As I inch closer and closer to my 50th birthday, I find myself thinking more about fashion.
It was sparked by a late-night viewing of “The Devil Wears Prada” and a gorgeous winter coat. I had seen the film several times, but this time was different. The scene in which Anne Hathaway sports an emerald-green coat flashed so fleetingly, but I suddenly needed that coat.
After looking a bit, I realized I didn’t need a “Devil Wears Prada” coat. I needed a “Hilary” coat. I went down the internet rabbit hole until I landed on a hot pink Italian wool dress coat at 75% off. Since then, I’ve worn my pink coat as often as I can. It’s fancy, but I wear it everywhere. I love it and it makes me feel good. If anyone thinks I look silly, I know I don’t have to worry that someone will make an internet meme of me.
I can’t say the same for Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. My social media feeds have been flooded with memes of her. Memes highlighting her behavior at the State of the Union, though focused primarily on her appearance. She wore a white coat with fur trim. Was there something particularly inappropriate about it? It wasn’t any different than the white that almost every Democratic woman wore to the 2020 State of the Union to mark the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. Was it the fur trim? While not my style, it added her personal touch. Still, Greene was ridiculed.
This “fun” includes a photo of Greene next to an image of a baboon. Sometimes a baboon face superimposed over hers. I saw one of Greene next to Miss Piggy wearing a white fur coat asking, “Who wore it better?” Then there have been comparisons to Cruella De Vil, the antagonist in “101 Dalmatians.” Many of the posts have something in common. Most people posting these memes are men, and most of the people who respond to them are men as well. These responses typically consist of more memes, frequently hateful language, and have included sexual references.
Now there is a lot I could criticize about Greene. From saying “gazpacho police” instead of the Gestapo, to “peach tree dish” instead of “petri dish,” to making claims about a laser beam from outer space starting a fire in California, Greene comes to mind when I think of how our education system has seriously failed Americans. And her behavior at the State of the Union was disgraceful. But she wasn’t alone. Other Republicans booed, hissed, and yelled too. As conservative political commentator S.E. Cupp remarked in an interview, we shouldn’t be surprised: When you invite disrupters into Congress you will get disruption.
But the folks posting photos of baboons and Greene asking, “Who wore it better?” aren’t really concerned with bad behavior. If they were, they’d have to admit their own. The cheapest, lowest way to cut down a woman is to go after her looks. A woman’s appearance should be out of bounds. Always. Remember how aghast we were when Trump criticized Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina for her looks? Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez has become one of the most targeted Democratic women, with similar memes and posts attacking her appearance – often with her mouth open like she’s yelling and out of control.
This week I posted two of the Greene memes on Twitter and wrote, “I know the designer well. His name is Misogyny. Some folks think he went out of style long ago, but he’s as popular as ever. And he looks just as ugly on Dems as he does on Republicans.” I promise you he won’t land you on the cover of Vogue.
Greene wasn’t the only person behaving badly at the State of the Union. But maybe we can admit she was baited by Biden, and she took the bait, hook line, and sinker. So did many other Republicans. But she was singled out. Why? Because women are held to different standards than men.
Unlike men, women are expected to wear something other than blue, black, or grey suits. But what they wear, how they wear it when they wear it, will always be scrutinized. There is nothing wrong with a woman embracing clothes and makeup (or not liking clothes and makeup). It’s time we grow up and stop judging women for their fashion choices and their appearances.
Ultimately, unless you’re in the fashion world, let’s leave the critiques to the fashion critics. And let’s all agree on two points: 1) In the 21st-century women have earned the right to be praised or criticized fairly for substantive issues and 2) My pink coat is stunning, and no one should ever say otherwise.
Hilary Koch lives in Waterville. She can be reached at: hilarykoch@pm.me
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