Thank you for putting such a fine point on the low simmering weirdness that I couldn’t quite name. The convention has been so hopeful and joyous that I couldn’t parse what was bugging me, but you nailed it.
I think it was why I felt a sense of relief by the turned up excess of the delegation’s musical roll call! Lil Jon changing the otherwise pretty nasty lyrics from “Get Low” (“to the window, to the wall” adapted to “V.P. Harris … Governor Walz”) for Georgia, and Puerto Rico choosing the super sexy 2017 banger “Despacito.” It was the reminder we needed that the DNC is also the sex positive big tent party who evolves traditions. Trump’s bad behavior doesn’t mean we have to create some weird moral foil.
YES. That’s so well put. And same. It’s so strange having to parse these feelings of discomfort/something being off opposite the other big feelings of hope and relief.
Also, now I totally want your musical analysis of the whole event. :)
Oh I loved the Lil Jon part! I read Michelle Obama’s books and I always enjoy hearing about her mom and how grounding it was for them to have her mom with them in the White House. At the same time I don’t like the glamorizing of the self sacrificing mother narrative. I want my actions on behalf of my family to be appreciated but not valorized and it’s a hard line for me to figure out.
One of my closest friends wanted us to read Becoming in book club about 3 years ago, and I had a hard time getting into it at first but my view of the Robinsons as parents was much more team oriented than showed up in this speech. Her dad’s health issues limited him in some capacity before his death but the encouragement given to both her and her brother by their parents was incredibly moving. And I loved Michelle Obama’s discussion of her mom’s relationships with other Black staff members and commitment to maintaining her autonomy even while forced into the role of being a more public figure. Her second book hasn’t stayed with me as much but the public speech versus the more in depth book is a very interesting juxtaposition.
Thank you for putting such a fine point on the low simmering weirdness that I couldn’t quite name. The convention has been so hopeful and joyous that I couldn’t parse what was bugging me, but you nailed it.
I think it was why I felt a sense of relief by the turned up excess of the delegation’s musical roll call! Lil Jon changing the otherwise pretty nasty lyrics from “Get Low” (“to the window, to the wall” adapted to “V.P. Harris … Governor Walz”) for Georgia, and Puerto Rico choosing the super sexy 2017 banger “Despacito.” It was the reminder we needed that the DNC is also the sex positive big tent party who evolves traditions. Trump’s bad behavior doesn’t mean we have to create some weird moral foil.
YES. That’s so well put. And same. It’s so strange having to parse these feelings of discomfort/something being off opposite the other big feelings of hope and relief.
Also, now I totally want your musical analysis of the whole event. :)
I’ve definitely got thoughts!
Oh I loved the Lil Jon part! I read Michelle Obama’s books and I always enjoy hearing about her mom and how grounding it was for them to have her mom with them in the White House. At the same time I don’t like the glamorizing of the self sacrificing mother narrative. I want my actions on behalf of my family to be appreciated but not valorized and it’s a hard line for me to figure out.
I’d be so curious to read about her mom in the book versus the way she showed up in the speech!
One of my closest friends wanted us to read Becoming in book club about 3 years ago, and I had a hard time getting into it at first but my view of the Robinsons as parents was much more team oriented than showed up in this speech. Her dad’s health issues limited him in some capacity before his death but the encouragement given to both her and her brother by their parents was incredibly moving. And I loved Michelle Obama’s discussion of her mom’s relationships with other Black staff members and commitment to maintaining her autonomy even while forced into the role of being a more public figure. Her second book hasn’t stayed with me as much but the public speech versus the more in depth book is a very interesting juxtaposition.
EVERY. WORD.
🫶🫶🫶