Posted on 04/14/2007 10:14:39 AM PDT by Spiff
Giuliani's cross-dressing antics back in spotlight
NEW YORK -- It is difficult to shock New Yorkers, yet Rudy Giuliani teetered close to the line when he sauntered onto a stage wearing a platinum-blond wig, a face full of makeup, dainty white gloves and a frilly pink gown filled out in all the right places.
His appearance at an annual political roast was exactly 10 years ago, and at the time, the idea of the tough-talking mayor in a busty ball gown raised eyebrows but was mostly accepted as a good joke -- adhering to an unwritten rule for the shenanigans that take place at the roast, known as the Inner Circle dinner.
Shortly after winning re-election that year, Giuliani took his feminine side to a national audience. While hosting "Saturday Night Live," he appeared in one skit as a bosomy, gray-haired Italian grandmother in lipstick and a flowered housedress, with stockings pulled halfway up his calves.
Now that Giuliani is running for the Republican presidential nomination, experts and political observers are wondering whether those well-photographed and widely documented performances -- and others -- could damage his campaign. Some say conservatives won't get the joke and will be turned off by what they see as yet another peek at Giuliani's exotic, big-city liberal side.
Political observers say many voters associate a macho demeanor with Giuliani's post-Sept. 11 image as a strong national leader in a time of crisis -- an image that could lose its power if dressed in stockings and dancing the cancan.
Yes, there was another year when he wore fishnets and did high kicks with the Rockettes.
"People think of him as a leader and a tough guy, and he has this image as somebody who tamed the city of New York and made the trains run on time, and seeing him dressed up like a girl would run contrary to all of those things," said political science professor Neal Thigpen of Francis Marion University in South Carolina.
South Carolina has one of the nation's earliest presidential primaries next year, and as the first Southern contest, it could set the stage for the region.
With conservative voters largely dominating presidential primaries, some experts say the footage of Giuliani cavorting about in women's wear could significantly damage his chances there and throughout the South. The images are already showing up on the Internet, including a mock campaign commercial on the popular video-trading site YouTube.
"You get out in more sophisticated places of the country, where they know Giuliani and they like him and they know about some of his antics, it's not going to be any surprise, but down here where they've never seen that kind of thing, it could do him some damage," Thigpen said.
But others say the gender-bending gags won't matter.
In Nevada, another state with an early caucus, Republicans would be unfazed by the image of Giuliani in women's clothing, said Heidi Smith, chairwoman of the Republican Party in Washoe County.
Giuliani impressed Reno citizens in a campaign appearance there last month that included a trip to Costco during which he mingled with shoppers, posing for photographs and signing autographs.
"That meant more than seeing him in drag," Smith said. "If he wants to wear a dress, who cares?"
Giuliani's first drag appearance, in 1997, featured a breathy Marilyn Monroe impression that was followed by various other female alter-egos over the years, including one that shared a scene with Donald Trump, who groped Giuliani and buried his head between the mayoral breasts.
His other Inner Circle characters included a 1950s greaser on a motorcycle, the Lion King and the Beauty's beast.
His most famous appearance from 10 years ago is likely to be remembered this weekend when Mayor Michael Bloomberg gets into costume to dance and sing for the same charity event, as New York mayors have done for decades. David Dinkins once donned full cowboy regalia and entered the ballroom on a horse; Ed Koch wore a suit of glittering gold; and Bloomberg has ridden a mule and pretended to smoke pot.
In 1997, the New York media had fun for a few days with Giuliani's first cross-dressing experiment -- the Village Voice printed a favorable review by real drag queens -- but it didn't appear to hurt him politically.
A poll shortly afterward found his approval rating at an all-time high of 67 percent, and a majority of city voters said they enjoyed the gag. He won re-election later that year.
Perhaps New Yorkers, who are overwhelmingly Democrats by a margin of five to one, appreciated one particular line during the 1997 show, which was a spoof of the musical comedy "Victor/Victoria," in which a woman pretends to be a man pretending to be a woman.
"I already play a Republican playing a Democrat playing a Republican," Giuliani quipped.
For conservatives who already are leery of backing Giuliani because of his support for abortion rights and other positions on social issues, the feminine clothing may also remind them of his support of gays while mayor -- despite the fact that the majority of cross-dressers are not gay.
Still, a poison-pen mailer or e-mail could easily imply a connection, observers say.
"I'm imagining the negative ads -- they could use this as sort of an oblique reference to all of those positions," said Clemson University political scientist Dave Woodard.
Southern Baptist Convention official Richard Land said gay issues represent just one area of the problems religious conservatives have with Giuliani.
"There are so many dealbreakers for Giuliani, it's difficult to know where to start," he said.
