a99kitten's Musings

Started reading my new Vanity Fair tonight (the one with the gorgeous Liz Taylor on the cover) and got to their monthly poll. This one is titled “Admitting Our Mistakes” although I don’t see most of the questions really about that.

It’s funny. I’ve always considered the majority of Vanity Fair readers to be very liberal and comfortable/well-off/just plain wealthy. I am not liberal, at all, but I do love all of the great pictures, fun articles about old/monied scandal and even the gorgeous ads of all sorts of fun stuff to buy :) Years and years ago, I started subscribing solely because of Dominick Dunne’s monthly column. And did think I might cancel once he passed away. But I’ve kept it so far since I did cancel all the rest of my magazines except for Sports Illustrated and Vogue (yeah…a bit of weird mix but that’s me :) )

Anyway, example of questions: “If you could live in a movie for one day, whose life would you want?” Overwhelming winner – Indiana Jones. Caught my attention! :) (sigh…) The other choices in order: Ferris Bueller, Carrie Bradshaw, Don Corleone, Gordon Gekko, Ilsa Lund (Casablanca) and Lara Croft (Tomb Raider). I’m sure a psyche major would have a field day with those answers :)

Other questions:
2. “Do You think it is sometimes justified for the C.I.A. to resort to assassination, or it is never justified.” The majority is sometimes justified. I wouldn’t have guessed that from this crowd (have you ever read the Letters to the Editor?? Fn tree-huggers)

3. Apparently the University of North Dakota retired their mascot, the Fighting Sioux, on the grounds it gives offense to Native Americans. What should happen to other references (Washington Redskins, Atlanta Braves)?

Overwhelming vote was to keep them. Only 12% said retire. That truly did surprise me because tree-huggers are also ridiculously, over-the-top, make-me-gag PC…

3. When you hear the name Robert M Gates, what profession comes to mind?” Computer pioneer was the clear winner. Umm…not Bill Gates people…and hello – aren’t you limousine liberals always all pissy about the Defense Secretary, no matter who it is?

There are a lot of questions so I won’t bore you with more. But I will say some of the answers surprised me. I personally believe (since I personally know people like this) that people will sometimes say things, or agree with things, to not cause controversy in the crowd they are in. But anonymously, the answers might be different. Especially when you live in an area like the SF Bay Area like I do where the dirty hippies run rampant. I am not like this. At all. In any way. My friends either love me or hate me for this reason :)

So I did find these answers (well, some of them) interesting. And points to the truism that you cannot judge a book by its cover. Or not everything is black and white. Or just because you are a staunch conservative doesn’t mean you hate the environment and, in fact, prefer it and the fluffy over most, if not all, people and all of their BS. Oh wait…that might just apply to me :)