But still – don’t these guys have some rudimentary level of image advisors?
They had a gallery today of Gadhafi (or whatever they’re transliterating it to today) and his “fashion choices” over the years. It looked like a bad cross between Ali G and a transvestite. And what’s wrong with his face/mouth? Whatever it is is not enhanced by that ratty beardlike fungus.
Does anyone else in Libya dress like that? Why don’t people laugh out loud (other than fear of being shot, which I guess is kind of a big reason)?
More broadly, what’s with the dubious sartorial choices of dictators in general? Can’t some North Korean spy inform the leadership that the pervy smoked aviator shades are about 50% of the entire reason no one takes Kim Jong Il seriously? Does Fidel really think he’s projecting “statesmanlike” by appearing in a polyester track-suit?
Even if they don’t have to care about the “electorate,” isn’t there some personal hubris that would tell them funny facial hair and naff clothing choices diminish their stature? You have to know when those guys go to meet with allies for a photo op where the other six guys are wearing nice suits or proper military uniforms, that the other six guys are biting their lip to keep from laughing at their pajamas or whatever.
Maybe it’s intended as an early warning system: If the people start openly mocking your appearance, you know your grip on power is starting to slip. (Unfortunately for Qadafi, the Libyans cut straight to demonstrating in the streets without stopping first at asking, ‘WTF is up with the leader’s fashion sense?’)
My favourite is #9: suit, suit, suit, suit, suit, ??!!??
(And, you’d think a country with a leader with a fashion sense that Elton John is envious of wouldn’t have the world’s most boring flag. (Nice to see that anti-Gaddafi-ites are waving a flag that I’ve long liked, no matter its political connotations.)
#2 and #3 are things you might actually see people wearing. African clothing is it’s own thing. I have no explaination for the gnarly suits though.
Since Cameroon is having protests, I’d like to submit my favorite wife-of-a-dictator, the beautiful “Mama” Chantal Biya…and her hair. I love pictures of her at otherwise sober state summits. I’ve never seen any woman work so hard to look like a drag queen.
You think I’m going to dress like a normal person if I get to be a dictator? It’s one of the perks! Fuck all that shit about diminishing my stature. Dressing like a clown and never being criticized for it is the definition of power.
***His ***revolution was a junior officer’s uprising (he was a Captain, in the course of the takeover he got field-promoted to LTC) and they repealed the general grades and shortly the leaders of the revolt replaced the full colonels with themselves. He left actual active duty sometime around '72 and decided he’d prefer to just be addressed by the last rank he had as a full-timer. The general grades were restored on paper at some point but mostly as rare honorary retirement titles, nobody in actual service is past Colonel.
