We got rock stars in the White house And all our pop stars look like porn All my heroes hit the highway 'Cause they don't hang out here no more -Sheryl Crow "Steve McQueen" First Lady Melania Trump used a rock star attitude to fill her role as first lady and she set the precedent when she gave her election acceptance speech. Maybe the Jackie O shades, maybe the sultry stare behind it. Finally, I, who didn't follow the campaign in it's details, in the actual speeches beyond debates, finally got to meet the first lady. And in effect, the speech was highly criticized for too many similarities to First Lady Michelle Obama's speech from the previous presidential term. Language barrier or no, the public craved a more personal message from the First Lady, and so did I. I wanted her to come right out and talk to the public about how she felt being the second international woman in the position. But I think, because of so many political ironies, the First Lady was a little like a bug, pinned to a paper. The most heartfelt, emotionally charged part of her speech, it seemed to me, was when she marched onstage to "Age of Aquarius," and threw a peace sign out in front of her. If you ask me, she looked like she was trying to ward off a bunch of vampires the way her head bowed. I had been looking forward to the first lady's speech - all politics aside, and I think, just for the intensity of her situation, because she was the politics. Women's rights, immigrants' rights, blended families -- there was so much there to respect about her, to relate to -- and yet, so much of her character that wasn't mainstream party platform, a meet and greet with Melania would stray right off the podium. She was like a walking, political entity. And I imagined I could feel the emotion she was releasing with the gesture just from watching on screen. Have you ever been so full of emotion and your hand feels full of uncontainable energy and you shake for a moment and then feel a little better? I would have excited jitters like that from stage fright, but I'm not a star and a model, a public figure. Did the First Lady, like her husband, feel self-aware, stepping into a role from a non-traditional public background? Our previous presidents have been shop owners, teachers, military servicemen, actors. The previous four presidencies, however, were held by career politicians. Perhaps what tipped the scales in a closely-contended race was the public's desire for a change, and it wasn't for a new ground-breaking precedent - a female chief of state, but for a shift away from career political leaders. A different strategy for leadership. So the leading lady of the White House took the stage for me in a time of more conservative collective change, even though the nation's choice did break a fair few rules, she represented, to me, a blended modern conservatism, and it was exciting and interesting. But when she faced the auditorium, I was really wondering if she, an individual, actually felt full of like, attitude/ feeling towards the American public as a whole. Since this was maybe her first time addressing everyone - not just campaign supporters... you know, it's the whole, is a corporation a person debate and did she have something definitive to say to the entire American public, opponents included? After a grueling campaign that uncovered sensitive, straining issues to a marriage, I felt like the First Lady was defensive, too, amidst all the Russian election scandals and once she became First Lady, maybe under pressure to take stances on controversial issues just because of who she represented to the public. Instead of addressing issues, I think she kind of took the high road, let them speak for themselves, and used international pop culture symbols to immediately identify herself as part of a generation, as someone who remembers controversies of her generation and her approach was pretty succinct and marvelous. She diffused all the energy with a gesture, a peace sign, and whether for herself, for the public, or if it was all in my head, I just thought she said more than I could have asked. And when someone who comes from another culture, someone whose upbringing and experiences are unfamiliar to me, takes an important political office, I thought her gesture was a mix of funny, bitter and serious -- she was taking a political stance, I think, warding off accusers, and also poking fun at her immigrant status by saying "I come in peace," to the entire watching nation! And letting us know she likes disco. Now, months after the 2021 election, I'm wondering if all Donald Trump got across by calling Hilary Clinton a "nasty woman" was that he is a Janet Jackson fan? I'm decidedly a Millennial trying to pick apart the jargon of another generation, regretfully wondering if I got caught up in a generational language barrier, misconstrued the culture references, and missed out on the action. Let me know if I'm wasting my time! After four years of general disgruntlement with the President, I finally got around to accessing some info on the First Lady Melania Trump. A question burned in my mind from the moment she took the stage for her first speech as First Lady, and I was truly surprised by her difficulty with English. How many international First Ladies have held her position? Because I know that the office of President must be held by an American-born citizen.
