When an annoying catchphrase gets its own kitteh meme, it’s time for me to rip on it.
And so I find myself today in the unenviable conundrum of having to disabuse people of the notion of using the horrid, pseudo-philosophical “It is what it is,” a bit of non-conversational drivel that has become the “go to” answer of competitors, executives, lowly office workers and wannabe urban Lamas who can’t think of anything better to say, but hope to sound like they’ve undergone some type of enlightened group training… perhaps for clowns.
It seems that folks are saying “It is what it is” as a kind of lackadaisical shrug; an acknowledgment that they can’t or won’t do anything because there’s nothing to be done. One just has to take it, or follow orders, or give up. It’s the reverse of the 1970s mantra “Question Authority,” from an era when asking questions and striving for change was considered part of one’s responsibility to society and country. John Kennedy’s call to “Ask not…” has become simply, “Don’t ask.”
One isn’t being Zen-like by saying “It is what it is,” one is being lemming-like, marching into the murky acceptance of things the way they are, abandoning any hope of real change, improvement or, heaven forbid, problem solving. This mindset is perhaps being fueled by the economy, and nobody wanting to speak up for fear they’ll be canned. It’s downright un-American. Would Jimmy Stewart have said “It Is What It Is” to the people of Bedford Falls? No, he told old Potter to stick it.
This isn’t to say that there aren’t things that one must accept in life, and there is a time to know what’s important to fight for and what isn’t. But when everything becomes a shrug and a wink, then the next thing you know, they’re at your door asking if you’d like to take a train ride someplace nice… like Buchenwald.
Yeah, I always come back to the Holocaust. I am what I am.
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, refuses to give up on this hideous Dr. Seuss skirt and unflattering jacket. Here, she’s seen at Wimbeldon, greeting ball girls and boys. She wore the dress last June 22 as well.
Let’s have a look, once again, at the dress I love to hate.
She wore it to the Flower show last July 28 (above), and just five days prior to that at the West Wiltshire show (below).
and last June 22…
and in April before that…
It’s time for the future Queen Consort to give this dress to charity… and the jacket, and the shoes. My nerves.
Prince Chuck told a bedtime story about corporate social responsibility the other day at the BITC (no H) annual meeting in London. In a speech punctuated by a thousand “ehhhhs,” Chuck personally delivered the audience to the arms of Morpheus for a fine morning nap.
I was able to watch this video for about three minutes, until I began to have pity for Camilla, so I knew I had to stop. How long can you watch it? Ehhhh, tell me your shutoff time in the comments.
And bookmark this post for those sleepless nights when you find yourself forced to watch Jimmy Kimmel.
Nicole Woody, wife of NY Jets linebacker Damien Woody, tackled this outfit at her “Tear Up the Pierre” event at The Pierre Hotel last night in New York to raise funds to fight poverty in the Tri-State area.
Looking exquisite in a bustier to highlight her breast tat, an ostrich-feather skirt that denuded an entire flock, and whalenet stockings with constricting gladiator patent leather pumps — creating a look that can only be described as fabulously charitable. Makeup by my Aunt Sylvia as worn to my cousin Sheldon’s 1970 Bar Mitzvah in Great Neck, which complements Nicole’s great neck.
It’s nice to see football wives giving back… and lots of it.
That hotness is Lynda Erkiletian at the premiere party for “The Real Housewives of D.C.” held at The Madison Hotel in Washington, DC.
I like how her makeup makes her facial fillers look so natural, and that dress does wonders for her shriveled arms… and is really flattering to her hips and bustline, making it unclear where anything begins and ends.
