama, we're the ones that pay for government anyway. Why don't the candidates allow us the spotlight? We're limited to one "Joe the Plumber."

I wonder if they care beyond what it takes to get my vote. Why is it that access to the candidates is limited to the rich and famous? And, this is not just a Republican issue either, regardless of how much the Democrats wish it was. The rest of us conduct our own personal debates. We talk about it at church, in the gym, in line at Wal-mart, at backyard picnics. That is the limit of our spehere of influence. It doesn't seem to matter that it will be our votes putting one in the White House. We are regarded as dumb sheep following Bono, Paris, or Nicole simply because they are Bono, Paris, or Nicole.

It is time the American voter demand more from the campaigns and tell the candidates we are not a commodity to be bought and sold, but WE ARE THE PEOPLE!

C. Krueger

[meede]

I agree -- "star votes" -- who cares. As you said -- many don't live average American life. May have but not now. Most forget where they started except for the soundbyte interview. Perfect example is Oprah on her road trip. Wouldn't stay in regular hotels -- beneath her. May have the money but the attitude portrayed -- I don't understand why people flock to her. She's not g.o.d. Like everyone else. In fact, I have more manners. Watch her chew food. Like chewing a cud -- open mouth, talking. Disgusting.

Palin is making every attempt to follow in the same footsteps as she hired consulting firm I believe in 2007 in Alaska to market her.

[eus]

How about ... NAIVE AMERICANS FOR PALIN

[honestpolitician]

agreed !

http://politicaladattacks.blogspot.com/

[notb observer]

Let's hope that investigations into her abuses as Governor reveal some real criminal activity so we don't have to put up with this vain, deceitful, ambitious trollop much longer.

The current state of the Republican party is such a mess that she might be able to seize control... I am not a Republican, but I do believe that there's room and need for this party's ideology if they can extricate themselves from the grip of the Neo-Con and Extremist Christians.

Palin's predominance in the party now makes it difficult for truly qualified women to exist, let alone prosper, in her presence. She has set back the clock of equality and progress dozens of years for the Republican party, and it's now less likely than ever that we'll see a Republican woman elected as POTUS within the next 20 years.

[meede]

When I heard McCain say she was a role model for women -- I needed a bucket to b.a.r.f. She's not only an insult to celebrities -- excuse me -- she's an insult to Women, along with her little side-kick Elisabeth Hasselbeck.

[sonomarc]

Sarah fatigue is setting in. Let's get to work and do something for this country and VOTE!