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Harpy, Hero, Heretic: Hillary
Why she stokes our deepest fears and darkest hatreds
daniel edwards is that sculptor whose work includes a shiny dollop said to be the bronzed poop of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' baby, the severed head of baseball legend Ted Williams, and a nude Britney Spears in a primal birth position. A few months ago, the Museum of Sex in Manhattan unveiled his latest work: a bust of Hillary Clinton. Cast in the heroic style of the 19th-century statesman found in any City Hall park, it showed the New York senator with a long, elegant neck and solemn expression above two perfectly round, youthful, barely covered breasts. I'd guess a 36B.
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Continued From Above
"It was a quote by Sharon Stone that triggered it," Edwards explained to me. Stone, an actress famous for exposing a different part of her anatomy, had recently expressed doubt that Hillary could become president because "a woman should be past her sexuality when she runs. Hillary still has sexual power, and I don't think people will accept that. It's too threatening."
Edwards says he wanted to imagine Hillary Clinton as president of the United States and created, therefore, a monumental image. "But that wasn't enough," he explains. "I had to make sure she was depicted as a woman, unmistakably a woman. The way I did that was to be more revealing with her breasts than is normally seen."
Edwards' version of Hillary's breasts is where it all gets interesting. He chose not to depict Hillary with bared breasts, in the classical style of Greek sculpture; his Hillary's bust is upheld by a bustier worthy of Victoria's Secret. "I didn't want the sculpture to be titillating or a piece of graphic realism," he explains. "It's more symbolic of womanhood and to reveal her as a woman."
Hillary's "womanhood" is in need of public revelation? What does that say about her? But, more curiously, what does it say about us that Hillary inspires this casual intimacy? Her life, her looks, her politics, her marriage—and now her breasts—are all daily grist at the nation's coffee shops, still, 15 years after she was introduced to America. According to one accounting, there are 17,000 websites devoted to Hillary Clinton. And there is really no aspect of our collective fears or furies that cannot be grafted onto her character. Did she refuse to meet with mothers of dead soldiers? Did she kill Vince Foster? Did she get two Black Panthers off on murder charges? Did she cause the Enron scandal? Despite their proven falseness, such accusations are routinely made because it's easy to mold the facts and fictions of Hillary's life into any kind of argument you like. Even her body has become a public landscape that most Americans feel quite comfortable trekking across in search of cultural clues about ourselves and our politics. Edwards' sculpture merely makes literal this national impulse.
It all began when the nation had regular debates about her hair, but now we're comfortable in our kitchens and on our talk shows presuming any damned thing we want to about her. Is she gay or straight, closet conservative or secret liberal, snarling she-wolf or one smart cookie baker? It isn't only her career as a public figure that's clay in our hands. No part of her life, however sacred, is off-limits. John McCain once got a lot of laughs cracking this joke: "Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly? Because her father is Janet Reno." Chelsea was still in high school at the time. In 2003 Americans happily participated in a cnn/USA Today/Gallup poll to determine whether Hillary should get a divorce. In the spring of 2006, the New York Times ran a front-page story that employed investigative journalism tactics to extrapolate the potential number of conjugal visits the Clintons' marital bed hosted each month. Using "interviews with some 50 people and a review of their respective activities," the author concluded: "Since the start of 2005, the Clintons have been together about 14 days a month on average, according to aides who reviewed the couple's schedules. Sometimes it is a full day of relaxing at home in Chappaqua; sometimes it is meeting up late at night.... Out of the last 73 weekends, they spent 51 together. The aides declined to provide the Clintons' private schedule."
Damn aides.
When Edwards fashioned Hillary into the image that he thought most telling, he was on to something. Hillary is way beyond something so banal as a politician. The details of her life are familiar enough; perhaps that's why all the profiles of her over the last 10 years have always seemed tedious and repetitive. It's how we shape those facts that's interesting. Hillary herself once said she had become some kind of Rorschach blot in which Americans see many things.
Almost every American has an opinion about Hillary. Consider her poll numbers. Hillary Clinton has favorables in the high 40s right now and unfavorables running about even. Her "no opinion" numbers are in the low single digits, approaching zero. Most politicians start with a huge swath of "no opinion" voters whom they can then try to convert. If Hillary runs, she will need to invent a whole new form of campaign strategy: She will need to flip voters who pretty much hate her.
Hillary-hating is such a national pastime, for both Democrats and Republicans, that it should be its own verb: "Hillarating." Typically, even her supporters make the case for her only after plowing through a lot of caveats, lessons learned, and after muttered contempt for some aspect of her person. Hillarating is not like normal political hating—opposing someone's ideology, for example. Loathing Hillary happens on multiple levels, ranging from her marital choices and fashion sense to her ambivalence on torture or support for a flag-burning amendment. And liberal feminists are as comfortable Hillarating as anyone else, perhaps more so.
