The BH is at it again - questioning if Kerry had cosmetic help

[karynnj]

One look at his schedule would have made this seem impossible. The best explanation was always lighting and gaining back weight he lost. http://www.bostonherald.com/track/inside_track/view.bg?articleid=1340115&srvc=rss

[TayTay]

1. Hahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!! OMG, that is soooooo Mass-y

That is one of the funniest article evah!

First we complement the good Senator on how good he looks. Then, not satisfied that he looks good, we question, why do you look so good? (God, in his wisdom, decreed that people age and start to look bad, are you above God's decree?) Since people who are 67 don't just start to look better through better diet or exercise (like that can happen) we decide that he had "work done." Then we seek out experts in the field and ask them about the theoretical work done. 'twas good work, if it was done, which is unproven, but still, very nice work. Then we try to reconcile having theoretical work done with the theoretical nature of having work done as in "the meta of having work done, if you will" and weigh the balance. Then a verdict is arrived at that simultaneously complements the work, questions the "why" of having work done and then declares the whole thing rather unsavory.

And the rubes weigh in and declare it all fake. (And throw in some comments on Barney Frank, who needs work done and is damned if he gets it done. If God had wanted Barney Frank to look good, he wouldn't have made him so smart.)

Wow, what a Mass-hole-y thing to do. It's like a Master's Class in how to be a Mass-soul, from top to bottom. Very funny.
(And we are, sometimes, an indecipherable people up here in the still frozen North, aren't we?)

[Inuca]

3. Well... maybe one needs

that special MA personality :-). Not having it, I just found the whole thing idiotic pure & simple.

[TayTay]

5. Oh, it is completely bad, but in the special BH way

They can't just say they disapprove. They can't. You can't tell other people what to do or not do because that would be too direct. So, the writing has to be done very specifically. First the theoretical issue is raised. It is specifically raised as a theoretical. What if John Kerry had work done? Well, of course he can have it done if he wants to. (Of course he can and people from all walks of life and backgrounds and professions do have minor things done.) However, there is a moral undertone of disapproval here that is just sooooo Mass-y. (BH-- you snide bunch of bastards. This is writing that wants to "have it's cake and eat it too." Half the people who read the BH have had work done, remember that. How does the BH insult JK without insulting these folks?)

Then, the newspaper of the common man does what any good Mass-soul would do in this predicament, it consults experts in the field. (Come on, this trait in Mass is hilarious. BH -- which prides itself on being the voice of the common man has to go to experts to debate a theoretical event and gain legitimacy therein. Oh please, how funny is that?)

This whole article is pure BH idiocy. Top to bottom. I find it funny.

[karynnj]

6. Good perspective

To me it is amazing that he has yet to rest from when he started the intense hearings in early May! Lugar mentioned last week, after Kerry apologized for being late to the hearing, that Kerry had landed from the near east at 6:30. I think a college student might have been exhausted by his last 3 weeks!

We know a lot is lighting - having seem his appearance look different in a hearing than it did when he was on the floor voting. Here, the difference is stark - the intense unforgiving light of the MTP studio and a very weak light. I know which light I would prefer! He also does have a great smile. I like his office's answer.

I think as his hair went totally to silver, he looked better than before it did - as it was less a contrast than the mostly black. (I'm not comparing to when he was young.)

[Inuca]

2. I don't know if I can forgive you

for "making" me click on that nauseous piece of crap. What sheer idiocy!

And on a side note, barney Frank has indeed lost a lot of weight, which I suppose is all for the better. I sasw him recently on the tube and it was striking.

[Blaukraut]

4. Whether he did or not, the point is: so what?

For what it's worth, I noticed when I saw him at the town hall that he looked 'very well rested and filled out' in the face. The rest of him was as skinny as ever. If he did have help, all the more power to him, and really none of our business. Every person has the right to look as healthy and good as they feel on the inside with or without plastic surgery. It's a personal choice, and nothing shameful or vain. But it's also a private choice, and the media ought to respect that.

[karynnj]

7. I agree

There is also an incredible double standard as women are almost expect to dye their hair and wear makeup.

