Givhan on those ugly Americans

Robin Givhan, culture and fashion columnist for the Washington Post, writes on the contrast between the suited congressmen and the t-shirt and baggy-shorts clad voters attending the healthcare reform townhalls. She makes some valid points about the power gap that the clothing reflects and reinforces:

The agitated souls regularly bring up the fact that members of Congress have platinum-level health care plans. They demand to know whether congressmen will sign on to the much-maligned and still undefined public option that is part of the reform discussion. The underlying focus of this grudge match is, of course, about power -- as concentrated in Congress, the presidency, the special interests, the wealthy. The rage emerges from a feeling of helplessness that some version of reform is going to occur whether these citizens like it or not.

There's truth in that. But it may be that when the people convey their discontent by a) showing up in impressive numbers, and b) being loud and clear, they empower themselves; their elected rep's are highly sensitive to threats to their job security. Time will tell if the manifest will of the people counts for anything outside of the ballot box.

But along the way Givhan reveals so much contempt for the poorly dressed masses that one wonders whether her chief motive in writing this is to run them down. Selections:

What does one wear to a town hall meeting on health care when the sole reason for attending is to shout down one's congressman like a peevish teenager in the midst of a hormonal rage? [. . .]

By and large, the shouters are dressed in a way that underscores their Average Guy -- or Gal -- bona fides. They are wearing T-shirts, baseball caps, promotional polo shirts and sundresses with bra straps sliding down their arm. They wear fuchsia bandannas and American-flag hankies wrapped around their skulls like sweatbands.

Selected phrases:

• "when good citizens decide to behave like raving lunatics and turn lawmakers into punching bags"
• "snot-nosed mockery"
• "The louder and more obnoxious the scream"
• "these volatile worker bees"
• "health care mob"

Givhan speculates on how things might be different if the "ugly Americans" wore suits and ties. But Barbara Boxer and Robert Gibbs have already answered that question.

Comments welcome.
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