"The source of the strong feelings goes all the way back to when we were introduced to her as Bill Clinton's copresident," says Nora Bredes, director of the Susan B. Anthony Center for Women's Leadership in Rochester, New York. After the health care defeat in 1993, Hillary retreated into being a wife and then a proper first lady before emerging again "as an international leader and then in the late '90s re-creating herself as a victim of his infidelity and then again stepping out as a candidate for the Senate," says Bredes. "People get uncomfortable when it's not a neat story. Is she a progressive feminist or a cautious moderate? People don't know exactly who she is, and so different reactions are almost invited."
Not since Richard Nixon has the body politic been treated to so many variations on the same person. "The New New Nixon" was introduced with such frequency once upon a time that it became shorthand for a kind of political marketing joke. Hillary has assumed that cultural niche, always inventing a new look and more "humanized" self for each situation. And in turn, we've seized upon various elements of her changeling character to shape, à la Daniel Edwards, our own private Hillarys. She is a Cosmo quiz of an enigma, so let's cut right to the answer key in the back pages and find out what kind of Hillary you see.
the martha stewart hillary: For you, the New York senator is, as Newt Gingrich's mother once observed, "a bitch," or, as William Safire phrased it, "a congenital liar." You tend to relish the catty details that reveal her as a petty-minded overachiever, like when she peevishly denied her ghostwriters writing credit. You believed the 2003 rumor that Wesley Clark had been ordered into the campaign by some Clinton consigliere to serve as her stalking-horse. In the mid-1990s, you wanted to buy that Jerry Falwell tape alleging that she bedded and then killed Vince Foster, had him rolled up in a rug and dumped along the Potomac. You snarkily refer to her by the name that grates most on those who despise her, Hillary Rodham.
the tammy wynette hillary: The famous invocation of the country-western singer happened during a 60 Minutes interview in 1992. Hillary defended her husband's philandering by saying, "I'm not sitting here some little woman, standing by my man like Tammy Wynette." And this is where it can get tricky. Most people forget Hillary's next line: "I'm sitting here because I love him." The cognitive dissonance is confusing, because, of course, that is the Tammy Wynette position ("And tell the world you love him / Keep giving all the love you can"). When she dissed Tammy, she left the impression that the real reason she was standing by Bill was ruthless desire for power. Then after getting into hot water over health care reform, she assumed the Tammy position, that of doggedly loyal wife. This was the Hillary who beamed at Bill's side and cut her hair in a prim, wifely fashion. Amid a flurry of sex scandals that would culminate in Monicagate, this Hillary allowed herself to be photographed in her one-piece bathing suit snogging with Bill on the beach—causing an entire nation to wince.
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Comments
Why can't people just accept Hillary for the intelligent woman she is??? All the negativism and hatred just shouts "jealousy".
Maybe a picture of a 'green-eyed-monster' would be appropriate with Hillary defeating her???
If by "jealousy" you mean I fear she's going to take my boyfriend (or anything else of value) this is ridiculous. If you actually mean "envy" because I'm angry she is successful that is ridiculous too. She is not successful other than at being self-absorbed.
Let me remind you of her statement to Rostenkowski when reporting her, incomplete, national healthcare plan: "I'm not responsible for every undercapitalized business!"
She assumes she is correct then denigrates those who aren't prepared to live with her plan.
I think Hillary shakes the mental foundations that most people rely on because she simply doesn't fit into any type of category.
The dislike that so many people in "middle America" have for her, to me, shines a light on the nature of politics and public perception these days. So many of us are used to seeing politicians as commodities that can be easily categorized - "liberal," "conservative," etc. - and we like it like that because it makes it easier to engage in politics. After all, when we can easily place each candidate in a tidy box with a nice little label on it, we feel much more secure in our grasp of politics.
It seems to me that Hillary is good for public discussion because she makes us actually rethink the labels that we so easily apply to political candidates.
Mine is not so much hatred as distrust any politically expedient opportunist who I suspect is in bed with the corporate personhood of the military-industrial complex. She's traveling on name recognition. Her voting record is very underwhelming. When I consider that this woman supported the invasion and subsequent occupation of a nation that posed no threat to America, I like Clinton less and less. It has nothing to do with her whiteness or her womanhood. It has everything to do with her being a political weasel.
