A friend of mine told a story that in her last job the manager organized a social catch-up on Zoom, whilst her and her colleagues were all in lockdown. Her field of work never required Zoom meetings so you would think that it was a good-willed gesture. It wasn’t. The meeting was designed to impress the people in head office, whom the manager was friends with on Facebook. Her prediction was correct, the meeting would last no more than 25-odd minutes, where the manager would take a few sips of beer, along with a screenshot of all of them, post it on Facebook, and then leave the chat, all with the aim of trying to impress upper management. Guess what? It happened verbatim.
Many would be familiar with these daft tricks and the annoyance that comes with it in the corporate world. It does however, become far more interesting when analysing the political powerbrokers’ that use the photo op on a daily basis. Here’s a venture into that world, and yep, it covers the good and the daft of both the left and the right.
Dan Crenshaw on Saturday Night Live – Good, Actually Great
Crenshaw, a congressman and a former Navy seal, was injured in combat on his third tour to Afghanistan. On an episode of Saturday Night Live, comedian Pete Davidson heckled Crenshaw about his disability when he said that Crenshaw looked like, ‘A hitman in a porno film’. Davidson would further add, ‘He lost his eye in the war, whatever’. The skit enraged not just those associated with military but much of society.
Any joke or skit has the potential to trigger and there is a fine line. But comedy has always been woven into the fabric of society. It is important. And, in a society that is becoming more and more constrictive, there still needs to be a place for satire. But like anything, you need boundaries. Whilst SNL and Davidson went over the top, they did apologise for it, something that SNL rarely does.
The biggest takeaway was the substance and character that Crenshaw displayed throughout the ordeal. Anything that ridicules the military is often fought with anger, but Crenshaw’s calmness showed the earmark of a strong leader. He could have played the victim, but he didn’t. He could have thrown personal vitriol at Davidson, he didn’t. Instead, he rose above by appearing on SNL to appear on a skit with Davidson, all of which, further enhanced his strong character.
Scott Morrison’s Bush Fire Photo Op – Bad
Everyone idolises someone. Politicians are no exception. There is a sense that Scott Morrison wants to be like the late, Bob Hawke. Who wouldn’t? Hawke was a legendary figure with an incredible gift of being universally admired by people from all walks of life. An appeal that Morrison doesn’t have. This was evident during the Australian bushfires where Morrison tried forcing people to shake his hand. The same people whose community was being burnt to the ground and had far more pressing issues than being part of a political photo op.
And, whilst on the subject of Bob Hawke, here is glimpse into his amiable appeal when he sculled a beer at the cricket. If you listen closely you will notice that not a single boo was heard, a rarity amongst current and former politicians’ that attend any sporting or social fixtures.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Instagram Posts – Simple But Good
Most people wouldn’t have a clue what politicians do all day. But credit to AOC, she is unperturbed about documenting her dealings for the week on Instagram. In fact, all politicians should do more of this. And, whilst she gets under the skin of a lot of people, these Instagram stories are a simple and effective photo op.
Photo by Matthew Henry from Burst
Nancy Pelosi at the State of the Union – Bad
The diehards on the left adored this move, whilst the diehards on the right wanted blood. For the less vocal, this was nothing more than an attention grab that illustrated the level of where politics is at today. It wasn’t iconic and it wasn’t bad, it was just staged, nothing more, nothing less.
Norway’s Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg Goes Undercover As A Taxi Driver – Good
Even though almost half the people were paid to take part, the concept was still enterprising. Stoltenberg wanted to gauge the opinions of the voters and he deemed that taxis were a great vessel for that dialogue. One could have only dreamt that something similar would have been adopted during the US election. Imagine watching Trump driving a taxi through Los Angeles or Biden somewhere in the south.
Elizabeth Warren Drinking A Beer On Instagram Live – Bad
There is no issue with any politician cracking open a beer or sipping on a glass of wine. They’re human and there are occasions when you need to have a drink. Heck, we dedicated a paragraph to the late Bob Hawke’s drinking skills. But in Elizabeth Warren’s case, it felt staged and somewhat unnatural. It feels like Warren would never drink a beer but is doing it to make herself more digestible with a certain demographic. And what was with the husband saying no to a drink? Have a drink with your wife for crying out loud.
Jacinda Ardern During an Earthquake – Good
There is a stratum of society that might not like her because she is young. Maybe they don’t like her because she is a woman. But you can’t question Arden’s composure when placed in the spotlight. Most world leaders would have been swarmed upon and hastily ushered out by wall of bodyguards, with the interview coming to a holt. Not Ardern, she calmly examined her surroundings, smiled, and then laughed at the potential threat.
President Bush’s Secret Mission to Baghdad in 2003 – Good
The war was bad. However, Bush’s decision to visit the troops in Baghdad was admirable in that if you going to send men and women into battle, then it’s only fitting that you take a risk and make a rallying visit into the warzone.
The good was the incredible logistics involved in the operation as detailed by the Washington Post. Only the closest of the President’s aids knew about the trip, with most of his detail thinking he was still in Texas for Thanksgiving. Bush would travel to a Texas airstrip in an unmarked car, disguised in a baseball cap and with only the bare accompaniment of Secret Service agents. A small contingent of bewildered reporters were given only a few hours’ notice to travel with Bush on Air Force One, but were strictly forbidden to tell both their families or employers about where they were going.
Coincidently, some of the reporters thought it was a practical joke as everything felt amiss, with Bush only appearing before them after take-off. Then there was the British Airways pilot, who in his confusion radioed, ‘Did I just see Air Force One?’.
The Mark Latham and John Howard Handshake – Bad
The handshake is such a simple concept; you’re not being asked to split the atom. All one has to do is reach out with one hand, firmly shake the other’s hand for one or two seconds, all whilst looking the person in the eye and offering an honest, ‘How are you?’, then release. And, if a person doesn’t want to shake your hand, so be it.
Yet so many politicians don’t have a clue how to do it. Maybe it has something to do with the constant power tripping that occurs within the political walls that forces this kind of front. But coming into a post COVID era, we may have seen the end of the handshake. But whatever is adopted in its place, they’ll find new ways to bastardize it.
JFK Library on Instagram and The Ronald Reagan Library on YouTube – Good
No dramatics and in eras that placed far less emphasis on staging the shot. Both are considered political royalty and these libraries showcase these leaders in their domains.
[[File:John F. Kennedy, Gherman Titov,.jpg|John F. Kennedy, Gherman Titov,]]
Bill Shorten Jogging on The Eve of The Federal Election – Bad
If a running style was to be a metaphor for the state of Australian politics over the past decade, then this would be it. Worse still, Shorten and the Labor Party were odds on to win the election. In fact, many called it the unlosable election.
Two friends of mine, who were staunch Labor supporters, were aghast when they watched the footage. They argued that many considered him an already uninspiring figure, and that this clip would only accentuate this belief. They even jokingly made a case that the neutral voters would be turned off by a man that jogs in such unorthodox way. They were right, Shorten lost.
Trump’s Press Conference at Four Seasons Total Landscaping – Bad
If Bill Shorten’s running style was a metaphor for the current state of Australian politics, then booking a press conference at Four Seasons Total Landscaping sums up the current state of U.S politics. In fact, you could make the argument that this mishap was really was not that much of a surprise.
