A Girl at the Top of her Lungs

by Molly Ivors

So apparently the NYT Style section is taking on the awe-inspiring spectacle of Mrs. Thompson's bosom. Is it a political liability? Does what he gains in old fart jealous admiration make up for women who think she's a tramp and he's being led around by his dick?

Sexism being what it is, there's no way to have a serious conversation about the role of tits in the presidential campaign. Maybe we can discuss the wisdom of that dress?

The Times claims that, when the term "trophy wife" was coined in 1989 by Fortune magazine, it described a woman who is "the second (or third) wife of a corporate titan, who was younger, beautiful and — equally important — accomplished in her own right, which describes Mrs. Thompson." So apparently, we're supposed to focus on her list of accomplishments (yet to be released by the campaign, and she doesn't even have her own Wikipedia entry yet), rather than that bosom. But if that were the case, presumably Mrs. Thompson, whose slim resume includes a stint as the spokesmodel for the RNC, would, you know, be out in public talking. So far, she hasn't been.

And so, we, the astute political observers, are left with her pictures. And she's not ugly, though she does have that tense, hardened look of someone with a lot of miles on her. (See here, from the same event--she doesn't really look good up close.) But, you know, a young, lovely wife, even an accomplished one, doesn't guarantee happiness: he should ask Paul McCartney how well that sort of thing can go.

Those who leap to Mrs. Thompson's defense tend to be the same ones who defend Ann Coulter and Michelle Malkin as goddesses. (Note: we don't question Coulter's sexuality. We question her sanity and, occasionally, her gender.) Clearly, ideology trumps their aesthetic sense. But here's a clue: hate is not attractive. We abuse Malkin and Coulter as harpies because they are harpies, regardless of their personal appearances.

As a  feminist of my generation (the same age as she is), I support Mrs. Thompson's right to wear plunging necklines and sequins over her (possibly lactating) breasts. But she shouldn't be surprised if no one makes eye contact, that's all I'm saying. And maybe Fred married her for her brilliant political strategizing, but so far, I don't see much evidence of that.

I don't hate Fred Thompson because he has a trophy wife. I hate him because he's a hypocritical corporate-crat neocon who was Nixon's mole and has sold his soul to anyone with the scratch to buy it for the last 30 years. That Jeri (note the "i"--always a sign of Seriousness) signed on to his team pretty much says all you need to know about her.

I hereby dub him Fred "Boom King" Thompson.

Comments

[Buckeye, Dealer of Rare Coins]

But she shouldn't be surprised if no one makes eye contact, that's all I'm saying.

Particularly if the eye contact comes from the then head of the World Bank.

But that's the point of wearing such outfits, isn't it?

[Phila]

Nicely done, Molly, as far as it goes. But what I'm wondering is how her tits smell. Do they reek of whatever unguents and balms Thompson rubs (vigorously!) into his big ugly evil head? Or do they have their own more equivocal, disturbing feminine scent?

Maybe Althouse can clue me in...

[NTodd]

Who is da Boom King?

[Molly Ivors]

Do they reek of whatever unguents and balms Thompson rubs (vigorously!) into his big ugly evil head?

Ewwwwww!!!!!

[Terry C - End Bush's War Now!]

Every photo she's in, she looks trashy.

Even Joe Scarborough said so, and he's a repuke.

She's young enough to be his daughter, for Chrissakes.

[dave™©]

...she's not ugly, though she does have that tense, hardened look of someone with a lot of miles on her.

Take it from a long-time bachelor: she's got "stripper" written all over her.

[Terry C - End Bush's War Now]

Those who leap to Mrs. Thompson's defense tend to be the same ones who defend Ann Coulter and Michelle Malkin as goddesses.

The Mega-Hater and the Rabid Pekingese.

Shows where THEIR taste is.

[Terry C - End Bush's War Now]

http://thumbsnap.com/v/204Y1Qz3.jpg

LOVE that "Evita" hairdo.

[Terry C - End Bush's War Now]

"That Jeri (note the "i"--always a sign of Seriousness)"

Why I have NEVER spelled my name with an "i".

Doesn't suit me.