I have not read this article, but just finished the one on your last issue = Special Edition - Sept - Oct 2007. I was shocked to find out the details regarding Hillary - she sounds like a very dangerous person to have as President. Are you going to post it?
Thank you. Your magazine is great!
It is often asked, How did Buddy Hinton of Sturmgewehr.com become the New Left's foremost political guru? How did this immigrant cobbler's son become the hottest consultant/shaman/whipcrack to top world leaders and the haute art/fashion crowd on this or any planet?
Why do the famous and not so famous movers and shakers, world leaders, trend-setters, dictators and democrats, Hollywood glamourites and hep young Xgen streetpeople beat a path to his ornate carved mahogany doors? Why are these A-list celebs and notorious oppressors and everyone else from J!mmie Carter to Papa Soros to Vlad Putin to Bobby Trendy to Hillary and the Pope lined up to get into Buddy Hinton's Euro-fab digs in the incredible old Sutro mansion outside of Frisco?
It could be the incredible fried pies and the world class wine cellar, but it's not. It could be the treasures of sculpture and avante-gard furnishings, but it's really not that, either. The whole-house Bose system? No, not even that. So... what is it about this itinerate cobbler's son become raconteur and fashion policeman to the world's glitterati that makes him the center of today's Powerpeoples' world?
Buddy Hinton Sturmgewehr.com??'This unrepetant, transgendered size queen is the single largest KY-Jelly consumer. Hah.. what the world needs is more gay gun nuts.. preferably ones who have stereotypical good taste in hip-hugging leather.
Buddy Hinton Sturmgewehr.com
Hillary has every advantege to win the Presidential election, she has the best advisers to make her look sympatric and caring. People tend to forget too easily that Hillary; received illegal campaign money and planned to not return it until she got caught; is involved in a fundamentalist religious group called the " Fellowship"; her notion of health care is that everybody has to have it, but there is no one to pay for it; she voted for the Iraq war and is not at concerned about the national treasury or the people getting killed; She is receiving money from the insurance corporations, now how do you expect the insurance companies to change to helping the people with universal health care? she is really a Republican, but running on the Democratic party ticket, she a history of being right winged (check it out); she is devious and plays to the crowd as Bush did; Hillary is playing a part in a play, and the director is her advisers and the corporations who gave her the money to run as president. You can fool some people some of the time, part of people part of the time, but not all the people all the time. Haven't we had enough of being scammed? We need to vote for someone on the bottom tier of candidates, at least we would know they had not been bought.
by "advantage" you mean the right mob, the rigth time and the skilled tricks.
Hilary is cunning and deserves the nickname "Cruella" after the 1001 Dalmatians story.
I do believe 90% of those voting Hilary are either voting against the ptresent administration or just naive.
Art is truly in the eye of the beholder, all our art is hand made in the US, much of our nude male statues and nude female
statue art is from the Roman and Greek period. The Roman Statue and Greek Statues are very tasteful and elegant. We at Neo-Mfg.com
can not discount this art as it is very well done, just can not see it on display in someone’s home. Art is in the eye of the beholder and we are sure it is just a monument.
Always remember American Freedom to express yourself
"One has to wonder, especially considering the massive voter support she's received in two elections, if Hillary doesn't already have her own hidden vote: not just feminist columnists, but moderate and even Republican women who might exult in Hillarating until they step into the seclusion of the voting booth, where all the watercooler chitchat, pissy remarks, and catty complaints fall away to reveal a working woman getting harassed in a man's world—and they recognize what they see."
I would bet on it. My grandmother recently said that she would consider voting for Hillarly "if only she were a little bit softer." This is coming from a woman who, to this day, often talks (bitterly) about how her own career was put aside as a direct result of social pressure to support her husband's role as the head of the household.
Voit for her all you want but I sure hope she is not the next president. Why should we just accept her. We are not jealousy just because we don't like her, we just can see what will happen if she gets in the big house. As far as a green eyed monster, you got that right.
The many faces of Hillary reminds me of how she tries to be whatever serves her best at the time. She changes her demeanor on a dime. She is guarded about people knowing or seeing the real Hillary. That's why we can't put a finger on who she really is. I'm tired of seeing the phoney face and I dread seeing it daily as a president. I want to know who is behind the face. Gimmie someone who is sincere and not pandering.
