Today, Emily Yoffe explores our political fixation with good looks on the LA Times opinion page. After spilling some ink in honor of the much-discussed VP hopeful John Edwards, she takes a historical view:
Abraham Lincoln received a letter from an 11-year-old girl, Grace Bedell, that read in part, "If you let your whiskers grow … you would look a great deal better for your face is so thin. All the ladies like whiskers and they would tease their husband's [sic] to vote for you and then you would be president."
Lincoln replied, "As to the whiskers, having never worn any, do you not think people would call it a piece of silly affect[ta]ion if I were to begin it now?"
He grew the beard.
Luckily, Lincoln didn't have to save the union during the Age of Television. The triumph of visual media - TV, cinema, billboards, glossy magazines - has changed our tastes and attitudes. John Kerry's looks might have been thought to be distinguished as little as 30 years ago - today, our view of him is shaped by a torrent of unflattering photos. To get an idea of the profundity of this change, consider the media obsession with the Olsen Twins - I certainly don't remember reading about anyone counting the days until Shirley Temple's 18th birthday.
Apology in advance: I've got a number of personal issues to deal with this week, and posting may be light until Friday. So sorry.
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I also like how the media is writing 'women are liking Edwards wife... for her no nonsense approach, her down to earth style...' but what they really mean is that women like her because she has a big fat ass.
They like the men handsome and the women non threatening.
There's actually two statues commemorating the time President Lincoln met Grace Bedell in Westfield, NY after he grew the beard.