Since a dull suit standing behind a microphone means “politician” or possibly “businessperson” in our cultural code, the following recent photographs strike me as interesting:
Would any semioticians (or comedians) care to have a crack at what is going on with the image factory here?
(BTW, images of Dr “Monkey Bars” Nelson seem to have been sanitised from the intertubes. If anyone can find a copy, feel free to file it here. Otherwise, you’ll just have to use your imagination: picture an opposition leader hanging off monkey bars, armpit stains and all…)
And when the music stopped, poor young Kevvie missed out…
Putin: What a catch!
It’s good to be zee King, I mean, zee President of France.
UPDATE: Thanks to ShayneH for tracking down this pic of the Opposition Leader’s armpits:
Thinks: Wheeeeeeeeeee!
The first could be either Rudd exploring life from Howards perspective, seeing how low he could go, and not being too impressed with the experience. Or, it could be an experiment in leg body language. There is a clear “no”, an “I’m open to this”, and a couple of “I’m out of the picture on this one, Boss”.
The second one is obviously Putin being sure he doesn’t get dioxine for dinner. “If you want anything done right you have to do it yourself” he was heard to say as he sauntered, tackle in hand, out of the Kremlin heading for Lake Lennin.
And the third, I believe, is Sarkozy, getting a little public feedback while venturing a typically French “boob graze” in the process.
Kevvie: “I’m tired, no look I’m absolutely knackered; how come all these folk are enjoying themselves so much, it’s my party!! they won’t come over and talk to me, well I’ll show ‘em! My summation of the key ideas will have ‘em literally cheering the House down. Literally.”
Vlad: “I go for fish now but beggy pents no show tackle but chest is good, very proud of chest. You sigh Boris was ladies men? Yeah nice heppy smile but pissed and non-performer of badroom I think, but my finely toned physics would always wow those blondey 28-year old from Russia stop sending emails to Aussie guys you get action here from good KGB boy. Fishing is photo-op, special operations for cemeras.”
The Second Sex: “ah, zese spunk-rat older men with trail of meeestresses and wives behind zem, zey go for me verrrry much, I wear haute couture ou skimpy Parisienne knickers, he loooooves me so much I meet la Reine de Bretagne; zey say I would be la Jacquie Nouvelle, but leetle Meester President here, ‘e will not the secretaries chasing be, NON! ‘e chases me!! ‘e caress my body in public, we super-spunky coupling with heem, ooohhhhh la la! Vive la France!! Joie de vivre c’est moi (and heem)”
That’s all wrong BilB. Clearly, Kevin is looking up skirts, Vladimir is a homosexual making come-hither glances and Sarkozy married a 20 year younger version of himself and is mighty impressed. Kevin is the most masculine by miles.
Kevin’s the only one without any accessories, so yeah, I’ll go ‘most masculine by miles’ as well.
From a feminist, of course, this isn’t necessarily a statement of total approval. ‘Kevin’s the only relaxed one who doesn’t give a stuff about enraged right-wing men spluttering about him in the blogosphere’ is, though.
INVISIBLE LIGHT ON THE HILL
I PUTIN, OUT CATCHIN TEH GHEY
INVISIBLE SPAGHETTI
KEVIN: ” I was a bit like this the first day at school.”
VLAD: “Now George Bush will take me seriously.”
SARKOVSKY: “Are you sure you want to do this in front of the cameras?”
That is the thing about being Prime Minister -you can sink modestly to the floor like that, and no-one will EVER step on you.
Then, one day, you put yourself down in a comfy spot, and they ALL come and step on you. At that point the canny politician uses that folder to write a letter of resignation.
——-
Seriously though, what a fantastic collection of media images. Our Prime Minister snapped unawares and casual, Putin posed to embody Russian fascist aspirations (eeeeeeek) and Sarkozy being the sophisticated ladies’ man. Probably not posed, but then every moment of his day – from the moment he pops his truss on in the morning and gets his valet to hand him the colour-coordinated duds, to when his dedicated masseur unlocks his neck muscles so he can lie next to an extremely beautiful woman and listen to her shopping list while he muses gently on his secret collection of bottle tops – is a mobile photo op for French aspirational magazines.
