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Posted on 09/28/2009 11:52:32 AM PDT by rabscuttle385
The teenage daughters of Spain’s prime minister were ridiculed for dressing “Goth” with the Obamas. Meghan McCain on the perils of being a politician’s kid.
Over the weekend I was emailed and tweeted an image of the prime minister of Spain, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, and his family standing with President and Michelle Obama at the United Nations. The photo was uploaded onto the White House Flickr account but soon taken down because apparently the young girls are not seen or photographed in their country, so as to protect their privacy.
When I first saw the picture, I didn’t understand what everyone was referencing but soon realized the prime minister’s daughters, Laura and Alba, were dressed in “Goth” attire, complete with black combat boots and kohl eyeliner. There has been somewhat of a fury on the Internet chastising these two girls—by the way, ages 13 and 16—for their attire. I want to start out by saying I can’t believe there is a country that exists where the media protects children of public figures, let alone the prime minister’s daughters. It is literally hard for me to fathom that there is a place that respects the privacy of underage children of politicians and diplomats. The second part of this that makes me very sad is that these two girls are enduring a sort of baptism by fire with the media scrutiny that surrounds their family portrait with the Obamas. Not only are they not used to being photographed, but their first foray into being photographed and criticized is on a very public scale with the most famous and powerful politicians in the entire world.
Let me bring you back to what I was like around these girls’ ages. The Spice Girls were the hottest band out there, and as a 13- to 14-year-old I used to dress up like Baby Spice, complete with the pigtails and wedge boots. I am sure had I had my picture taken with the president and first lady at the time, I would have had some kind of Spice Girl scrutiny for the way I looked. But I was a young adolescent, and I didn’t know better. Which brings me back around to these young girls, lest I remind everyone that Twilight and vampires are huge right now, especially for teenagers. Anyone that has been to a local mall would know that the Goth-inspired chain store Hot Topic is also wildly popular—my own little sister wanted her birthday present from that store this year. Now, I don’t know why the prime minister's daughters chose to express themselves through Goth attire and quite frankly I don’t care. They are teenagers expressing themselves, and clearly the prime minister and his wife had no problem with them dressing in their Goth attire to meet the president. So why should we?
When the pictures came out, they were printed in numerous magazines and newspapers, not including the fury in which the portrait was traded and posted online. However, what I find fascinating is that the prime minister was able to persuade the Spanish-owned news agency Zapatero from distributing the portrait—the daughters are actually protected by a Spanish law. I find it difficult to believe any picture of President Obama and his family in any context would not be distributed across the Internet and on newswires—no matter what the picture was. Our media doesn’t have the same boundaries with families, and unfortunately it is just the way it is. My heart really goes out to Laura and Alba—they are two very young adolescents who were brought to a United Nations summit in a foreign country and their physical appearance and clothing choices have been ripped apart and ridiculed by our country’s media. Really, what kind of reception is this for a foreign diplomat and his family? There are inevitably complications for the prime minister and his family that will come of this portrait but I can only hope that maybe the media can learn from this and be more respectful in the future of not only children of foreign diplomats but our own first family and other families of politicians as well. No one knows better than me that being the child of a politician is not a gig you choose but are born into. How about giving these kids a break as they grow up in the spotlight?
Meghan McCain is a columnist for The Daily Beast. Originally from Phoenix, she graduated from Columbia University in 2007. She is a New York Times bestselling children's author, previously wrote for Newsweek magazine, and created the Web site mccainblogette.com.
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Frankly the daughters of Zapatero looked like Meghan McCain!
"Doctor, Doctor! It hurts when I do this!"
"Then don't do that."
If you are a politician and you don't want your children to be the subject of media attention then don't parade them out at a political event.
They look freakin’ ugly.
Las Feas Brujas.
Goth attire is just a way for ugly chicks not to stand out too much. No wonder they are not photographed in Spain...two axe handles across.
too many jokes, so little time..
“They’re creepy and they’re kooky, mysterious and spooky....”
I think Meghan is a little ‘off’.
Parents, or adults, as the two are not always interchangeable - are responsible to teach their children how to act and dress ‘appropriately’. If they want to hang out at the mall, or with their friends dressed ‘Goth’ - that’s fine. They are kids and they have the right to look like a goof, and be embarassed by their pictures when they grow up.
But, when you go to church, or make a speech, or meet the President - well, then you dress appropriately. You can wear a thong bikini at the pool, but you don’t wear it to meet the President (especially when Clinton was in office). When my parents took me to upscale events, I wore a shirt, a tie, dress slacks, dress shoes and a jacket - if not my church suit. It was expected, and when I look at those pictures later on, I feel no shame - for my parents instilled in me a sense of decorum.
Wear the Budweiser T-shirt and cut-offs where such attire is appropriate - wear the suit when it’s appropriate.
It’s called being a parent, not your child’s indulging friend.
I’m diggin’ the combat boots on the right...They look my size, too!
The pixillation of the gruesome twosomes’ features gives the photo a nice Japanese horror film touch.
Yoiks! My friend from Spain would say that the Devil’s Minions would dress their kids that way ... she hates Zapatero so much I worry about her health.
yikes!
Cousin Itt refused to ride in the cargo department and stayed home.
BINGO!
They look like the Addams Family!
Yes, but at least Tina could introduce a new vocabulary word to our Columbia grad. How about ‘dissuade’ instead of persuade in the context used?
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