Mika Brzezinski, co-host of the cable show Morning Joe, gave one of the more novel perspectives on contemporary parenting in a recent talk at the Philadelphia Free Library, where she was promoting her paean to female careerism, an autobiography titled All Things at Once.

“My career wouldn’t mean a thing to me if I didn’t have my children to share it with,” she said. It’s true. Children love hearing about office politics and can provide excellent guidance to a tired parent. Families are for sharing.

By the way, according to a recent review in The New York Times, Brzezinski recounts in her book that she was so tired one night from work that she fell down the steps while carrying her newborn baby. All things at once. This brings to mind Richard Weaver’s statement: If you seek the monument to our folly, look about you.

BCG writes:

When you post official photos of celebs such as Mika Brzezinski or Michelle Obama it is worth bearing in mind that these pictures bear about as much physical resemblence to these individuals as does a society portrait by someone like John Singer Sargent – which is to say these photographs are as idealized in their beauty as it is possible to be without actual absurdity.

These photographs are done under perfect conditions of costume, make-up and lighting; then are very substantially edited and retouched digitally after the fact.

In particular the extra clarity and sparkle of the eyes, and the smoothing of skin and removal of blemishes, can easily take 15 years off a middle aged woman.

These ladies are not likely to follow Oliver Cromwell in (supposedly) insisting on being portrayed ‘warts and all’!

Laura writes:

Character shows through, don’t you think? Airbrushing and make-up can’t always disguise that. Look at Brzezinski. She wears the low-cut top that has become standard among professional women and while aggressively flaunting her sexuality in this way pretends this is perfectly natural and not intentional by adopting a tough, penetrating, manly gaze, as if to say, “I am all-business. Though my femininity is an overflowing force that cannot be suppressed, I am as tough as nails.”  She is chillingly non-maternal, not an ounce of tenderness peaks through, which is why I thought it was such an appropriate publicity shot for her book on motherhood. 

Similarly, the photos of Michelle Obama cannot disguise her narcissism, the sheer delight she takes in her own existence, her self-ravishment.

BCG writes:

Indeed yes! – these pictures are primarily revealing of self-fantasies (because these photos are taken only after the photographer has signed a contract that allow the subject to screen and approve pictures before public release); but these pix don’t necessarily look like the real person.

Laura writes:

For all the advances of digital photography and make-up, it was much better when elite women got their portraits done. Then instead of appearing in dull gray sweaters and staring boldly at the camera, they might look like Lady Agnew of Lochnaw.

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