May 4, 2008

Hillary is smiling and Chelsea is such a good person.

The Daily News makes an article out of the fact that Hillary Clinton in smiling. At least it's a short article.

The Washington Post makes an immense article out of the way we don't know too much about Chelsea Clinton. When she's out campaigning doesn't reflect the "ironic, sarcastic and self-deprecating" attitude of "the pop culture and politics that played out while [people in her generation] grew up in the 1980s, 1990s and onward."
The quest for authenticity frames several of the anxieties surrounding today's young people, and even though she could be more open, Chelsea may embody our generation's professional ideals: she is a well-paid do-gooder. Many in our generation were bred on the optimism of the 1990s economic boom; we cultivated a certain sense of entitlement after seeing so many college graduates strike it rich with quirky, massively influential ideas in Silicon Valley. But the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks made many of us pivot to think about the world and public service, and the Iraq war only hardened many young people's cynicism about newsmakers and reporters.

Maybe Chelsea reached this workplace ideal of neatly combining altruism with affluence at her first job at McKinsey, an elite consulting firm, where she specialized in health care, or possibly now, at her hedge fund.
What? How is Chelsea a do-gooder? What is all this blather about?

19 comments:

rhhardin said...

That's the Cheshire cat, that has the smile.

Chelsea cat is milk, honey and oranges in every bowl in the morning.

Balfegor said...

Maybe Chelsea reached this workplace ideal of neatly combining altruism with affluence at her first job at McKinsey, an elite consulting firm, where she specialized in health care, or possibly now, at her hedge fund.

Altruism? At McKinsey? And a hedge fund?? What planet do they live on? You don't go into jobs like that out of altruism. You go into jobs like that either because you like the challenge, or you like the gobs of money they pour into your bank account. Not because you're a good person.

Balfegor said...

"This younger generation [is reacting] against spin in every aspect of life" said Peter Levine, 41, the director of CIRCLE, a nonprofit group at the University of Maryland that researches young people's civic and political engagement. "They have irony about the powerful, but not idealism. There's no urge to tune out. Rather, you get earnest efforts to do something authentic ."

This is also pretty ironic given that the youth candidate is Barack Obama. It would be nice if I could believe all those creepy propaganda videos of zombies chanting Obama! Obama! were meant ironically, but I suspect they're entirely sincere. Maybe that's "authentic," and maybe it's idealistic, but there's no hint in that stuff of irony against the powerful, or any rejection of spin.

Anonymous said...

WaPo. Clinton.

George M. Spencer said...

Was her boyfriend's father, Mezvinsky, the former Iowa Congressman and clumsy attempter of bank fraud, wire fraud, and mail fraud, released from prison in April?

Enquiring minds want to know.

Bissage said...

The article nowhere mentions that Chelsea was groomed for her present role.

That a good thing, too.

Smacks of lineal privilege.

And race horses are well-groomed.

The Clintons would never pimp their daughter.

That would be tragic.

Stephen C. Carlson said...

Mezvinsky should have been released the weekend of April 12-13, 2008, according to news reports.

Laura Reynolds said...

Well that's just stupid, really.

bearbee said...

What a collection of cynics.

Before leaving Washington, D.C. in Summer 2006, she taught at Elsie Whitlow Stokes Community Freedom Public Charter School for a year and a half.[10] She took a leave of absence from the Charter School teaching position to work at a shelter several days a week as part of an internship for UNICEF's Educational Policy Department in Latin America, specifically in Panama.[11][12] After her internship for UNICEF, she returned to her teaching position at the charter school in Washington, D.C., where she is again currently teaching.[13]

In 2007, she began marketing a book proposal with the assistance of Robert B. Barnett, a Washington attorney.[14] The title of the book is Ana's Story: A Journey of Hope and it chronicles her experiences working with UNICEF sponsored charities in Latin America, including visits to drought stricken Paraguay in 2006, while working as an intern for United Nations Children's Fund.[15][16][17][18] HarperCollins announced in March 2007 it would publish the book and it was released September 28, 2007, with an initial printing of 500,000 copies.[19] Her share of the profits will go to UNICEF; the remainder will go to the woman whose life is the basis of the book, assisting in the young woman's continuing education


Wiki

Whoops...sorry...wrong presidential daughter.

Unknown said...

Well said, bearbee!

This article is just nonsense. He wants basically more sarcasm and more gossip about Chelsea's private life!? And she's altruistic working at a hedge fund for six figures?!

But seeing as this writer is the WaPo's idea of a hipster, I guess the article makes convoluted, predictable sense.

rhhardin said...

I don't know that do-gooders have a good name in any case.

They're up there with handwringers and busybodies.

They run for city council all the time. Never incorporate your town if it comes up.

former law student said...

The only way I can construe it is that Chelsea does good by helping her mom become President.

Unknown said...

I think the appearance of this article signifies the approaching death of "pop culture."

For another view of do-goodism, read and laugh.

vbspurs said...

You gotta laugh, really.

Jenna Bush wrote a book on a woman who had AIDS, who she befriended during her UNICEF internship in South America...

Her sister, Barbara Bush, worked with AIDs patients in Tanzania...

But it's Chelsea who is the do-gooder because she deals in hedge-funds.

I don't begrudge Chelsea her outstanding achievements to humanity, and I genuinely think those photos of her falling dead drunk in the gutters outside London nightclubs were a bit much, but geez.

They make her sound like she's out curing leprosy.

Cheers,
Victoria

Palladian said...

Just when I thought the "Baby Boomers" were the most ridiculous, self-absorbed, destructive, dangerous generation ever to pollute the fertile soils of America, along comes douche bag Ian Shapira and his merry band of Ivy League slackers to remind me that my generation is fast taking the title of "worstest generation" from the creaking Aquarians.

"Sometimes I feel she's aligned well with our generation, especially when I watch video clips of her speaking idealistically about her mom's plans to promote gay rights, fix the student-loan industry or provide universal health care. And her stature on college campuses means that she draws crowds and helps bolster youth activism, which is important to our generation."

Speak for yourself, you pampered simpering poser. Just because you're an inauthentic feckless loser who writes about "our generation" as if it's the Model UN Club at your private school doesn't mean the rest of "us" fit that description. Stop being a "journalist" and start being a reporter. Better yet, go work for the Obama campaign. You'll fit right in.

Revenant said...

Altruism? At McKinsey? And a hedge fund

These are left-wingers. They define altruism as "spending other people's money to help the needy". So a job dealing with health care at a consulting firm is extremely altruistic; the client pays through the nose, and people receive health care.

Anonymous said...

it's called being PIMPED OUT BY YO MOMMA!

George M. Spencer said...

Pat--

Barbara Stanwyck gets pimped out by her papa in Baby Face."

Crazy movie. 1933.

"She climbed the ladder of success - wrong by wrong!"

Sordid Business said...

Why should anyone here be surprised that this article is a useless piece of crap that is best used as toilet paper? Just look at all the little 20-somethings who chant "Yes We Can"--these are some of the most spoiled, easily-offended, self-absorbed people on earth (explains why they keep going over to The Daily Dish--Sully is the high priestess of self-absorption). The article made me wonder two things---first, why does anyone listen to anything coming out of the mouth of someone in their 20s, and two, does Don Graham at the Washington Post know that he is paying this guy to write articles that are not really articles?