I can't get the image out of my mind, of a beautiful woman, striding confidently onto the stage in red, white and blue confetti, and while the tune, "Age of Aquarius" blared over the radio, she held up a peace sign more like a shield, drawing back behind it. And behind this kind of funny facade of party spirit (in the literal sense of the word, dancing etc.) a little risque, appealing even to water, fluid transformation, feminine mystique and abandon, I interpreted her entrance as a wordless message: I might not be from your country, and I feel like an outsider but this song is a part of my culture and I am a part of a generation of people and a movement. And to me, her method was so different from her husband's - as if they came from different worlds. Melania took the stage for me amid the heated feminist debates which resulted in a major Women's march on D.C. and lots and lots of media attention being devoted to not only women's equality, but to a graphic public canvassing of issues like consent and harassment. And there is a great deal of whispering about Russian hacking and the President's ties with Russia, but then there is this marriage, and in a way, I felt that the political discourse had to stop short at the feet of this lady before the American public was more verbally offensive toward her than plenty of times along the campaign trail when Donald Trump had offended the public's sense of right and wrong. Melania Trump was criticized for her acceptance speech. Correspondents found it to be a "cookie-cutter," and a "plagiarized" version of Michelle Obama's speech. The criticisms felt so urgent to me, because our First Lady barely spoke English, and no one was remarking upon the subject. It didn't bother me so much that her speech was conventional. I was happy with her chosen political cause, "Preventing Cyber Bullying," and found it to be sincere and apt and another great issue involving the youth of our nation. Even a little dry, tinged with irony, self-aware and reflective upon the campaign. It was kind of house wifey - like Melania's role in life was to make her husband humble. Like their personal issues couldn't help aligning with some of the central issues of our modern society, and through her participation, a small part of their personal lives was dedicated to and shared with the people. What I didn't understand was why no media was mentioning the historic significance of her being in the role of First Lady. Perhaps the discussion would have just dredged up more campaign issues or made implications. Maybe it's P. C., or a symptom of the millenial, post-modern era, where we choose to drown out the hate and negativity. Business, business. But why didn't more get said about a momentous occasion? In an era when the influence of women on politics is shattering the glass ceiling, when modern communication is lapping the globe, when business and cultural exchange is too rapid to mind so much about politics (has this ever been any different?,) Melania was an international woman in the White House -- the second ever! And noone said much about it, and I gather she didn't spend too much time there! She didn't acknowledge her position. And that's what I can't figure out, what I find so compelling. She seemed reluctant, some people said. In my Marvel Comic Storytelling mind, she seemed a little like a captive of a situation, and lady caught in the crossfire, and who might do better to be silent and not fight. While in some ways, Melania is a great example of a working career woman, a modern, strong role model -- she didn't relocate completely to the White House and it seemed like she kept up her career interests, which might have been unusual or unconventional, she is also not outspoken - er go, she is kind of a rockstar. Her most effective communications, to me, showed me that she had been a model -- like when she wore her sweatshirt that said "I Don't Really Care, Do You," or when she said more with a peace sign and a song than she did with a speech. For a professional model, perhaps a picture is worth 1,000 words. And throughout the Trump presidency, I followed other stories, of Meghan Markle and the royals, and my favorite stories described the significance of the queen's jewelry on the occasions on which she chose to wear them, or the colors of Meghan Markle's apparel on special days. Melania seemed, with her coat, to comment on the tragic stories of children being separated from their families when they are turned away at the border, and kept in cages. But in a frustrating, cold, ironic tone, even colder because the gesture, the symbol, couldn't be confirmed, and the wearer was so anonymous behind her glasses. And her clothes were the throwaway kind and her statement too shallow. But cool fact, the other International First Lady was John Quincy Adams' wife, who came from England. Perhaps her background, as a part of the voters' collective decision process, reflected the public's desire to mend relations after war and separation and move towards peace. And maybe that's what Melania Trump felt about herself as First Lady -- above all controversy, "going high," as part of an urgent human desire for international peace and prosperity. Irony tinged her communication with the public sometimes, and in some ways, I didn't blame her, when there was too much taboo. Also perhaps, when speaking isn't your strong suit, Melania Trump is an example of the idea that "what you say matters," and that one can exercise more control in engaging with the world around oneself than it might ever seem possible, that what you say matters. Because perhaps the accusations and debate did stop short with her when she didn't engage with them. It's almost as if the lady showed us all not what a bully was, but how to deflect bullying when it happens. I did hear a small comment from some forgotten news outlet: "President Trump had the best family." Perhaps they were all a little noisy and involved in media, but maybe they are pioneers with mass communication!
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWe are Kieran and Michelle, two 32-year-old William & Mary grads living in Virginia. Archives
March 2024
Categories
All
|