Posted on 04/30/2005 7:56:02 PM PDT by wjersey
WASHINGTON - First lady Laura Bush stole the show with a surprise comedy routine that ripped President Bush and brought an audience that included much of official Washington and a dash of Hollywood to a standing ovation at a dinner honoring award-winning journalists.
The president planned a speech late Saturday at the 91st annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner, but was quickly "interrupted" by his wife in an obviously planned ploy.
"Not that old joke, not again," she said to the delight of the audience. "I've been attending these dinners for years and just quietly sitting there. I've got a few things I want to say for a change."
The president sat down and she proceeded to note that he is "usually in bed by now" and said she told him recently, "If you really want to end tyranny in the world you're going to have to stay up later."
She outlined a typical evening: "Nine o'clock, Mr. Excitement here is sound asleep and I'm watching `Desperate Housewives'." Comedic pause. "With Lynne Cheney. Ladies and gentlemen, I am a desperate housewife."
But she said they obviously were destined to be together as a couple because "I was the librarian who spent 12 hours a day in library and yet somehow I met George."
Joining the Bushes were Vice President Dick Cheney and wife Lynne, nine Cabinet members and two Supreme Court justices, Antonin Scalia and Stephen Breyer.
News organizations hosted show business and sports stars such as Goldie Hawn, LL Cool J, Richard Gere, Jane Fonda and the starting quarterbacks of this year's Super Bowl, Tom Brady of the New England Patriots and Donovan McNabb of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Award winners announced earlier this month:
_Ron Fournier of The Associated Press, the Merriman Smith Award for presidential coverage under deadline pressure for his stories on Bush's victory over John Kerry.
_Susan Page of USA Today, the Aldo Beckman Award for her stories on the presidency and the presidential campaign.
_Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams of the San Francisco Chronicle, the Edgar A. Poe Award for a series of stories on athletes' steroid use.
Presidents since Calvin Coolidge have attended the dinner hosted by the association, which was established in 1914 as a bridge between the press corps and the White House.
I don't know the relationship between clothing and morality. As far as I can tell, morality is mostly deed.
But for all you Cole Porter fans out there, I propose a sing-along:
ANYTHING GOES
Times have changed,
And we've often rewound the clock,
Since the Puritans got a shock,
When they landed on Plymouth Rock.
If today,
Any shock they should try to stem,
'Stead of landing on Plymouth Rock,
Plymouth Rock would land on them.
In olden days a glimpse of stocking
Was looked on as something shocking,
But now, God knows,
Anything Goes.
Good authors too who once knew better words,
Now only use four letter words
Writing prose, Anything Goes.
The world has gone mad today
And good's bad today,
And black's white today,
And day's night today,
When most guys today
That women prize today
Are just silly gigolos
And though I'm not a great romancer
I know that I'm bound to answer
When you propose,
Anything goes
When grandmama whose age is eighty
In night clubs is getting matey with gigolo's,
Anything Goes.
When mothers pack and leave poor father
Because they decide they'd rather be tennis pros,
Anything Goes.
If driving fast cars you like,
If low bars you like,
If old hymns you like,
If bare limbs you like,
If Mae West you like
Or me undressed you like,
Why, nobody will oppose!
When every night,
The set that's smart
Is intruding in nudist parties in studios,
Anything Goes.
Reno, Passengers and Crew:
The world has gone mad today
And good's bad today,
And black's white today,
And day's night today,
When most guys today
That women prize today
Are just silly gigolos
And though I'm not a great romancer
I know that I'm bound to answer
When you propose,
Anything goes
Reno:
If saying your prayers you like,
If green pears you like
If old chairs you like,
If back stairs you like,
If love affairs you like
With young bears you like,
Why nobody will oppose!
All:
And though I'm not a great romancer
And though I'm not a great romancer
I know that I'm bound to answer
When you propose,
Anything goes...
Anything goes!
Pop culture is now one of America's largest exports.
I don't think that's necessarily a good thing :(
I stated it ironically. It isn't a good thing and it's making a lot of people mad.
...but talk of clothing makes me very nervous. I remember coming down Broadway about 10 years ago in a cab. When we approach the Jockey underwear billboard, my middle eastern cab driver goes crazy talking about what prostitutes american women are, etc. etc. Then we hit 37th or 38th and stop at a light. A fashion model in a short skirt, portfolio in hand, crosses the street and the guy goes ape, screaming at her.
And all I could think, "These guys really, really don't like us." I guess I was proven right a couple years later.
Some parts of pop culture are good but the problem is that the people don't see the degradation. Well they do because they start having the same problems eventually. If someone doesn't like Desperate Housewives, then just ignore it. I don't like Growing Up Gotti so I don't watch it. I'm convinced the only people watching are the guido-wannabes and country folk fascinated with the LI bimbo lifestyle.
Oh I believe it. The old gas station attendant used to ask my mother if I would like to get married. He was looking for a decent girl for his son *lol*
People in NYC (and LA/Chicago etc) view pop culture differently. The lifestyles portrayed aren't seen as "better" or more sophisticated. They are mostly seen, I believe, as vague parodies.
Hi Spiff,
I love W and Laura but I agree with you. I was disappointed with how far over the edge her humor went, especially with the worst of the examples you mentioned.
I will be forgiving but I am still let down and embarrassed by it.
The sick thing is it will probably make more people like her...however, I'm not sure what purpose that serves at this point, especially when gone about this way.
I try to remember the idea, that just because you can think of something that will make most people laugh doesn't mean you should say it. I guess she didn't agree.
I am happy to say I have never watched that TV show she mentioned. On purpose.
This is just another reminder to put all our faith in God, not in man (or woman), otherwise we're bound to be let down.
DOE
My sister got my father a pair of cargo pants for Christmas. He didn't seem to like them at first, and mom scolded him to try them on. Right after he put them on, he liked them.
I have to say we're as far out into the country as one can be. I also have to say that it's not necessarily MTV that is causing the cultural shift, in the teenage years, alot of it is peer pressure. I will admit as a teen, I was a victim of peer pressure.
It is. Not everyone is going to be traumatized by it. In some countries they hate our movies, our clothing styles, Coca-Cola, etc., yet they go to the same movies they hate, wearing the same clothes they despise, sipping from a bottle of Coke.
Traumatized is probably the wrong word. Impacted is a better word. The thing that is amazing to me is when the Ukraine thing (The Orange Revolution) began last year, the protest song of choice had a hip-hop beat. Thirty years ago some kid in Queens began playing around with his records and what grew out of it not only made billions of dollars, but set the beat to a significant protest movement.
We both know who's fault that is! LOL!! :)
Even in countries like China, there are people privately worshipping Jesus. How do they do that? Religious broadcasters via satellite.
...and there it is. Technology is a powerful thing.
Can you imagine what it would have sounded like if Hillary had gotten up and done the same while Clinton was president? Actually it might have been funny to see both of them rolling all over the floor fighting for the microphone.
It's been fun all, now I've got to get to work. Take care.
I teach 7th grade in a public school. On Friday I sent 3 girls to the office to call home for a change of clothing. Their skirts were so short that they could not even sit down at their desk without revealing way too my leg.
I sure wish our school had uniforms.
Anyone have a link to the speech?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.