"Japan does away with 'silly shirt' photo for APEC"

[Clio the Leo]

Poop! I cant ever have ANY fun!

"Japan does away with 'silly shirt' photo for APEC"
Posted By Joshua Keating Monday, November 8, 2010 - 11:02 AM

Especially after his awkward Bhangra dancing experience in Mumbai, this will probably come as welcome news to President Barack Obama:

Over the years, one of the most memorable moments of the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit has been what's come to be called the "silly shirts" photo, often representing the host country's culture.

The 21 APEC leaders have posed for together in Javan batik shirts (Indonesia in 1994), flowing ponchos (Chile in 2004) to Vietnamese "ao dai" -- elegant silken tunics in which several of the leaders were visibly ill at ease -- in 2006.

But this year in Japan, the leaders were instructed to come in "smart casual" for Saturday's photo, said a government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, citing department rules.

The Japanese official cited the timing for the photo session, which falls between a traditional Kabuki theater perfomance and an official dinner hosted by Prime Minister Naoto Kan, as one possible reason for the relatively staid choice.

The typical tight-fitting traditional kimono is not very comfortable or suitable for a photo session, said another official, though he did not say why.

As a firm supporter of the ritual humiliation of the world's most powerful people, I strongly protest this decision.

http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2010/11/08/japan_does_away_with_silly_shirt_photo_for_apec

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_110wcPq1TEY/Sv9RrhFgypI/AAAAAAAAFlY/xKCMYC_tcdM/s400/obama+apec+shirt.jpg

Given this precedent, it pretty much kills my dreams of APEC leaders wearing Wranglers and cowboy hats the next time the US hosted the event. :(