An Image A Little Too Carefully Coordinated (Roberts)

The Washington Post ^ | 7/22/05

[kingu]

It has been a long time since so much syrupy nostalgia has been in evidence at the White House. But Tuesday night, when President Bush announced his choice for the next associate justice of the Supreme Court, it was hard not to marvel at the 1950s-style tableau vivant that was John Roberts and his family.

There they were -- John, Jane, Josie and Jack -- standing with the president and before the entire country. The nominee was in a sober suit with the expected white shirt and red tie. His wife and children stood before the cameras, groomed and glossy in pastel hues -- like a trio of Easter eggs, a handful of Jelly Bellies, three little Necco wafers. There was tow-headed Jack -- having freed himself from the controlling grip of his mother -- enjoying a moment in the spotlight dressed in a seersucker suit with short pants and saddle shoes. His sister, Josie, was half-hidden behind her mother's skirt. Her blond pageboy glistened. And she was wearing a yellow dress with a crisp white collar, lace-trimmed anklets and black patent-leather Mary Janes.

[maryz]

"Hoi polloi" I know -- what's "light-up/shoe-buying"? People who smoke and buy shoes? I'd expect the WP to hate smokers, but do they want to alienate everyone who buys shoes?

[Caipirabob]

You just know that these guys are just dying to get their hand on them...

*barf*

[The Grammarian]

No, there are shoes that have colored lights on them that light up briefly as you walk. They tend to be worn by little kids.

[Watery Tart]

Nostalgic for the good old days, I guess....

[maryz]

Thanks! I have heard of those -- not in a few years though. I didn't know they were still around.

[mrsmel]

They're also worn by strippers(so I've heard!)

[Coldwater Creek]

I see children dressed like that at church every Sunday. I guess that it would have pleased the liberals if the children had been teenagers in tight low rider pants, their navel rings showing and spiked colored hair.

It is time that the 50's type family came back in vogue.

[counterpunch]

Is this the same "style" reporter who attacked Condi Rice's "dominatrix" outfit?

Odd how Republicans are the only ones ever criticized for their outfits. Have any of these people bothered to notice that Hillary Clinton and Ellen Degeneres share a closet?

[AntiGuv]

That is an excellent point, but then again I rather dislike the color pink. IMHO, burgundy, midnight blue, forest green, and royal purple is all the color the world needs. And maybe bright red for stoplights and whatnot.

[kingu]

Have any of these people bothered to notice that Hillary Clinton and Ellen Degeneres share a closet?

Ruth Bader-Ginsberg. Does anything further need to be said? Even the 'Fab 5' would run in horror from her closet. :)

[durasell]

either pro wrestling or social vivisection...you can also tell the future style page editors from an early age, they're the ones cheering the other young girls on to develop eating disorders.

[AntiGuv]

Mahogony is a good color too. =)

[AntiGuv]

[kingu]

MY EYES! MY EYES! OH GOD, MY EYES!

[from occupied ga]

Geeze.. What is it with these people?

Of course it was staged and everything in it was planned by marketing consultants, so what? Does anyone think they were going to show the kids with grape juice on their clothes? Does anyone think that any of the Slick Willie photo-ops weren't. For that matter does anyone think that any of Hitlery or upChuck's photo-ops aren't stage managed. Of course the compost didn't mention that.

[kingu]

Of course it was staged and everything in it was planned by marketing consultants, so what?

I find it pretty hard to believe that any marketing consultants were involved in choosing the clothing.. If they had, odds are that the kids would have had a trip to the mall and Mrs. Roberts would have had an extreme makeover. I'd even lay $25 down on the next Freepathon that there were folks in the press office who cringed when they saw the family arrive. Either that, or there is some genius marketing consultant out there who will be making big, big bucks over the next couple years.

[leprechaun9]

Since the author of this piece of manure is not identified, nor is the article identified as an Editorial, I conclude that this is the official position of THE WASHINGTON COMPOST!

Probably THE COMPOST was irked because no 'DEEP THROATER' at the COMPOST was able to leak the name of the nomination. I hope the President follows up by cancelling the daily 'GOTCHA' press sessions. Let the Journalists all 'DEEP THROAT' each other!

[Taliesan]

Liberals hate normalcy.

[YaYa123]

The unnamed writer has to be an unwashed liberal lame brain of the sort of, feminine persuasion. For months, I've been noticing (and commenting) on the look-alike DC/NY celebrity women who all wear pastel colored, boucle suits with fringed lapels. It's their signature uniform, like Hillary's black pant suit became hers. Mrs. Roberts joined the safe fashion trend already a staple of everyone from Laurie Dhue, Andrea Mitchell, and Katie Kuroc, to Kay Bailey, Boxer, and all the news chicks on national, cable, and local news shows.

But only Mrs. Roberts gets singled out for ridicule, for wearing a fashion staple. During the winter months, the boucle colors were browns and greens. Since early early spring, the suits became sherbert colored, and Mrs. Roberts strawberry version was lovely, ladylike, and very appropriate.

As for Mrs. Roberts' shoe color, any woman here could tell you, taupe (tan) is universally accepted with any color outfit, because it attractively extends the length of the leg.

And making fun of the children's clothes really exposes the ignorance of the writer. But then, she probably doesn't have children, doesn't know anything about what they wear to special occasions, and most certainly this writer doesn't go to church.

Even the poorest children have special outfits for church and special occasions. (A few years back, my daughter was a youth missionary in Jamaica. She was heartsick by the poverty and deprivation, but she still talks of how those people, especially the children, got all gussied up in their very best, to attend worship services.) A sign of respect, but then, this unnamed writer wouldn't know about that either.

[varon]

Most likely those were the kids Easter outfits.

Bingo, thus the columnists following observation, "....like a trio of Easter eggs,". Now, you've got to admit that's funny :-)