Saturday, June 11, 2011

Of Man and Media

Another day, another powerful man caught with his pants down.  Political sex scandals—such an irresistible cocktail with so many possible variations on Quiller-Couch's seven basic narrative conflicts.  


Man vs. Woman:




Man vs. Man:




Senator Larry "Wide Stance" Craig








Man vs. Machine:


Congressman Mark Foley






 And yet as mesmerizing as I find Congressman Weiner’s slo-mo tumble into political purgatory, I must confess I prefer the sly elegance of a much earlier scandale that was likewise generated in the media currency of its
time—the famous Woodrow Wilson Misprint.


In 1915, President Woodrow Wilson was a widower who took a shine to Edith Galt, and started sparkin' with her within a year of his wife's death--in these post-Victorian times with much more restrictive mourning customs, this might be considered inappropriate and so his advisors tried to keep the relationship under wraps.  All was for naught when word got out that they were seen together and, as the Washington Post framed the story, 


The President spent the evening entering Mrs. Galt.


For want of four little letters...T-A-I-N...a Presidency was nearly lost!  But the Post, in marked contrast to Congressman Weiner, understand how replicable media could be and immediately recalled the edition.  Undoubtedly Weiner wishes he could do the same...


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