“It’s time we talk about pants. Hillary’s, specifically. I’m thinking of the red pair she rocked a few nights ago at the first 2016 presidential debate…. I want a patron of loud talk, of speaking her mind, of taking up space. Give me a woman who climbs flagpoles, an icon with full thighs and an easy and resonant laugh. Where’s the patron of good sex, of not apologizing, of erasing from her face — at least part of the time — the sweet pink smile? How about a patron of taking charge, of wild success, of not backing down? Give me a high-flying woman who has no clue what to do with leftover chicken cacciatore. I don’t hope to become a composite of such characteristics, but neither do I any longer want to fear them.”
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton reacts as she arrives at a Pennsylvania Democratic Party voter registration event at West Philadelphia High School in Philadelphia, Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2016. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
We at BROAD STREET celebrate Sonja Livingston and Salon.com, where Livingston published this paean to the image of strength and poise that HRC is projecting by choosing pantsuits–not always the most flattering ensembles–as she builds her public image during the wildest presidential election in U.S. history. We make no specific political endorsements, of course, beyond those of the pantsuits themselves … but we are looking at them in a new and appreciative light.
Read the full text “Our Lady of the Pantsuit” here, on Salon.com.
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And for a dose of pop culture, here are some of Sonja’s observations about the candidate as an action figure and a gimmicky nutcracker, available in airports, gag shops, and internet impulse emporia: “The 2016 version of the Hillary nutcracker depicts her a little fuller in the face, a bit wider in the thighs, wearing black pants and a pink blazer. Her smile is more pointed than pleasing. Her posture is commanding. Her arms have migrated from crossed over her chest to hands planted firmly on hips, giving the overall impression of someone prepared to kick ass.”
Read the full text “Our Lady of the Pantsuit” here, on Salon.com.
Sonja Livingston is the author of two essay collections, Ladies Night at the Dreamland and Queen of the Fall, as well as a memoir, Ghostbread, that examine the lives of girls and women. Her essays have been widely published and anthologized.
Campaign photo credit: AP/Carolyn Kaster
