Friday, December 28, 2007

People Magazine's Smelly Question

I was struck at how strange this is and I'm wondering if I'm alone.

People Magazine's Managing Editor Larry Hackett and Washington correspondent Sandra Sobieraj Westfall had an interview with President and Mrs. Bush. They published part of it in the magazine this week, a benign Q-and-A that included just 15 extremely noncontroversial questions -- some submitted by readers -- published in a warm-fuzzy four-page spread. The stuff in the magazine was all fluff, chatter about Jenna Bush's upcoming wedding and the state of the First Marriage. I didn't really expect much more because it's People Magazine and, also, it probably would be boring to read his rote answers to the Iraq War and all that.

But tell me this isn't unsettling:

PEOPLE: Mrs. Bush, Julie Cregger, from Keymar, Md., writes, "My boyfriend was a Marine at Camp David and always said how nice you smell."
Mrs Bush: Oh really? That was so sweet.

OK. Umm. (A) That's not sweet, it's a disgusting and weird. And (B) That's the best People could come up with, a reader whose boyfriend is a straight-in-the-military stalker?

And here's the best part. Was Mr. Bush creeped out? Did he order the Secret Service to find out who Julie Cregger's stud muffin is and why he's been smelling up the First Lady? No! Here's what he said after Mrs. Bush seemed flattered:

The President: Obviously he didn't work in the gym.

Holy mother of GOD! What is wrong with these people? And, with no due respect, what if he DOES work in the gym? Then Julie Cregger's boyfriend thinks Laura Bush's sweat is HOT. Mmmm.

I'd love to point you to this interview, but for some reason, it's not anywhere to be found on the People website. I did find last year's Presidential chat, which was a lot better. (Less freaky readers asked hard questions about why the president isn't pressing his own daughters to fight in his unwinnable war and wondering how an anti-gay president can be so respectful and loving towards Dick Cheney's then-preggers lesbo daughter while giving the rest of us same-sex-lovers the wrong sort of shaft.)

Beyond the fact that the Q-and-A isn't online, there's also no Web extras from this exclusive visit with the First Couple at Camp David. Did they really only give them 15 questions? There's a photo in the magazine of Hackett and Westfall with the Bushes hanging out on couches. Both have recorders on the coffee table. Why don't we get to hear a podcast of the conversation? And, by the way, Mr. Hackett, if you go to interview the President of the United States, you wear a frigging tie.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think you're alone here.
It would seem that Mrs. Bush uses good smelling perfume. An innocent enough observation by a person from a group (Armed services) that is supportive of the President. I think we allow our leaders far less privacy or normalcy than our forefathers did.
However, the obvious smark aleck question is "Mrs. Bush, do you wear so much perfume because you are a heavy smoker? Or possibly do you have a hygene issue?"

Julie said...

Hello. I am Julie Cregger.

You are a nasty, twisted pervert. If the first thing that comes to mind is that my boyfriend is creepy because he said Mrs. Bush's perfume smelled nice is because he's a stalker, you're a moron also. You obviously have no intellect about the United States Military system. They do not allow “straight-in-the military stalkers” to be at Camp David, next to the President, holding a gun.

Only 1% of marines make it up to Camp David, and it’s not because they are creepy stalkers that "smell up" the first lady! They are not even allowed to speak unless spoken to, much less go around smelling the President and his family! What an idiotic thing for you to say! The reason he knew what she smelled like is because he had the privilege of getting his picture taken with his fellow marines next to her and the President at Christmastime.
What he told me was not disgusting and weird. Would you rather he tells me details of his job that would put the Bush family in danger?! NO! So he tells me harmless pieces of information that he knows I would be interested in hearing and won’t jeopardize his position.

And actually, I did find it interesting that Mrs. Bush cares enough to put on perfume before she goes out into public. Apparently other people in our nation are interested to hear about the down to earth kind of things like perfume and hand lotion also. President Bush and his wife are normal human beings and I am sure they do get tired of talking about their jobs and the war constantly. Give them a break! If they want to talk about their family and the things they’re excited to do in 2008, then SHUT UP AND LET THEM!

For your information, People magazine did not fully quote my question. The rest of it was asking what kind of perfume she wears. Wow. It is odd for a girlfriend to want to know what smell her boyfriend prefers, isn’t it?

Maybe before you start calling other people "freaky", you should take down the 'Gay Vegas...the bluntest, most honest, take'no-prisoners Vegas guide' from your blog. Hmmm…who’s the freaky one?