March 8, 2013

"The reason why I am proud of my part in the punk movement is that I think it really did implant a message that was already there."

"The hippies told it to me, but punk made it something cool for people to stand up for, which is that we do not believe government, that we are against government."

Said Vivienne Westwood... who also says, about the First Lady, "It’s dreadful what she wears." Why does she say that? It's not terribly clear. Westwood seems very cranky (still channeling The Sex Pistols?). But it seems Ms. Obama is making the mistake of choosing clothes that make her "look more conservative." Clothes are supposed to make you "more glamorous." Back around 1970, you could put on "a pair of tight leopard-printed velvet trousers" and it would be amazing and rebellious, but that's not something that can happen anymore.

Westwood is only 71, by the way.

24 comments:

AllenS said...

How the Obama's dress. Notice Michelle's natural hair.

rhhardin said...

July 4th would be the day for a punk movement.

They're made of bamboo coated with dried manure.

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

I believe it was John Lydon, himself, who said the Sex Pistols were the Monkees of the 70's.

Shouting Thomas said...

She's "against government," but the dumb bitch has a Save the World scheme for making the lights burn in my house and my car go down the road?

Althouse seems to be celebrating International Women's Day with a parade of dumb, irritating and preposterous broads. Seems appropriate to me, and I'm a great fan of appropriate-ness.

Why does every jackass in the world know how to "solve" the world's energy problems and "fix" the climate? What in God's name does a dumb cow like this know about how to heat my house and power my car? She's a fucking seamstress, for Christ's sake!

ricpic said...

It's Freak Day at Althouse!

YoungHegelian said...

....that we are against government.

Sure, I believe that a judgmental old crone like this has anarchist live & let live tendencies. Who could doubt it, seeing what a font of sweetness & light she appears to be?

Is today's theme "the ladies, behaving in a beastly manner"?

Shouting Thomas said...

Every fucking folk singer in Woodstock knows how to make my car run and my lights burn!

Why in the hell do people talk so stupid about shit they know nothing about?

Seeing Red said...

She's part of the problem, not the solution.

So Jackie O was also boring?

Seeing Red said...

Wait a minute, the hippies told it to me and she's 71?


HUH? How old does she think she is, 50?

Shouting Thomas said...

I've never understood the female belief that a new clothing fashion makes everything "revolutionary." Clothing fashions are always recycled, anyway.

The greatest fear of young women always seems to be that they will be doomed to wearing the same style panties their mothers wore.

Tibore said...

While it's true that a lot of the rock culture at the time (not just punk!) had the attitude that you had the right and duty to question government, I fear that too much of that attitude morphed into "Be against anything 'establishment'" rather than "question wisely" (something I've never heard a relic from the 60s ever say; it's only ever been "Question authority". Which you'd hope people would realize goes beyond just being against everything, but it appears to have not sunk in for too many of them...).

As the old saying goes: It's not enough to be against something, you should be for something as well. Which to me sounds like a properly anti-nihilist philosophy to live by.

I fear too much of the essential wisdom of knowing citizens are in charge of government has been twisted into a nihilistic notion that everything must be opposed, period, without regard for what works, what is intelligent, and what is necessary. The 60s could've truly demonstrated how to be on the cutting edge of the citizenry being the true source of governmental legitimacy, but instead it devolved into self-important self-indulgence and the worship of ambiguity as wisdom. Talk about wasted opportunity.

Henry said...

Ms. Obama's inauguration day dress made her look like Darth Vader's body guard. Which, I guess, is conservative.

But you have to say, Darth Vader and all, that she seems to be a fairly adventuresome dresser for a first lady.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

This part made me LOL!! The interviewer obviously thought that Westwood would be fawning all over Michelle Obama just like the rest of the suck ups in the media.

Q. You must love our first lady, who is famous for recycling her clothes.

A.Don’t talk about her. It’s dreadful what she wears.

Q. What?


LOL.....shocked WHAT!?!?!

Shanna said...

"It’s dreadful what she wears." Why does she say that?

Oh my god, where do I begin? Maybe she saw some of the couch cushion fabrics she loves, for starters.

Amartel said...

Really? It's a mystery why the designer who says she doesn't believe government, she's against government doesn't worship government "style icon" Obama?

"Q. You must love our first lady, who is famous for recycling her clothes.

A. Don’t talk about her. It’s dreadful what she wears.

Q. What?"

Whwhwhwhwhwhaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!?!?!
Ehrmagherd, you spoke against The Other One!

It seems fashion can, still, provoke.

Julie C said...

Let's not forget -- this is the woman who dresses Helena Bonham Carter. Bat-shit crazy, anyone?

Anonymous said...

just a stoner making fun of the cool kids.

Anonymous said...

I'm disappointed in Michelle because she's turned into a hyperspeed yoga mom. There are already a ton of yoga moms. We don't need another.

I was counting on her previous personality to get on Barack's butt when he did something stupid like approve drone attacks. (I'll never forget her interview before he was a candidate when she blurted out, "But he hasn't done anything yet."

But nope, like a million other retired-to-the-suburbs ex-professional moms, she's thinking about what we eat and shit out and exercise, all day and every day. Kind of Betty Friedan's back to the womb nightmare - but no one will ever say that because she's Michelle, first black first lady.

Methadras said...

Ugh, The living cadavar insinuates herself again as being in the punk movement?

Unknown said...

Lots of opinionated old people in the blog today.

lowercase said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
kcom said...

Vivienne Westood. Not Vivian Westwood. Right, Anne?

Ann Althouse said...

Sorry about misspelling Vivienne. Corrected.

ampersand said...

pair of tight leopard-printed velvet trousers

But how does she hide the Depends lines?