I find it interesting that columnists, the media, men, women, feminists, anti-feminists, and perhaps the public at large want to talk more about the fact that Hillary Clinton is a woman, than Hillary Clinton wants to talk about the fact that she's a woman. It is also an interesting phenomena that many journalists and opinion makers, such as this article and see Gloria Steinem's Jan 8th NYT op-ed, have chosen to put any person who is not supporting Hillary Clinton on the defensive for being sexist or anti-feminist, or having some sort of problem with Hillary Clinton based on her gender or sexuality instead of on her record or stance on issues. As a young woman of color, I cannot tell if the position purported by Steinem, et.al is feminist or not? But somehow do not think so. There are deep divisions in this country, based on race, gender, class, immigration status and increasingly, I believe, based on age. Feminism is NOT just the white-woman's right to empowerment and liberation, whether in the boardroom, in the bedroom or in the kitchen. And all those who want to go back to those days to when it was, are living in the past to analyze the present and the future. There is no deeper analysis of the intersections between race, class, gender and, increasingly, age among this generation of opinion makers. The fact is that Bush will most likely go down as one of the worst President's in US history. For the purposes of this argument, his presidency can be categorized as one of the most racist, homophobic and anti-feminist presidencies we have seen in a while. And, unfortunately, the fact is that of the three leading Democratic candidates, Hillary Clinton is the closest to the outlier status quo that Bush has set. I wish this wasn't the case, because I, more than anyone else, would love to vote a woman into office.
very good article. On reading the early pages I was sceptical that this was just another Hillary bashing, However this last page summed it up perfectly. I am a Hillary supporter from upstate N.Y. I think she would make a great president.
At 72 I look back over my lifetime and I think the male domination of government is not only harmful to our country but to the world. Equal representation for women as we are over 1/2 the population. What a better role model for woman than Hillary!!
It's interesting the hatred this nice lady generates. I simply think all of this hate is based on one simple fact. Hillary Rodham Clinton is a very intelligent LADY, period. What is more, she is Liberal. If the lady was a conservative she would not be getting this constant barrage of hate thrown at her. Why? Because the perception is that she will do some thing that might help "All of America" (as a liberal) rather than help a small segment of it. What segment (if she were conservative, i.e.)? The rich, of course. An intelligent woman would be accepted, running for president, if she wanted to do what Republicans usually do. Uplift the rich, cut taxes and toe the "money-ed interests" agenda.
Mrs. Clinton is not that. So, she is hated roundly by conservatives and these rich folks that controll the media in the U.S.
This article explains why there won't be a woman President in our lifetime. We assasinate them. Men and yes, women, we assasinate them. Yesterday was Super Tuesday 2008 and in my caucus state I watched amazed at all the liberal women who, led by Oprah, faced with the choice of a liberal woman who has fought for families and children and women's rights and universal health care on the one hand and a beautiful man with a pretty face who can sing a sweet, sweet song about something called "Change" (but who's never changed anything and is actually a moderate on the issues) and what happens? All the liberal women run to his side cooing with stars in their eyes. I don't think that the author intended it, but this piece tells part of the story of why we won't see a woman President in our lifetime. Sad gals, real sad, Oprah, sad. If Oprah ever made a move toward the White House she'd get to experience called "ugly" and worse. And then she'd get to watch all her 4pm afternoon mavens go the the "sweet talkin' guy... one helluva guy...."
This is the most Disgusting offensive piece of crap Art and article I have read yet.Sharon Stone your a piece of crap for saying such a thing *UGH*
Hillary deserves it more than Obomba she has worked her ass off all her life to be the first WOMAN EVER...I guess all you women like this bashing all you women aren't offended by the harshness of sexuality put downs all of you buy into what Hollywood sells?Your not pretty enough?your fat?your to thin?OMG we are so behind look at this crap.
Heres whats really going on...
I think, from what I've read (and I've read a lot...it's all that I do nowadays >___>) is that Obamaphiles are forgetting the electability factor and the strategy factor. Obamaphiles tout his winnings in red states (AL, GA, SC) as "electability", but they forget that some of those states will never go blue in the General Election...that these are wins against Democrats, no Republicans, and that the Republicans that crossed over toe vote for Obama just to screw with Clinton will go back to being red/vote for their Republican candidate (they don't want to face Clinton...they WANT to face Obama because they know they can beat him). Clinton has been focusing on a primary andGeneral Election strategy.
I've seen many different opinions from all over the place. At this place in time, it's hard to tell, but I would say that Obama doesn't have a chance against McCain.
If Hillary doesn't win I might sit it out or may just vote for McCandy Cane out of spite.Quick someone hit the Nuclear button this world has gone to hell.
Okay ladies i guess your alright with having your little girls grow up to be sexualized victims of mass media.
I hate when peoples only defense is that her husband had an affair. It just goes to show how little people care about the real issues of the country. William don't vote and just keep watching entertainment tonight, since that's all you know about. Thanks...
thank you for this nice
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