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struggle4progress

(118,295 posts) Sat Oct 19, 2019, 02:46 PM Oct 2019

The patriarchy in one iconic photo

Arwa Mahdawi

... On Wednesday the president tweeted an instantly iconic photo of Nancy Pelosi reprimanding him during a meeting on Syria. “Nervous Nancy’s unhinged meltdown!” he wrote.

There is generally little point trying to figure out what goes on in Trump’s head because very little goes on in his head. The man is pure id. However, one imagines that Trump thought the photo made him look calm and collected, and made Pelosi seem like a hysterical woman, who is too emotional to lead. In reality (a realm where Trump rarely ventures), of course, Pelosi looked like the most powerful person in the room. She’s standing tall amid a group of smirking white men and she’s literally standing up to Trump. The president, meanwhile, looks like a toddler who has been caught with his hand in the cookie jar ...

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/19/pelosi-trump-patriarchy-snapshot

10 replies

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The patriarchy in one iconic photo (Original Post) struggle4progress Oct 2019 OP

Agreed. Collimator Oct 2019 #1

The funny thing is that she's the only one with any balls. CaptYossarian Oct 2019 #2

Yes. Collimator Oct 2019 #5

She owns Trump's RVN VET71 Oct 2019 #6

That was exactly my thought when I saw the photo StarfishSaver Oct 2019 #3

Sigh. I wish it WAS just cookie jar hands. LakeArenal Oct 2019 #4

I didn't see any men smirking lunatica Oct 2019 #7

The body language of several of the Republicans in the picture other than tRump jimlup Oct 2019 #8

Shame, especially the general and those near him Hekate Oct 2019 #10

Excellent ismnotwasm Oct 2019 #9

Collimator

(1,639 posts)

1. Agreed.

Reply to struggle4progress (Original post)

Sat Oct 19, 2019, 03:16 PM

Oct 2019

The photo shows the reality of the patriarchy in that there is only one woman amongst those policy-makers. It also shows the delusion of patriarchy in that Trump believes himself to be the more powerful and superior person in the room.

CaptYossarian

(6,448 posts)

2. The funny thing is that she's the only one with any balls.

Reply to Collimator (Reply #1)

Sat Oct 19, 2019, 04:43 PM

Oct 2019

Collimator

(1,639 posts)

5. Yes.

Reply to CaptYossarian (Reply #2)

Sat Oct 19, 2019, 05:56 PM

Oct 2019

That woman has a serious set of ovaries.

RVN VET71

(2,692 posts)

6. She owns Trump's

Reply to CaptYossarian (Reply #2)

Sat Oct 19, 2019, 06:01 PM

Oct 2019

But it's no big thing!

StarfishSaver

(18,486 posts)

3. That was exactly my thought when I saw the photo

Reply to struggle4progress (Original post)

Sat Oct 19, 2019, 04:48 PM

Oct 2019

I can't count how many times I was warned about having been "too confrontational," "overly-aggressive," or "difficult to get along with" when simply holding my own with male colleagues.

LakeArenal

(28,820 posts)

4. Sigh. I wish it WAS just cookie jar hands.

Reply to struggle4progress (Original post)

Sat Oct 19, 2019, 05:02 PM

Oct 2019

And the rest look “guilty as charged Mdm. Speaker.”

lunatica

(53,410 posts)

7. I didn't see any men smirking

Reply to struggle4progress (Original post)

Sat Oct 19, 2019, 06:05 PM

Oct 2019

Though I agree with the gist of the article.

What I see when I look at that photo is some generals looking studiously down at paperwork, Pompeo pretending to be writing something very important that requires his full attention and the rest on Trump’s side of the table looking stunned, except for Trump who is caught with his fish lips open, perhaps in disbelief. Oh! And on Trump’s side of the table the bust of Benjamin Franklin looks like he’s looking right at her.

Nancy’s side of the table has men leaning forward in intense interest, listening carefully to her words wanting to catch the moment. I assume they’re all Democrats who are accustomed to paying attention when Nancy speaks.