Mar-a-Lago Face

I suppose it's one of the more benign aspects of the entirely regrettable Reign of Trump. It's not the lying, the boneheaded tariffs, the embrace of Russia and the rejection of Europe, the racism, the anti-science, the destruction of respected institutions, the violence, the white nationalism, the venality, the weaponization of the Department of Justice ("Justice"?), the villification of any and all opposition. It's not the astounding corruption. It's not the Epstein files. It's not the prevalence of the hallmarks of authoritarianism: the Cabinet meetings with their interminable asskissing - straight out of the Idi Amin playboo - the rote glorification of Trump by each Cabinet member; the insane egotistical need to have things named for him, monuments erected to him; the Putin-Saddam Hussein-Ceausescu gilding of the White House; the ludicrous pursuit of the Nobel Peace Prize; the even more ludicrous acceptance of the FIFA "Peace Prize." It's not even the day to day pettiness, insults, and stupidity that just wears you down. 

The Mar-a-Lago look for women may be relatively benign in comparison to all of the above, but it sure is a peculiar aspect of the Trump era. 

The two most prominent Mar-a-Lago faces are probably those of Kristi Noem and the now-exiled Kimberly Guilfoyle. 

(We'll ignore Melania here. While she appears to have had beaucoup d' work done - whether it's enhanced her natural beauty or made her look weirdly robotic I'll leave to others to decide - Mel hasn't embraced the full Mar-a-Lago face aesthetic, which has plumped up lips as a principal feature.)

Kristi Noem is naturally very pretty. If you look at pictures of her as governor of South Dakota - before we knew her as the puppy-killer cosplay Barbie who heads up the Department of Homeland Security - she was pleasantly attractive. Now Noem's had the puffy lip treatment, the bronzing, the cascade o'curls hairdo, etc. And she looks artificial. In a role that presumably calls for seriousness of purpose, for gravitas, she's cavorting around like one of Charlie's Angels. (If only they'd drafted Donald Trump to play Charlie, rather than promote him as some sort of business genius on The Apprentice, we could have been spared an awful lot of grief.) Weird, no? But apparently the preferred aesthetic. 

Then there's the once pretty and now hideously overdone Kimberly Guilfoyle. I suppose I should ignore her, as she's been swept aside by Don Trump, Jr. for a younger, wealthier, and more attractive socialite. But when she was on the A Team, or at least its fringes, Guilfoyle went full Mar-a-Lago face + Mar-a-Lago body: lips, hair, bronzer, boobs - and revealing, tight-fitting clothing that she cavorted around in during Trump rallies. Wonder how Kim (and her "work") are holding up in Athens, we're she's the US ambassador to Greece? Probably doing fine over there, out-divaing Maria Callas.

Guilfoyle reminded me of the Palm Beach Trump supporters who are regular presences at Mar a Lago. Lots of makeup. Long curls. Push up and push out bras. Skin tight clothing. And unwavering support for DJT. 

(It also reminds me of what the once-pretty first wife Ivana Trump looked like/dressed like in the years before her death. Colossally made up and crazy looking Interesting, while Ivanka and Tiffany Trump have both had plenty of work done, especially Ivanka, neither has opted for the full Mar-a-Lago look.)

Seriously, does anyone find this aesthetic attractive (other than Trump cultists)? Who wants to look like a Bratz doll brought to life? Some women, apparently. 

Anyway, with Trump in office, the look took off. 

But it seems that:

...as quickly as it rose, the trend may already be losing steam.

...According to recent reporting from USA TODAY, cosmetic professionals and social media watchers are beginning to see signs of fatigue. Searches and inquiries tied directly to the “Mar-a-Lago face” label have slowed, and online conversation has shifted toward newer aesthetics. Despite its ubiquitous appearance at the Trump’s New Year’s Eve party, what once felt like a dominant cultural signal now registers more as a punchline or perhaps a relic of a particularly loud political moment. (Source: Salon)

Good riddance is all I can say. 

Can't wait for the day when we no longer see Kristi Noem, sporting those pouty lips and full-of-baloney curls, wearing her "sexily" positioned baseball cap or cowboy hat, lying about innocent civilian protestors, calling them domestic terrorists. Lying about using neo-Nazi imagery, wording, and music to recruit ICE agents.

Can't wait for the day when we're no longer subjected to weekly videos of Trump dining at his club, with the other tables occupied by paying customers all kitted out in the over-the-top bling that passes for fashion at Mar-a-Lago. (What's going to be the after market for those natty Trump sequined pocketbooks?)

...What remains, though, is the lesson the trend offered while it lasted. The Mar-a-Lago face revealed how ideology can become aesthetic performance, how political identity can be signaled visually rather than verbally, and how consumer culture eagerly monetizes belonging. Cosmetic procedures, once framed primarily as personal choice, became a form of affiliation, something to display, post and brand. 

Grey hair. Thin lips. Wrinkles (and lucky me: thanks to genetics and avoiding the sun, I have precious few of them). Comfy, never in style, never out of style clothing.

Glad that my brand -  aging liberal - doesn't cost a penny.

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Image Source: MaL Women FB Anonymous Works

Image Source: Bratz Doll MGA Entertainment