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First Ladyism

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Clarissa

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I find the whole ridiculous noise surrounding Ivanka Trump’s assumption of the First Lady duties to be shameful and pathetic. The whole institution of First Ladyism is idiotic and outdated. And to force a woman into doing this unpaid work just because she happens to be married to a certain man is deranged. Why not let a daughter, a sister, a cousin, etc do it instead if she wants to? Or a son, a brother, a grandpa, if it comes to it and if people can’t let go of this institution altogether. 

And yes, of course, I’m against intertwining family business and the presidency. That’s not what I’m talking about in this post. This post is about the unhinged whining about how “she shouldn’t be doing this work if she’s not a wife. What is she sleeping with him?” This is beyond pathetic. You are not entitled to the free work of anybody’s wife if she doesn’t feel like providing it. 

4 responses to “First Ladyism”

  1. cliff arroyo Avatar
    cliff arroyo

    The institution of First Lady in the US is what it is and I don’t think a majority wants to give it up. I do think they should be paid since they are expected to keep a public profile.

    There is precedence for the position being filled by non-wives so it’s sort of a non-issue except for the perpetually disgruntled who just want to gripe about something.

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    1. el Avatar
      el

      \ The institution of First Lady in the US is what it is and I don’t think a majority wants to give it up.

      If Hillary won, would Bill be the First Lady?

      What about a woman with a husband who is not a politician?

      I do not think the institution will survive in a world with female heads of state becoming usual.

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      1. cliff arroyo Avatar
        cliff arroyo

        “would Bill be the First Lady?”

        IINM the general consensus is that Bill Clinton would have been the First Gentleman. Would probably be expected to do charitable works (probably somewhat different than traditional First Lady fare). Some of the more gendered activity might have been moved on to the VP’s wife or Chelsea…

        “What about a woman with a husband who is not a politician?”

        I don’t think American voters would like the husband of a president keeping his day job. Spouse of the president is a public position in the US (as weird as that might seem). Like I said he would probably be expected to have a public profile and do Good Works (of a manly nature).

        “I do not think the institution will survive in a world with female heads of state becoming usual.”

        I can’t think of any country where it’s as much of a thing as it is in the US. It’s a strange cultural institution that most Americans probably want to continue (or don’t want to see discontinued at any rate).

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  2. Shakti Avatar
    Shakti

    I think it’s a combination of reverse IOKIYAR and the juxtaposition between the type of First Lady Ivanka is attempting to be and the shellacking other First Ladies have received. It is a naked attempt to use a normally traditional ceremonial role to deflect criticism and avoid accountability by blurring the lines between a ceremonial and senior advisor role. It has nothing to do with a desire to pick china patterns or host state dinners and everything to do with enriching herself and her spawn. She can and will pull an Edith Wilson in public, so the very idea we.should act as if she’s going to act like a “traditional” figurehead First Lady is ludicrous.

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A conservative literary critic and college professor

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