Friday, September 05, 2008

The Mirror Ceiling

I ran across a pretty good op-ed in the New York Times. It's biased to the left, but holds water nonetheless. It makes the case that before television voters looked for competence in their leaders. Now, they seek identification-- a mirror. Justification that we should trust them, because, like Bush looking into the eyes of Putin, we apparently see their souls.

Suddenly, politicians talk folksy, assume everybody's IQ is slightly below average, and roll up their sleeves like their idea of the modern working man. We care about their children, whether they go to church, have had affairs, and served in the armed forces.

The article also posits that because women's self esteem is at an all time low (I agree with this), we're especially tough on other women, because we view the mirror as inherently flawed-- thus, the mirror ceiling. Tough as Teflon! Or, you know, a lipstick Pitbull.

It's not my place to talk politics-- I'm an entertainer. Still, I work hard, and make it my business to be good at what I do. I expect that in my politicians, too. I don't want to have a beer with them. I don't care it they share my opinions on God, or whether they raise their kids properly. In fact, evidence indicates that if they're truly dedicated, the rest of their lives are shambles. I want them to balance budgets, eschew corruption, and make good long term decisions for the welfare of my country. I want them to surround themselves with competent people, who earned their positions.

By looking for ourselves in our politicians, we reduce them. Because they're not us. Nor should they be. It would be nice, though, if in their professional lives, they were better than us. It really would be nice.

Article: The Mirrored Ceiling by Judith Warner

Other link that's unrelated, but has to do with rabbits.