‘Pataphysics of Protocol
His every pronouncement creates a media circus. He is a baron of mass media and one of its anti-heroes. Silvio Berlusconi did not get to exchange kisses with Michelle Obama at the G20 Summit in Pittsburgh last week and had to settle for an arms length handshake. Effectively, the snub by ”Lady Macbeth” served her cause by focusing attention on her own necessity for attention as well as Berlusconi; a mild form of Roman Polanski on the world stage who fully believes in former president Bush’s legislation that no child ( especially girls) should be left behind. A spat at prom night where the more dimunitative Italian PM could not defend against Michelle Obama’s slam dunk. The welcome ritual of these summits have evolved into a fashion runway for designer clothing and accessories rather than the officious semi-private greetings over cocktails they started as.
” An affirmative-action prima donna who vastly overrates both herself and her husband, who would have done very nicely as a minor college president or suit model for Jos. A. Bank. Otherwise he should have been disqualified at the “Bill-Ayers-is-not-a-close-friend” stage. ”
How tall are the other men Michelle has hugged? Tall women hugging short men is very awkward. Berlusconi is short enough that a hug by Michelle would be awkward and could create unflattering pictures. Mdedevev is short, but the two might have been positioned in a way as to make a hug less awkward.
A First Lady should familiarize herself with international protocol and etiquette and understand that pointedly and publicly attempting to belittle a head of state by singling him out for different treatment, particularly on an official occasion such as this, is gracelss, bad-mannered an smacks of ignorance. She either hugs everybody (yuck) or shakes hands with everybody. It’s that simple. So you don’t like him? Who does? Suck it up, First Lady. Do your duty and try to live up to your title.
The lady has no class. But what can you expect from a woman who thinks it’s OK to hug Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth at an official function?
Plausibly, Berlusconi could be the reincarnation of Alfred Jarry, French playwright of the absurd and in general terms, a freelance scoundrel. Jarry was best known for his play Ubu Roi, a play somewhat grounded on Shakespeare’s Macbeth where Lady Macbeth pushes the king to murder members of the Royal Family and become King of Poland. Effectively, Berlusconi got to meet his ”tanned” creation and instead of feeling snubbed, was quietly pleased his literary creation turned out so well in the transformation to three dimensional form, and like the play, these characters often exhibit puppet-like movements that swing between states of emptiness and greed.
Ubu Roi de Alfred Jarry, Moscow Theatre
The problem is Berlusconi identifies too closely with his creation of King Ubu and his anti-protagonisms. Ultimately, Berlusconi represents much that is foul and is devoid of most redeeming characteristics and capacities. Unlike Shakespeare, he is not diluted by Iago’s cunning or Macbeth’s guilt. … in some ways not so unlike those who criticize him.
He ( Jarry ) is also known as the founder of‘pataphysics. ”‘Pataphysics,” Jarry wrote, “is the science of imaginary solutions…extending as far beyond metaphysics as the latter extends beyond physics.” In attempting to explain Jarry (which is about impossible), Picasso biographer John Richardson observed: “[Jarry] crashed the barrier between fantasy and reality, and established the parodic sense of ‘pataphysics, which would detonate all traditional canons of beauty, good taste and propriety.”
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