[TayTay]

8. I agree with you

This is 2011, my Mom had work done ferchrissakes. It is long past the point where anyone cares about getting work done. Soooo, how is the BH going to raise this and make it look bad for JK. They did it in that specific BH MAss-hole-y way. I found it funny, but of course humor is subjective, so others might not.

I also found the BH full of hypocrisy. I mean, they insulted JK, but did it through the use of experts who seemed to be complementing him on the quality of the work. (How could anyone complain about that.)

Do they do this in NY newspapers? (Maybe not because who cares if Chuck Schumer had work done?) Do they do this in GA? (Again, who cares.) But in MA, of course we are sophisticated people and if people want to change thier appearance of course they should do so, BUT since this is John Kerry we are going to tweak him on it anyway.

Honestly, the BH is run by moles.

[Blaukraut]

9. I'd like to see the day when they speculate over Brown's

thinning hair. I won't hold my breath.

[TayTay]

10. The BH will go into the other side of the same argument

Scott Brown, man of the people, is losing his hair, but in an accepting and "manly" way that reflects his ties with the regular folks of MA. (Oh kill me now.)

Scott Brown did male modeling for Cosmo. Scott Brown was a male model. Fercrissakes. If anybody in our Congressional delegation should be testy about showing signs of aging it should be the one who made money specifically off his looks. (And who specifically trotted out that old assignment as testament that he was a "man of the people" type, in that fakey Scott Brown, "aw shucks, who me" way.)

And his hair is thinning out. My Mom used to explain this as "grass don't grow on a busy street" but I don't believe that about Scotty. (If that was true the rest of the delegation would be completely bald.) I think Scotty's thinning hair is "grass don't grow in a swamp." Just my opinion, but I'm sticking to it.

[Blaukraut]

12. LMAO

That was priceless, Tay! 'grass don't grow in a swamp'. :rofl:

I do believe Brown will eventually get hair plugs, which is ok, but the Herald will either ignore it, or hail it as a fearless move.

[TayTay]

13. Scotty irritates me on cellular level

And I am a little pissed at the "gentlemanly" way in which he is being treated.

Scott Brown may drive that famous pickup, but out-of-state donors are paying for the gas. (fact that I raised with Setti.)

Also, this crappy "he's an independent" line is sheer lunacy. If my kid brought home a report card with a "D" in math and then tried to make it all right by saying that he also got a "D" in English, I would be upset. Well, this is what Scotty is doing. I made a crappy vote on the Oil Companies, but it's okay because I am also making a crappy vote on the Paul Ryan budget. See, I'm an independent. (And I am going to tell John Walsh this at the Dem Convention next week. Why are we letting Brown get away with this false equivalency argument? Being an equal opportunity bad voter in the Senate is not a good thing. It is dumbness, doubled.)

No Scotty, you're a poseur. And an idiot.

[TayTay]

11. Appropos of nothing, but I saw Setti Warren this past weekend

Setti was making the rounds of Democratic Committees, drumming up support. Setti looks good and he made a good presentation, but he needs to loosen up a bit. I did ask Setti a question which reflected my general loathing of Scott Brown. (Setti's manner of speech strongly resembles his mentor. The hand gestures and posturing were wicked familiar. Maybe not such a good idea to resemble some one else sooooo closely.)

[Mass]

14. Talking about Setti Warren, here is his interview with this weasel Jon Keller.

0Keller was only interested by gotcha questions: why cant you stay mayor of Newton, why are you better than your Democratic opponents, where do you disagree with Deval Patrick? He is totally exasperating. But he did his best to go back to what he wanted to talk about.

ttp://boston.cbslocal.com/2011/05/22/keller-large-setti-warren-discusses-run-for-senate/

[TayTay]

15. Ahm, well, I have heard these concerns elsewhere

I love Setti. Great guy. However, there are problems with Setti making this run.

Setti has been Mayor of Newton for less than 2 years. He has a young child with another on the way. He has a chance, right now, to cement his reputation in MA as an achiever by finishing his job as Mayor. There are a lot of folks in Newton who are not happy Setti is making this run. (These are nice people who like Setti and see him as a asset for the Dems in MA for some time to come. These are not Repubs or enemies, but people who like Setti, liked his Dad as well, and wish the whole family well.)