Missing is Berlusconi trying on Mussolini’s hat.
That Rudd pic, to me, is a huge embodiment of what he is about, or at least, the image the party can use to propel him forward. Hard working, modest, casual, but absolutely sure of his power. The man who seems to need no props, and no construction.
It will be fascinating to see what happens when he settles into the comfort of power. Howard was an ugly sight when that happened, at least to Teh Left. And slowly to the people, as well. But he loved the job, and no-one could ever accuse him of not being comfy with the role.
Kev:
There’s something happening here
What it is ain’t exactly clear
Vlad:
Well the Ukraine girls really knock me out
They leave the West behind
And Moscow girls make me sing and shout
That Georgia’s always on my mind
Sarko:
You had me several years ago when I was still quite naive
Well you said that we made such a pretty pair
And that you would never leave
But you gave away the things you loved and one of them was me
1.`He’ll have to watch out for those “alone in a room full of people” snaps as time wears on (the George salute was another of those), they could easily be interpreted in a far less generous way.
2. *Squick*
3. Sank ‘evvans… for littel girrrls.
3. ahhhhh, zey grow erp in ze most delightful ways, oui?
su: I salute your comprehensive knowledge of French (male) attitudes, the Frewnch songs; oh but Charles Azenough: he could only DREAM of zis, yes?
The Rudd photo makes him look unawares, hardworking and vulnerable, the latter of which brings forth some degree of affection.
and I can’t believe for a second he was in anyway unawares. Not with his (or any successful politician’s) media obsession.
It’s a wonderful photo for political purposes, at least in Australian politics where we seem to want administrators, not ubermensch leaders. It’s also the kind of photo that Howard’s pride would never have allowed himself to be shot in.
and despite these convictions, the photo still makes me feel this affection.
Damn, I’m reading too much into it, but it’s the most inspiring photo of the year, and the scariest. Inspiring because it shows that Australia seems to want work from politicians and not personalities statue-ready figures. But scary because we now have a leader who is using an understanding of this to manage image with a mind boggling refinement, one unencumbered even by a safety valve of vanity.
I think we need to acknowledge the possibility that over a weekend of frenetic activity, constantly surrounded by people and cameras, Rudd was actually just sitting down for a bit and someone took a photo of him.
I think #3 is even squickier than #2. Which is saying a lot. Anyone got a thought bubble for Ms Sarkozy?
I’m gonna squeeze that zit as soon as the camera’s gone.
“Of course I’m not attracted by power, mon cheri, you’re only president of France.”
Ms. Zarkosy : You know the English Press will put this on their front page?
“Oui mon cheri, I surrender”
All of those bared teeth; they seem to be in the I Could Eat You stage of lerve. (But not in a Suddenly Last Summer/Perfume kind of way)
Mercurius, is this perhaps the picture of Nelson you are referring to?
ooo here he is pole dancing!
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/gallery/0,22056,5030711-5010140-1,00.htmlThanks Shayne & SG. It’s even more frightening than I imagined…
Wow 5,7, and 8 in that series are real shockers. 5 is truly scary where 8 is teaching kids what taxes are like. But I certainly celebrate his connection with real people….if that is what that is all about.
Kev, on the floor, i don’t buy it. what is it, a stats lecture in the first week of the uni year before the drop outs?
the two zany euros.. check their disposition.
Nelson, poor bugger. every now and again i feel sorry for him, but then.. earings and yuppie motorbikes, what a tool.
the juxtaposition of our two geeks with the mucho macho euros is outrageous. not necessarilly a bad thing, just flagrant.
Nelson: If I pull on this lever maybe I’ll bring the Rudd Government down. (1st picture.)