Kerch's posts & Other Women Kerch on 31 Oct 2007 08:26 am
Kirchner elected president
My whole life I’ve wanted to hear those words: “Kerchner elected president!” As a kid, I thought being president would be the coolest job. I have, lucky for all, seen the error of my ways.
However, while I was waiting in line at the pharmacy Monday afternoon, I heard the news guy talking about the new president of Argentina, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.
My ears perked right up because when they call her by her last name, they call her Kirchner. HEY, that’s the same as my last name at birth. OK, so it’s spelled differently. But when you hear it, it’s definitely the same. So you can imagine that I was kinda excited to hear about her win.
But here’s what got me. I believe I heard Lou Dobbs repeat AT LEAST THREE TIMES, that “Kirchner is remarkably bright and beautiful.”
I must confess that when I checked the transcript from CNN. It shows only: “That’s an interesting report on Cristina Kirchner, remarkably bright, attractive woman.” So maybe I’m wrong. Maybe he did say it only once. Maybe I was so surprised that the words got stuck in instant replay only in my brain… and maybe the transcripts aren’t really every single word spoken?
She is beautiful. I’m sure we are twins separated at birth. I’ll have to ask my mom about that. See for yourself…
Here’s the Argentine Kirchner 
and here’s me 
If you squint and the pictures are small enough, we’re nearly identical, doncha think?
But I digress.
Kirchner just got elected president of a whole freakin’ country! I hope she’s more than remarkably bright. (I, too, am more than remarkably bright. Hmmm, another reason to think we’re twins?)
Dictionary.com defines remarkable as “notably or conspicuously unusual; extraordinary.” Why is it conspicuously unusual that a woman is bright? Or is this to imply that it’s unusual that an Argentinean woman is bright? Man, I am NOT going there!
Look, I must admit that I don’t know a whole lot about Argentina. But I hear they have pretty many “issues” down there, issues that will probably require a person a whole lot more than just bright—even remarkably bright–to run the country.
I wonder if they ever called the president of the US remarkably bright… I mean ANY president. It seems condescending to me.
People might be surprised to find that some athletes are remarkably bright. Our culture doesn’t expect them to be smart. There is certainly nothing precluding the possibility of brilliance. The ads during the Final Four basketball games highlight the scholar athletes who will probably not go on to pro ball, but who just might discover a cure for cancer.So why are people surprised that women in power are smart? I’m sure some women get power in less than admirable ways. (Some men do, too.) But why can’t the media figure out what to do with the smart woman stories? When Nancy Pelosi became Speaker of the House, they talked about her wardrobe. They talk about Condoleezza Rice’s hair styles.
Did the press talk about how cute JFK was? They sure didn’t announce it on the 6 o’clock news! My friend Mary Klotz says, “They didn’t need to. Everybody knew it!”
I wish I had the opportunity to meet Lou Dobbs in person. I think I might like to screw a light bulb into his head and see if might BECOME “remarkably bright!” Maybe he could become a shining example to the rest of the media.
on 31 Oct 2007 at 8:45 pm 1.Malynda said …
Cool article…but then I think you’re much smarter than she is.
Best.
on 01 Nov 2007 at 7:49 am 2.Mary Klotz said …
When Kerch and I talked about this, I also considered whether noting (Argentinian) Kirchner’s remarkable brightness and beauty might be a particularly American perspective, or fueled by the American situation. I agree with (American) Kerch’s thinking that any leader should be remarkably bright- or better. That should be requisite and unworthy of note.
Perhaps Lou Dobbs made his remark with a subliminal sigh- in view of our current president, one cannot presume that heads of state ARE remarkably bright. In view of our current president, perhaps it is informative to point out that Argentina has a leader who is remarkably bright. Lucky Argentina.
The reporting of her beauty annoys me more. Just show a picture, we can see and evaluate, if so inclined, how lovely she is. Anybody who is less than magazine cover beautiful should know that real beauty and worth is on the inside (and if Kirchner is as bright as they say, she knows that too).
Maybe Lou mentioned it for those who listen on radios or older iPods without picture screens.
on 04 Nov 2007 at 2:40 am 3.betsy said …
All of it is such tripe, Here’s a list, off the top of my unremarkably bright andf attractive head:
1. John Edwards’ hair
2. Hillary Rodham’s laugh
3. Barack Obama’s “smooth” ways
4. Dennis Kucinish’s “trophy wife”
5. Mitt Romney’s handsome good looks
6. Joe Biden and Cris Dodd suddenly “looking presidential”
7. Kerch McConlogue’s “remarkable resemblance to the remarkably bright and attractive” Kirchner
8. the nation’s remarkably shallow and unprincipled government
9. the press’ remarkably — nay, appallingly — out of it reporting of the not news
on 04 Nov 2007 at 2:43 am 4.betsy said …
Oh, look at those typos. I want to fix them. I hate that. I know better, because I am a remarkably good speller. I won spelling bees in the sixth grade which included seventh and eighth graders. So, those are typos, not misspellings. I also know my grammar and syntax because I am remarkably well spoken.
I am also making myself nauseous.
on 05 Nov 2007 at 9:57 am 5.Barry Zweibel said …
Kerch, that is, Madame President ~ I will refer to you as such forevermore!
on 05 Nov 2007 at 10:44 am 6.Kerch said …
Hey Barry!
It’s good you should understand the ramifications of this particular post.
Thank you for noticing and starting this important ball rolling!
Queen, er, I mean President Kerch
on 07 Nov 2007 at 5:30 pm 7.Lannie said …
Ah well, they might describe you at first as brilliant & beautiful President Kerch, but then they’d begin critiquing everything you wear.