There are a lot of rumblings, from other nice guys in MA, who are not jerks like Keller, on Setti. There are fears that Setti needs to finish the work on Newton, a currently troubled town with a $9 million deficit and a troubled history with a "taj mahal" type high school construction that is killing the budget. Newton needs a full-time Mayor right now. There is a basic sense of insecurity in MA that we elect people who then "abandon" us for higher office. (sometimes this fear is rational, sometimes it's just basic Mass insecurity with a fear of abandonment.)

I have decidedly mixed feelings on Setti running. In all honesty, I am not sure this is a good idea at this moment in time. It is hard enough to run for higher office in this country because the atmosphere is very poisonous. There are problems with this run, problems noted by people who really, really like Setti and are worried for him.

The meeting the other day was, ahm, interesting. Setti was a real pro in his presentation. He got a lot of "small" questions from people who were complaining about their specific situations. (a lot of govt workers are very upset over the recent labor redos and were asking Setti about it. This is not really the area of a US Senator, but he handled it well.) Setti was also asked, point blank, about running against a well-funded Scott Brown and if he could raise money, overcome the issue of being only 2 years into his term and if he could devote time to a run, what with having one small child and another on the way. In other words, is Setti serious and "all in" on this run. That is not an answerable question. (Show, don't tell is how you answer that one.)

Setti makes a superb presentation. (But, OMG, does he ever show his roots. His hand gestures, posture, manner of speech and so forth are reminiscent of someone else we all know and love. Remarkably so.)

[karynnj]

16. It almost seems that it is too bad there is not some obvious person for this years run

In some ways, especially because he is really down to earth and has his military credentials, he would just by standing there show that Scott Brown is simply the male model playing the role, it has to be tempting for him to run.

But, even watching only the little snippet with Brown, Setti really is the one you watch. There is a naturalness and warmth in his greeting the people that he does. From the other things you mention, he really has the potential for being one of the future Democratic leaders - and I can see how being a successful mayor of Newton would make him not just a better candidate, but it could make him a better Senator - much as Kerry's time as a prosecutor was an influence on him.

I can imagine the fact that a Democrat elected might end up holding that spot for a long time is part of the decision. There is no way that he would challenge JK, if there is no SoS and he runs, so there is a real possibility that the next opening might be 6 years later - and then possibly only as a rematch. If JK is nominated as SoS, he will not have spent much more time in Newton and then both seats will be filled within months of each other. Odd that if Warren runs and wins, he could be the MA Senior Senator with something like 3 or 4 months seniority - after it took Kerry more than 20 years!

[Mass]

18. They dont want to challenge Brown because they would lose their congressmen seats by doing that

of they lose. Cowardice, that is all that this is. (Capuano said it in an interview: I will run if I can win...).

Interestingly, I heard the same criticism TayTay has concerning Setti Warren, but a good portion of those rising these objections (that are not necessarily wrong), turn out to have somebody they would like to see run, and who is waiting to see if Brown is beatable. What we are witnessing in MA right now is shameful and disappointing: people sitting this election out because their current seat is secure. So, I welcome Setti Warren to enter this race. He is not necesarily the choice I would have made but he is jumping in and fighting Brown, which is more than I can do for the rest of Democratic politicians.

[beachmom]

19. I think that argument is a bit bunk. I mean, Barack Obama, only two

years into his Senate term decided to run for POTUS. He also had relatively young children and was going up against a major powerhouse, Hillary Clinton. The proof is in the pudding. If Setti has "IT" then he can win. I just think, as a Mom, that he should set up iron clad babysitting provisions -- as in someone who can be there when he and his wife are out campaigning (or can be there when the baby is born and his wife has so much work to do with the new one). The Obamas did that with Michelle's mother. So if he gets his house in order, comes up with a message and narrative, why not? I mean somebody like Cory Booker is very content running Newark, while raising his profile with programs he is spearheading. But not everyone is Cory Booker, you know. Some want to do other things, and I don't think there is anything wrong with that.

