My Impromptus today begins with the age question — that is, the question of President Biden’s age. I also discuss a climate-change protest at the opera. And the night Bill Buckley had dinner with Archie Bunker (actually, the actor who played him, Carroll O’Connor). Check it out.
In a previous column, I had a note on “religious Trumpism,” calling it “one of the oddest phenomena of our exceedingly odd era.” A reader writes,
Hi, Jay,
. . . This is truly one of the weirdest things I’ve ever encountered. A dentist in my neck of the woods used to have a photo of Trump at his desk, praying, with what appeared to be a Holy Light shining down upon him. As if . . .
I suppose the impulse to associate religious beliefs with political beliefs is an old one, and it runs on all sides of politics! Overheard at a Philly restaurant not long ago: “If Jesus were alive today, he’d certainly be a Democrat.”
In response to an essay of mine, a wise woman writes,
Dear Jay,
I read your essay on dress codes with an internal war going on inside me. Talk about mixed feelings!
I like dress codes, within reason. I like them because they give me a sense of security. I know what is expected of me. I wore a school uniform for five years and never had to worry about looking “different” or “strange” or “inferior.” Coming from a family that had less money than most of my classmates’, the uniform was like armor. Not invincible armor. Shoes, jewelry, and makeup gave lots of leeway for “expressing status,” shall we say, but the basics kept me from feeling like the poor cousin hidden at the back table.
I also think that dress codes can show respect for standards. That’s why I think the Senate made the right call. . . . I recently had jury duty. We were told “no shorts or tank tops.” Fairly reasonable, I thought.
Another time, I was called for federal jury duty, and the standards included no jeans or T-shirts. When we arrived, the men were told jackets were required in the courtroom, and racks of jackets were pulled out for them to use. That one was strange and even amusing. Of course, I didn’t have to wear the jacket. Going by overheard conversation, I think the men were just glad they didn’t bring out ties as well. Maybe a little unreasonable?
Fashions and standards change. I’m old enough to remember when dressing “down” on Friday became a thing. When I was growing up, my dad was a teacher. He left the house in a suit and tie every day. Today’s standards are more relaxed. Dress codes can be exclusionary when held to a high standard. A way of keeping out the “riffraff.” They can also be appropriate gatekeepers, when done in a reasonable way. A way of saying a workplace or establishment has a minimum standard, and if you want to join us you have to meet that standard.
I live in Texas, and have sometimes felt a bit sorry for the guys I see wearing a suit and tie in a hot Texas summer. The flip side of that is that in cold weather with a chilly wind blowing, skirts are drafty, and I sometimes envy men their pants! Hose are uncomfortable, and the only way to keep them from sagging at the ankles is to keep hitching them up (discreetly!) so they don’t sag at the crotch. And I loathe, despise, and abominate standing in heels! My toes hate it too. So, if it’s important to me, I do it, but I am the one deciding the importance.
Love it.
Yesterday, I published a bunch of pictures from Cambridge, Mass. A reader writes,
Hi, Jay,
Did you notice that the wall of that school says “St. Peters School” while the awning and the plaque read “Saint Peter School”?
I think they oughtta square those things . . .