The Real McCain?

 

Whoever thought Jill Greenberg’s photos of John McCain in October’s Atlantic Monthly were unflattering clearly hasn’t picked up the last—and I do mean last—issue of Radar. Radar, the entertainment slash fashion slash politics magazine, recently announced that it will soon close all print and online divisions, but not before taking jabs at the Republican presidential candidate.

Hidden toward the end of the issue, Washington editor Ana Marie Cox’s article is a two-page interview about McCain’s taste in entertainment—from his admiration for the show Dexter to his opinions of Saturday Night Live and The Daily Show. Sure, anyone can get that from reading the interview. But from the photo of McCain on the feature spread? Not so much.

Beside a large red circle with the headline “The Real McCain” is a close-up, perhaps too close for comfort, image of McCain’s face, untouched and, well, a little disturbing. Not only does the circle on the opposing page make McCain’s head look like a large bowling ball, but the blatant details of his face make him look, honestly, like a “72-year-old GOP nominee,” as the article calls him. 

Every aspect of McCain’s elderly appearance is dramatically emphasized in this photo: his wrinkles, crow’s feet, white hair, scars, balding scalp, and age spots. And his red blemishes are very noticeable in this shot, as well as his chapped lips and mustache stubble. 

It’s evident retouching wasn’t a top priority for this shoot. Rather, it appears the goal of this photo was to bring out the worst of McCain’s physical features. And compared to the highly stylized and sultry photos of Shannen Doherty’s cover story or the cleverly crafted photo shoots of Bill Maher portraying a devil, McCain’s photo is bland and unappealing. Yet it still manages to stand out.

Lacking any real connection to the content of the interview that follows it, the photo was clearly a reflection of the magazine’s opinion of McCain, just as Greenberg’s own political beliefs influenced her portrayal of him in Atlantic Monthly.

Though I don’t agree with using this photo with the content of the article, I have to give props to Radar for doing this just in time, both before the election and the magazine’s demise. Looks like Radar can proudly cross “publish a horrible photo of John McCain” off its bucket list.           

 

                                                   -Krista Scarlett

Sassy Politics at Marie Claire

Leave it to Marie Claire to do a clever election bit that puts a hilarious twist on the political partay. MC’s sassy guide to everything you need to know about the 2008 election is part funny, part naughty, and part practical. With recent conversations tilting towards two particularly hot men, writers Yael Kohen and Lauren Ianotti came up with a self-confessed, “shamelessly oversimplified” McCain vs. Obama guide that is as comical as it is honest.

It’s a little strange that the election package didn’t make the coverlines so close to November. Did MC think it didn’t go with the Lindsay Lohan cover?  Anyway. The section opens with two ridiculously thin models in color-coded couture: red and blue cocktail dresses. Go figure!

After laying down the vital issues and the candidates’ opposing stands, the authors added quirky one-liners for some casual cocktail party chatter. The divide on healthcare has McCain saying people should buy individual plans while Obama requiring employers to provide them. The line: “Sure, the U.S. ranks 37^th in the world for its health-care system—just behind Costa Rica. But we’re still number one for boob jobs. USA! USA!”

Even more amusing was the recession issue. While McCain proposes a $3 – $10 billion bail out for homeowners and “loves NAFTA the way it is,” Obama wants a $50 billion stimulus package for creating jobs and “flip-flops on NAFTA like your best Havaianas.”The sound bite? A reference to a French philosopher adds substance to sass: “Dude, de Tocqueville nailed it when he said that even if our balance of property ensures balance of power, it doesn’t mean the best men rule—just look at those grain-gouging hedge-funders and their influence on world politics.”

More than the funny, this election section is loaded with information. MC does a sidebar on the top five politics blogs (“for blowing off work”), play-by-play options on TV catered to your liking (“if you like a little Botox with your moral outrage, watch Keith Olbermann’s Countdown), and throws a cocktail recipe “for each side of the divide” for good measure. Really, what more can you ask for? 

In true Marie Claire fashion, MC’s politics section also dishes out practical advice on how to avoid debate death traps. MC turned to Sally Quinn, legendary D.C. hostess and wife of former Washington Post editor Bed Bradlee, to remedy potentially dangerous scenarios, such as when someone says he or she can never vote for a black man. “Don’t play,” Quinn said. “You can’t have an intelligent, rational conversation with anybody who would think that. Just say, ‘Excuse me, I have to visit the ladies room.’” Well played!

Them feminists might scoff at MC for this, but hey, those with a sense of humor get that it’s not about watering down election issues. Smart women are sexy, but funny women are sexier. Cheers to that!

– Kris Alcantara

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