First Bakers and The Media Folks That Love Them
So, I was reading a few biting pieces on The New Republic’s opinion blog, “The Plank,” when I came across a decent article about cookie recipes and the political significant others that shafted them. While it’s a funny topic to talk about, and the author, Ms. Michelle Cottle brings up some excellent points, it begs the question: Who really cares about what our presidential spouses are doing, anyway?
In this world of fast media, glitz and glam, shocking scandals and completely useless information, it seems that Americans are focusing on the wrong issues; for example, a Pew Center survey showed that people are not as knowledgeable as they may think: 78% of the people surveyed could identify Peyton Manning, and 73% could identify Beyonce, but only 36% could remember that Vladimir Putin was the President of Russia, and only 21% even knew who Robert Gates was (in case you are in the 79%, he is our Secretary of Defense…the guy who took Rumsfeld’s job).
Of course, this doesn’t show anything about first ladies – it merely illustrates my point that people seem less concerned with nuclear powers aligning against American interests and the outrageous defense budget, and more concerned with ”…6′5″, 230-lb, laser-rocket arm” quarterbacks and “bootylicious” women who are “crazy in love.”
First ladies, by precedent, have no real responsibilities other than to be the faithful spouse of the elected official and hostess for official parties. Sure, over the course of the 20th century they have reached out to promote humanitarian causes; causes that most people have trouble disagreeing with – imagine telling someone that you were against educating children, or curing HIV… come, now…. The First Lady does have an appointed staff, consisting primarily of a social secretary, press secretary, and chief florist. Whoop-de-do.
However, with all this hoopla about Michelle Obama and Cindy McCain in recent press, or the New York Times article referenced in Cottle’s article (see above) about bloody cookie recipes…where does it end? Do Americans really care about how well Cindy’s butterscotch cookies are, and is that more important than John’s ideas of corporate tax breaks? Does the citrus zest of Michelle’s shortbread cookies trump her husband’s campaign based on a hope that people buy into his rhetoric and disregard his record (or lack thereof one)?
I like the idea of following Bess Wallace Truman’s precedent of first lady-ship – she held only one press conference, she stayed away from political issues, and made appearances only when they were necessary to support her husband.
Now, before you jump down my throat, I’m certainly not promoting any degree of misogyny – in fact, I’m more egalitarian. I think its sad how, in this day and age, we aren’t asking political spouses about their political opinions, but rather their favorite cookie recipes, as if the only job they are suited for is to sit home and bake cookies…for shame.
Rather, Bess Truman understood that the role of the president and the role of the first lady were in two different worlds, and made sure that people understood that. Where that got lost in the shuffle of color swatches and baking secrets, I will never understand.
Its time we all stopped the political circus side-show that is the realm of political marriages, and focus on the real issues, real politics, and leave the finger-licking good cookie recipes to authorities on the subject – folks like Rachael Ray, Martha Stewart or Betty Crocker.
