9 June 2020
A friend of mine is running for public office. They asked for my opinion on some campaign photos they took. Not thinking to much about it, I gladly obliged. At first, they only sent me a couple of pics. In the first one, they were wearing a blue shirt and the second, a hot pink jacket. The more I looked, the more I wondered what was being conveyed by these choices. Pink gave me an abrupt response and blue seemed willing to listen. Did the wooden fence in the background convey they supported logging? Maybe the one that was framed with the wooden fence and the the triangle of live trees meant they supported sustainable logging? Subtleties and subliminal messages started popping out all over to me. I was sure that things like this were taken into account for campaign runs. Didn’t they make Hillary change her hair a million times?
I ended up choosing one with the blue shirt, because the 45 degree angle of their shoulders and face swept me in and warmed me up. Their smile was welcoming and trustworthy, without being smarmy. Of course I knew what I was talking about. I’d never done this before.
I started thinking about it more when I woke up at 5am and couldn’t go back to sleep. I decided to google “best political campaign photos” and got a little surprise. The 45 degree angle, cross your arms and look determined pose is one of today’s standards. There were a lot of them. Its a strong, convincing pose. It looks so familiar. Haven’t I seen this somewhere else too?
AHA moments are usually paired with coffee or wine in my house. This one was as a result of coffee. After two cups, I realized my friend looked like a a real estate broker! I swear I’ve seen that pose before on FOR SALE signs decorating the lawns of hometown, USA.
Growing up in Arkansas, I used to see smiling, smartly dressed people adorning the metal, yard signs offering appointments for viewings. They looked so friendly and it looked like they knew what they were doing. I mean, they had their shit together enough to get their photo on a sign in someones yard, right? OMIGOD- POLITICIANS PUT SIGNS IN PEOPLES YARDS TOO! I could start a conspiracy theory about this? – Somebody probably already has.
Both of these types of people are trying to sell us shelter, though, they are two different kinds. They’re both promising to provide us with a sturdy houses. One will protect us from the elements of nature and the other one from the elements of human civilization.
My friend said they didn’t even realize what they were doing when they posed, they just did it, it came naturally. Maybe it had been subliminally etched into their mind from years of being conditioned by political campaigns?
I looked up what the body language of crossed arms means, most sites said it was defensive or aggressive. That wasn’t my initial impression. Maybe that’s because most of the people I’ve seen posing like this are smiling.
I can’t decide if the pose is conveying a barrier of protection or a sign of strength?
Maybe I didn’t recognize these professional executive poses, because I’ve never been a professional executive? I have interviewed for some entry level positions, but surprising to no one, they never worked out.
Anyhoo, in the end, my friend chose the one where they wearing the pink jacket for their social media announcement. Sheesh. Not my advice at all. I guess their not going to ask me to head the ad department for their campaign after all? At least it gave me something to overthink and obsess about for a few days. I’ll probably vote for them anyway.
Well, I would. If I lived there.
UPDATE: 30 June 2020
FULL DISCLOSURE:
This article is about Jean Walsh. Though I don’t normally campaign for anyone, Jean is a good friend of mine and a thoughtful person. She is on the side of regular Joe’s and Joanne’s and all of us inbetween. This first election is about is about getting her foot in the door of politics and working her way up. She’s starting her journey at AC Transit Board of Oakland, CA and her hopefully her next stop will be a higher office, where she will save us from the doom and gloom of politics that are so prevalent these days.
So if you can spare $1, 2, 3, 4, 5 bucks or more for her campaign- she needs it. The powers that be need to see a large amount of people donating to her campaign so they know people want her there.
Do it for yourself, the greater good and also for Jean- I mean- who the hell wants to go into politics that’s cool? We need her.
PS- It doesn’t matter if you don’t live in Oakland- its just about your name and a small donation (write in whatever amount you can on the link) so she can turn it in AND WIN!
The photo that inspired this article.
Todd is a middle-aged homosexual who writes and sells stuff.