I recently saw Weiner, the documentray that follows former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner’s run for New York City mayor. It was fascinating! I try to stay away from politics in this column, since you read for a chuckle and not my left-leaning pontifications. That said, I do want to touch on a few thoughts I had while walking out of the theater.
Aren’t you happy most of us grew up without social media? We don’t have to be concerned about a picture of us surfacing from the Mississippi River Festival while we were, uh, not inhaling. We did a lot of stupid things when we were young that only resulted in funny stories we tell now that we are older.
Who in their right mind would think anyone would want to see their naked, middle-aged body? As I have said before, I am not too skinny or too fat. Most days, I walk out of the house and think as long as the right light hits me, ‘I got it going on.’ That said, I am always fully clothed. There’s a reason underwear is sometimes referred to as ‘foundation.’ It keeps stuff where it is supposed to be. This isn’t true just for women, but for men, too. Now, I have played around with the filters on Instagram and other Photoshop apps, but some things just can’t be moved or removed. Please understand, there is nothing wrong with a middle-aged body, I am just saying I won’t be taking a picture of me and sending it to a 23-yearold like Weiner did. As I said, I still think I got it going on, assuming the lights are dimmed, the clothing is draped and a couple of beers are on board.
Wouldn’t you like it if a publicly humiliated spouse would punch the offender instead of standing and watching him apologize? You know, nothing too jarring, just a slap on the hand or perhaps grabbing the microphone mid-apology and saying, “I know he is an idiot, but he is my idiot and I will make him pay in my own devious way for years to come.” I always thought if Hillary Clinton would have clobbered Bill during that long walk to the waiting helicopter instead of each of them holding hands with poor, sweet Chelsea, we would not still be talking about Monica Lewinsky.
Can we accept that our elected officials are not perfect? What is the one word that everyone uses when they talk about their favorite elected official? Disappointment, whether it was about a vote, a position or a comment. People disappoint. Even those who take our money for campaign contributions. I could never run for office. I’ve always loved politics and actually believe I might make a difference, but even with my thick skin, I could not withstand the scrutiny—and hey, I haven’t even done anything illegal … that the statute of limitations hasn’t run out on.
So there you have it, a rather odd review of the documentary Weiner. A must-see for anyone who thinks politics is easy or who takes a few too many pictures with their iPhone.
Contact Patty at phannum@townandstyle.com.