[wisteria]

17. Gee, maybe it is a little extra weight and the lighting. n/t

[beachmom]

20. Damn. We need a gossipy lefty rag in Atlanta to report on all the 'pubs.

That would be so funny. It would need to be southern style though. Hooked in with the midtown ATL gay community, too, which could give it some flare. We really need something like that. Website only. Just thinking out loud here. :)

[Luftmensch067]

21. LOL!!!!

Can you imagine if other pols, esp. Senators, had to put up with the kind of abuse JK gets as a matter of course!?!? Especially ones who actually DESERVED it? You're right, that would be incredibly funny. :-)

[ObamaKerryDem]

22. LOL! Yet another reason why the BH is pathetic :)

Reading that article, I felt more like I was reading some right wing slanted version of US Magazine or a tabloid..oh wait, the BH is, for all intents and purposes, a tabloid ragsheet! :thumbsdown:

I do have to admit, however, that I am quite amused how by virtue of this article, they are essentially admitting he is a good looking guy (though they are trying to discredit it in this way). This after nearly a decade (possibly more?) of calling him meanspirited (and stupid, untrue) names like "Herman Munster" and "Lurch", constantly throwing off on his appearance (maybe not the BH specificially, directly, but people of their apparent mindset and overall readership..). And how they are finding themselves in the position of trying to explain away how he looks so good, passing it off on Botox and/or plastic surgery. If they are going to get into physical appearances, why can't they just admit he looks good and decades younger...oh wait, that would be giving a Democrat--and ESPECIALLY JK, who they specifically can't seem to stand-- credit for something, however superficial, so they have to write catty little articles like this one. LAME!

It's also very convenient for them that the "before and after photos" feature a "before" shot that was taken, like many of you have already pointed out, in a very different lighting and setting than the one from this weekend...and, correct me if I am wrong but.., the first one was taken when he not only was campaigning for the Presidency but was also undergoing or had just undergone treatment for cancer?? That would make a difference too, fwiw..

BTW, I loved your responses in the Comments section on the article, karynnj (or at least I think that was you?) :) You have more patience than I, going toe to toe with the Freeper types who tend to be the most frequent BH readers and commenters. You did very well though!

[karynnj]

23. It doesn't say when in 2002, but that was a tough year for him

I think his mom died and at the end of the year he was diagnosed with cancer.

In 2004 the before picture was a few weeks after surgery when he was both attending to Senate duties and starting to campaign. They then had the picture a year later with his huge smile and extremely happy face when he won in Iowa. I always thought that they were just daring him - or more likely Teresa - to jump in and attack them for using the photo when he was ill - re-emphasizing he had cancer.

Still I was kind of shocked a few weeks ago, after OBL was caught seeing the primary debate video in Larry O'Donnell's piece. You can see what Teresa meant about his having lost weight - and that he would look better if he regained it. There was a story that in the early days before the primary, Teresa actually paid to fly his doctor to Iowa because she was so concerned about his weight - and the doctor changed his recovery diet.

I admit that that is me - I have found that the best approach there is to almost play like I don't get the insults to me. So, I may seem rather thick, but it is easier not being me there and kind of responding as this persona.

[ObamaKerryDem]

24. Oh yeah that's right! :( All the more reason..

..that these "before" and "after" shots are a rather unfair comparison. Any one of those things (the loss of a parent---JK seemed really close to his mother, so that makes it perhaps even harder, the onset of cancer, and all the duties and pressures that come with the Senate, all the while getting ready to mount/trying to establish a campaign during a time where you were considered a long shot, more or less) would take their toll on a person's physicality by themselves, let alone together! Not that JK looked bad in the pic, but it just stands to reason that he would perhaps look more rejuvenated in a time that is generally, by all accounts better for him, such as right now, though he of course keeps a more active schedule still than most-though it seems that's what makes him happy! :) But I agree with you 100%

And you didn't sound thick to me at all--you handled them with class and FACTS, both things the majority of the crowd that reads BH/frequents its site--and/or the Freepers, who seem to mostly populate the comments section on BH articles, especially when it comes to ones pertaining to JK and Obama--sorely lacks. I thank you for having the wearwithall to do that. I just do not have the patience without breaking out into a full blown flame war..and believe me I've tried on the Obama forum on IMDB.com, for instance. The Freeper types just get under my skin too much! lol :)