[Ron]

You like boom, I like boom, and damn, I love Flight Of The Conchords!!! Shame I have to go to the Internet to find ANYONE who knows them...

[daveinboca]

These two LAT & NYT hit pieces come on the heels of Keith-O's "Nixon's Mole" charge. Mike Rowe should take a stint as a DNC truffle-snuffer nosing through the garbage heaps of slander and innuendo---beats most of the Dirty Jobs he's done on his Discovery show!

Fred Thompson reeks integrity, and Clinton Inc has a thousand skeletons buried, in closets, & in plain sight. Can you imagine the shrieks & twittering if B. Hussein Obama gets a closer look in his childhood madrasa in Indonesia?

[daveinboca]

These two LAT & NYT hit pieces come on the heels of Keith-O's "Nixon's Mole" charge. Mike Rowe should take a stint as a DNC truffle-snuffer nosing through the garbage heaps of slander and innuendo---beats most of the Dirty Jobs he's done on his Discovery show!

Fred Thompson reeks integrity, and Clinton Inc has a thousand skeletons buried, in closets, & in plain sight. Can you imagine the shrieks & twittering if B. Hussein Obama gets a closer look in his childhood madrasa in Indonesia?

[jerry]

There was no ex-Borg more serious than Jeri Ryan.

Just saying, that sweeping generalizations can be harmful.

... to us nerds.

[julia]

She didn't just sign up to be on his team. She campaigned her ass off for a decade to get on his team.

And classy? Boy, howdy.

There was major heartburn yesterday in the office of Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.) over the New York Post's report of a "catfight" between CNN host and Time magazine columnist Margaret Carlson and former Republican staffer Jeri Kehn, who the tabloid claims are rivals for the senator's affections. Kehn, whom the Post describes as a "33-year-old bombshell," told the "Page Six" column that she and she alone is the 57-year-old Thompson's "girlfriend," and that Carlson, 54, and any other alleged competitors should just back off.

"She just won't get the hint that he has a girlfriend," Kehn told the newspaper. "She calls his apartment all the time. I mean, what is the deal with these women? Don't they have any pride? It's the joke all over Washington that Margaret has this huge crush on him. And Fred is clearly not interested."

...[O]ne top-level Washington scribe says it's Kehn who has the wrong idea: "Fred dates a lot of people," says our source. "I've talked to Fred about this woman, and he doesn't know what to do, because if you're a senator, you can't go around bad-mouthing people."

[Molly Ivors]

Fred Thompson reeks integrity,

That's not integrity, Mike. It's Cialis and metamucil and Aqua Velva.

julia, do you have a link?

[julia]

an incomparable link, even.

[¡El Gato Negro!]

Mira, eet ees the leetle Mermaid, and her papi.

¿Oh, how sweet, ees thees one of those purity ball theengies?

¿eh?

[Thers]

Living on the air in Cincinnati, Cincinatti, WKRP.

[SteveB]

“It’s unprecedented so it’s almost unpredictable. I think it depends a lot on how the campaign deals with it, and how she and Thompson deal with it.”

And that kind of insight gets you a job as "professor of political science at the Center for American Women and Politics at the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University. "

And speaking of Joe Scarborough (who, I believe, posed the question: "Has she ever worked the pole?" Classy guy, Joe is.) I saw a clip of him on Fox saying that Bush might be considering "downsizing our presence" in Iraq.

"Downsizing"? When Republicans, or their paid flacks, start calling troop withdrawals "downsizing", I'd say the troops are as good as home.

[Mauimom]

***"That Jeri (note the "i"--always a sign of Seriousness)"***

Particularly when the "i" is dotted with a little heart.

[SteveAudio]

Has Althouse had anything bitchy to say about her breasts?

'Cause I seem to remember her having an issue with women who had them and didn't hide them under a burka. Or something.

[Rob Millis]

We didn't feature your blog today (how did I miss it in my reader this morning?), but I certainly wish we had. Anyway, I hope you'll take a look at the Political Lunch coverage of this especially full and rounded subject.

http://www.politicallunch.com/2007/07/09/political-lunch-07-09-07/

We'll certainly be watching this space for future stories.

Cheers
- Rob