The other day I decided to plunge into Americana hard core by listening to the U.S political news as I got ready in the morning. For me, this is a drastic measure.
I heard, as you are all surely aware, of the never ending "pig" fiasco- Obama being accused of calling Palin a pig because he used a metaphor about putting lipstick on a pig. dont quote me on it, I didnt listen that closely untill I realised this was actually a catastrophic event!
I admit, when I first heard it I was like, pig-lipstick-what? But thats just because most Egyptian metaphors I know involve Kohl, Donkeys, or taking someone's arm when they only offered you their hand....... but my good American informants assured me that in American, pigs are also an acceptable way to go in order to make a point.
Other animals refered to in American proverbs are cats.
So, its just like saying "let the cat out of the bag" (to divulge a secret, apparently).
This is the scenario I would have liked to hear on the morning news this morning:
"Republicans take new offense against the democratic rhetoric after Obama calls Sarah Palin a CAT when he described the democratic reaction to the republican campaign as waiting to "let the cat out of bag". This is the second in a series of animal- dominated insults hurled at Palin, the first having being called a pork chop by Sen. Obama.
The insinuation clearly calls Palin a CAT. and therefore, by association, the state of Alaska is seen nothing more than a BAG! Well, we take offense to that. Just because Alaska is empty and barren, much like a plastic bag, does not mean thats its not an integral part of our beloved nation."
Now tell me its unrealistic.
5 comments:
ya the lipstick comment was hilarious!
I'm against Obama, will vote against him, and hope he's defeated but believe his lipstick-on-the-pig remark was innocent. These are the silly unsubstantial rhetorical skirmishes that attend any hard fought election. It's like the Democrat attack on the elder Bush when he visited a grocery store and made nice with a cashier when he was showed how groceries were scanned. The Democrats then claimed Bush didn't know about scanning and so was out of touch with ordinary people.
What little value that can be gleaned from this is that Obama seems to be reacting oddly to Palin's rhetoric, adopting her analogies rather than developing his own. In that way, he is being driven by her, dominated by her.
tantor, I agree with you, but consider this scenario: Suppose Hillary was the Democratic candidate and McCain had used the same metaphor. Would not the hue and cry and gnashing of teeth still be going on from every corner of the media?
Egydiva, the cat and bag metaphor is not just about secrets. It carries the implication that what you've done cannot be undone and therefore the situation is out of your control. We have another metaphor that means the exact same thing and is more middle eastern: Let the genie out of the bottle.
K,
Of course the donkeys would be braying had the situation been reversed with Hillary as the offended damsel. That's what's so hypocritical about the Dems in objecting. Also, beneath the hypocrisy is the desperation of the Democrats at being outplayed at their own game of identity politics. They know how to play offense at that game, but not defense. They've got no game.
It reminds me of the fury and bafflement of the anti-war protestors when they were counter-protested. Nothing enrages a protestor more than being protested. They are used to being unopposed in protests. They don't know how to handle being protested.
There is a sea-shift here were the liberals are being wrong-footed by the conservatives because the Left has become complacent in its arguments and tactics.
Actually McCaine DID use the same expression when referring to Hillary's policies during the primaries, and the Democrats didn't throw a bitch fit.So there you go.
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