Throughout his eight years in City Hall, Giuliani supported laws that protected gays against harassment, marched in gay pride parades, welcomed the Olympic-style Gay Games to New York City and, after his second marriage broke up, lived with two friends who happened to be a gay couple.
He does not support gay marriage, but he does not see the need to ban it with a constitutional amendment. And in a 1994 cover story with The Advocate, a national gay magazine, he condemned Pat Buchanan's speech at the Republican National Convention two years earlier during which the failed presidential candidate declared a "cultural war" against homosexuality, radical feminists, abortion rights supporters and other "liberals."
The speech, Giuliani said, "tried to narrow rather than to broaden the Republican Party. There is no reason why the party shouldn't appeal to gays and lesbians in the same way it does to all Americans."
Over the years, Giuliani's relationship with gays has not been exactly cozy -- he was often heckled while marching in the city's annual gay pride parade.
Asked this month about his theatrical past, Giuliani told Fox News that it shows voters another side of him.
"I think what they'll find out about me is I enjoy having fun. I mean, I really enjoy those Inner Circles. I made them fun, and I enjoyed them," he said. "And so you're going to get a couple of things people can interpret different ways, I guess."
President Bush doesn’t make a habit of dressing in drag and kissing queers like Rooty does.
Being a Republican DOES NOT make someone a conservative. Conservatives are PRO-LIFE, PRO-CONSTITUTION AND PRO-FAMILY -- Rudy is none of these.
I have read the tea leaves, so to speak, and have taken a long hard look at our candidates.
And you settled for the MOST LIBERAL one you could find, the logical conclusion is that Rudy's views mirror your own.
No, I don't agree with all his policies, but neither did I always agree with Ronald Reagan or George Bush.
Which of Rudy's views do you disagree with? I have no problem believing that you didn't agree with Reagan and Bush.
There are many lies swirling from both the left AND the FAR RIGHT about Rudy Giuliani's record.
The Rudy Rooters say this a lot, unfortunately all of these "lies" are well documented in print and video.
Stereotypes exist for a reason.
Thanks! Unfortunately, "integrity" is not a prerequisite for being a member of the Republican party.
No, the same type of kooks that were on here calling GW a “coke-snorting frat boy” before the 2000 primaries.
Dresses in drag for a skit versus holding hands with “our friends” the Saudis?
Tough choice.
I wonder is President Bush ever gave a friendly peck on the cheek to Mary Cheney. I expect he might have. Laura too. Good for them.
Go ahead and pee in your own water supply........"
I get embarrassed, as a Republican, by some of the rabid zealots who post here. It's truly a shame some of us can't tone down the hostility and try to be civil to those we disagree with.
Nithe ssss...sthwetter bernie! Ith tho thoft. :)
Criticizing Bush for alleged youthful indiscretions is VERY DIFFERENT from pointing out verifiable facts about policies that Rudy has both pursued and supported that are totally at odds with conservatism.
Often see having dinner ( candlelight?) with his queer friends.
Dressed as a transvestite many times and seemed to enjoy that.
Eh, it’s just the rabid fringe. It’s the same folks, or type of folks who were hardcore Buchanan and Keyes supporters.
In many ways, they are no different than rabid liberals - if you don’t walk in lockstep with them, you are either stupid, evil, both - or you want to see the country fail, civilization collapse, or (insert hysterical insult of your choice here).
Every once in awhile, I step away from FR and other sites, and take in the world of realism.
And doing it in a reasoned, adult manner is VERY DIFFERENT from what you usually see from said kooks.
Advancing a conservative agenda and trying to destroy the character of other conservative Republicans are two different things. Some here need to take a deep breath and read up on a few debating points that will help you get your message across in a civil manner. Name calling and casting dispersions on your opponents is a losing proposition and makes you look loutish and foolish to unsuspecting lurkers who come here to inform themselves on important issues of the day.
Nice Rooty impersonation-—LOL.
All that and was also a quite active love em’ and leave em’ heterosexual lothario. And at his age.
He must just screw everything in sight. Pity America’s enemies if he is President.
Whatever he’s got, it beats Viagra. Where can I get some?
Actually Klinger was of Lebanese decent but was born in Toledo. Just like Jamie Farr who played him so he could qualify as VP.
The rumor is, Klinger gave up wearing women's clothing in the later mash series because Farr thought his children would be ashamed of him wearing women's clothing every week.
Gee, even Maxwell "Got it".
It figures. No wonder they have NO credibility.
“Whatever he’s got, it beats Viagra. Where can I get some?”
I wouldn’t know. Check with Rooty or ask at your favorite “Leather Bar”.
This statement qualifies as the "Delusion of the Week".
Soon all the candidates will be doing it
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