I’m up against my usual end-of-month deadline wall. But in the light of this week’s flash mob trashing of the First Lady for not wearing a scarf in Saudi Arabia, here’s a trip down memory lane — what happened in 2007 when Nancy Pelosi DID wear a scarf to visit a mosque in a Muslim country.
The Mahablog
Politics. Society. Group Therapy.
I suppose there are lots of reasons to wear a scarf or hijab or whatever. I do remember the time when a woman had to wear a scarf or mantle to go into a Catholic church. I think the reason for women to cover their head in that tradition was so men wouldn’t lust after them with all that beautiful hair exposed. Although in the 50s most women had short hair. My mother would always wear a scarf when she went outside if it was a little windy. She said if the wind blew on the back of her neck, she would get a headache.
At least FLOTUS had those gorgeous upper arms covered.
IOKIYAR.
YDIYDADIYDIYAD:
You’reDamnedIfYouDoAndDamnedIfYouDon’tIfYou’reADemocrat!
Oh, and “nuts” is the Default Setting for Reich-Wingers.
It’s no surprise that rightwingers have such short, selective memories; they need them to maintain their beliefs. But there’s no excuse for most of the media to also lack memory, or ability to do an online search.
JDM,
Most people in the media work for large corporations, which prefer conservatives/Republicans and their policies – especially, the tax breaks.
It’s tough to get a guy or gal to criticize the party and policies that their ultimate bosses believe and follow.
Their paychecks depend on them glossing obvious idiocy and bigotry.
They only pounce once someone from the right starts to criticize.
As an example, I’ll use Sarah “The Whore of Babblin’-on” Palin:
For years and years, a lot of media folks tried to give her some credit – she’s folksy, homey, rural, etc…
Now, because she proudly exposed her ignorant ass in Iowa, even conservatives are having the scales fall from their eyes.
And now, outside of FOX “news,” I expect she won’t get accorded the same respect that she got from others in the media for over 6 years.
But ya nevah know…
I think the reason for women to cover their head in that tradition was so men wouldn’t lust after them with all that beautiful hair exposed.
There’s a verse in the bible – one of Paul’s letters – where he admonishes women to cover their heads. Earlier passages (in the old testament) talk about women covering their heads, but there’s no commandment to do so. And so it seems to be a cultural practice that started who knows how.
For the wingnut, it’ s only about winning and keeping the hate going. If being for X last week helped them demonize their opponent, then they’re for X. If being against X this week helps them this week, then they’re against X. And you’re right JDM, they have no memory of this. It’s only about winning and keeping the hate + self-righteousness going, being consistent gets in the way of this.
I try not to be critical of other people’s religious practices, but the oddest one to me is the practice by a lot of Jewish women to wear human hair wigs as their head covering. Seems kind of pointless.
I’m not the first to say it, but it’s about good manners.
Lynne,
I’m not going to argue, but men used to wear hats all of the time – but they were expected to take them off indoors, or it was considered unmannerly.
I wonder if Calista Gingrich’s clear lacquer hair treatment would qualify as a head covering? I mean if her hair remains motionless in 25 MPH winds I’d assume it’s rigid enough to be classified as a head covering.
Swami,
I have a theory that she wares a test military helmet designed to look like a woman’s hair.
If we’re going to have women in the military – and I’m for that, if that’s what a woman wants – it’s best to confuse our enemies and let them think they’re being attacked by older bottle-blond women.
Swami and Gulag: We rude women call that “helmet hair”.
Oh, THAT’S where I got that from!
grannyeagle.. Yeah, Joni Ernst sports a helmet head also. Her hairdo is reminiscent of watching an early episode of American Bandstand with the Marvelettes singing Mr. Postman
I think the Christians call that hairdo the helmet of salvation.
c u n d gulag, I know there are reasons. Many many powerful reasons. But there are no excuses.
Well, Maha, It could be a form of rebellion being expressed by way of a technicality. And it probably drives the Rabbi crazy.
Swami — from what I can tell the wig thing is considered perfectly acceptable. There was a flap a few years ago, however, when a rabbi found out a lot of the human hair in the wigs was from India. Those same hairs may have been in Hindu temples! He demanded that the India-hair wigs be burned. This pissed off a lot of non-Jewish people who thought the wigs (which were no doubt expensive, top of the line wigs) should have been donated to cancer patients. The ladies of the synagogue probably weren’t thrilled, either. I don’t know how you’d guarantee some stranger’s hair hasn’t been in some un-kosher place.
I think that there are quite a few established ways of getting around the rules. Because Jews were not supposed to leave the house, work or prepare meals on the sabbath, many people used devices with timers, and and constructions of string to redefine the area of the house. Michael Chabon riffs on this in “The Yiddish Policemen’s Union,” which I would highly recommend.
It really has gotten to the point where about 90% of “political discourse” is just childish carping. I find that the right is much worse, but that could be a result of bias.
One of my right wing friends posted a pre-SOTU example from a right wing sight. It claimed that the unemployment rate had only fallen from 8.3 to 8.1 percent because people had stopped looking for jobs, and that Obama’s claims of an improved economy would just be SOTU hype.
Given that my right wing friend considers himself to something of a “dangerous intellect,” I have to fit this behavior in some context regarding the structure and weakness of the human mind. How is a person, so far out of touch with reality able to function? Of course, he asks himself similar questions about me.
Fortunately, he lives in a rural area, far from the numerous city buses that would surely run him over if he lived in a more populous area. Hey, I think I know why Republicans hate mass transit!
Right, Barbara. At the east end of Arthur Godfrey Blvd. In Miami beach, there is a boardwalk where the local Orthodox Jews gather in the evenings to socialize. The young women wear long dresses that corner their arms and wear a scarf. They are usually pushing a stroller with 2 or more babies. The grandmas are wearing whigs, all of the men are dressed in black suits and hats. Kind of a strange cult.
Growing up in the Catholic religion, I remember girls and women were required to wear a head covering in church.
My wife was chased out of a Hindu temple in Bali by a very pissed off old woman because her dress did not cover her arms and she didn’t have the required waist sash.
I think a person could show up in a catholic church in yoga pants and flip flops and the priest would be happy you showed up.
Spell check on this tablet is killing me.
maha,
Or washed with un-Kosher shampoo!
Or, cut and styled by some who’s not Jewish.
Do Rabbi’s give haircuts and style hair?
But wouldn’t that be the only way to make sure you have a Kosher haircut?
I don’t think they do.
So – imo – it was another male religious figure setting stupid ruled for the lil’ ladies.
What about the tradition which started in Europe of men wearing those white curled wigs? Maybe the whole thing is that hair is so hard to take care of, and to get it to do what we want it to do. It’s just easier to pop on a wig. Or a hat, scarf, some kind of head covering. Although I still think making women cover their bodies is to protect men from their lustful feelings which we all know they can’t control. Present company excepted. Nudity does not seem to have that effect in primitive societies or in nudist colonies. Strange critters, humans!