Damn you Bill Clinton!
I mean it. Damn you. You have ruined my day for the last time.
I used to love you Bill. I really did. You with your bedroom eyes and that sexy Arkansas whisper ~ let’s just say you could have had more than my vote. Don’t get me wrong here, I love Hillary too … in a girl’s-school-crush sort of way; curious, just not that curious. But those days are gone, Bill. Not only are you on my shit list, I am ready to freely admit that I fully regret impulsively dropping $25 bucks on that snoozer of yours, Giving, at an airport bookshop a few years ago.
In spite of rescuing the journalists imprisoned in North Korea and creating a bazillion dollar foundation, regardless of your influential world status and smooth talking machismo, it’s the side effect of your tryst with Monica (and I am not referring to STD's) that haunts me to this day. No disrespect to Monica, of course. She seems like a perfectly nice girl.
My problem with you is bigger than your little cover-up lie about “having sex with that woman”. My problem with you is bigger than a stained dress. It’s bigger than pervasive cheating or money laundering or hiring a hit man and/or whatever else the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy folks have in their dossier. It’s personal, Bill … and as recently as this past Saturday, I have had to suffer the humiliation of your philandering.
You have taken away my personal liberty. You have infringed on my freedom as an American. I don’t think there’s a specific amendment in the Bill of Rights that fully encompasses what you’ve done, but I bet that someplace in the annals of Vogue there is. That’s right, Bill Clinton, you have crossed into territory where no straight man has the right to tread. You have violated my right to fashion. You destroyed a classic, the essence of chic.
Yes – I am talking about the beret.

You ruined the right of every woman, everywhere, to accessorize at will. I have a theory that Karl Lagerfeld and Ralph Lauren actually hired and handsomely rewarded Ken Star for his work on this issue of maintaining the dignity of this timeless chapeau. Unfortunately that did not work out. They should have sent Elton John.
Obviously, the shame of sporting the beret lies only with women, as it does not appear that the US Army Special Forces have felt the need to alter their uniforms or the spiffy, well known moniker, The Green Berets. I bet nobody would ever walk up to John Wayne and say, “Hey Duke, Monica called and she wants her hat back.” No sir, I do not see that happening. In light of that fact, I suspect that not only are you all those other things, you are also sexist. Not sexy (well, not anymore), but sexIST. It is worth mentioning that I do not believe that Prince has suffered at all.
However, I will not go down without a fight, you sexy sexist man pig. Last weekend, I found the cutest most fabulous black felted beret with the cutest embellishments ever and though I let the words of others dissuade me from wearing it on Saturday, I am taking a stand. I WILL wear my beret and I will wear it with pride. Like Rosa Parks and Jim Morrison, I will not let The Man keep me down. I am going to wear that hat this weekend. I’m going to wear the shit out of it and I can promise you that the first person who mentions Monica Lewinsky is going to have a stain problem as well, but this time, it’s going to be blood.
So, Goodbye Bill Clinton ... as we part, I have but one request ~ please, please stay away from Ben Affleck. My headwear wardrobe can’t take another hit.



Salon.com
Comments
Hellz yeah! Don't let the man get you down!
Also, I saw Ben Affleck this morning. True story.
Good theory, Bob ~ on both! haha!!!
Shaggy ~ first in my heart for sure! Did you find Ben to be looking especially delicious this morning?
Besides, the beret look goes with the school girl look which Bill ruined with his dalliance. How can we get back that young professional exuberance that Mary Richards (aka Mary Tyler Moore) showed us in downtown Minneapolis?
Julie … Julie, Julie, Julie … perhaps if I looked better in a cowgirl hat??? (which I lament that I do not) …
Buffy ~ nice try. I can say that I do not own a Lewinsky handbag.
Cap’n … brother, I know where you’re coming from …
Walter ~ you crack me up. My husband likes the baseball cap/ponytail look as well. Oh Mary … you’re exactly right … let’s bring back young professional exuberance! I’m in!
Alsoknownas ~ “The Mild One” … I think this is where I say, “WTF?” haha!
Austinstranger ~ I don’t care who Bill Clinton screws as long as it doesn’t result in me getting shitty comments on my fashion choices a decade after the fact.
Well Alice …a girl’s gotta do .. and all that ~
Funny read, iMom. Love your stuff.
(thumbified and ducking for cover)
Of course, regardless of the hat, your take on this is hilarious. I love that you manage to hang this on Clinton when actually, it was all Monika's fault...just like everything else. ;)
"I refuse to wear a beret"
Agreed Noah … and incredibly unattractive to boot. Thanks ~ I love her too!
Hahahahaha @ ocularnervosa … so am I!
Good heavens Wooly … thou shalt not self-censor - I thought that was the first commandment of Woolyism??? Glad you laughed – all in good fun! : )
Josephine … you know this is your fault and how’d you get out from under that house?
Good point JK … Damn that Monica and her spiffy 90’s style!!! I would love to change my avatar to me looking chic in a snazzy beret – but as you can see above, this is one of Noah’s favorite avatars … I don’t dare disappoint.
BARRY! DO NOT ENCOURAGE HER! But I bet you have great cinnamon rolls … at least that’s what I’ve heard.
Julie ~ now you’re talking. There is also the “headdress” as made famous by Cher … I could go that route! Won’t do much for impending winter, but really it’s all about the look, right?
I haven't shared with you that I am quite a spiffy knitter...I don't want to spoil the suprise, but let's just say a Chirstmas beret for a cranky old lady might just be in my repertoire!
Men should not wear berets unless they're French or Italian. Otherwise, clear out fellahs. I won't seriously worry though until he grabs the Greek Fisherman's cap.
Rated.
The safe word is "banana."
Loved this: "I’m going to wear the shit out of it"
You tell 'em, mama.
Let's you and me reclaim the beret for all of womankind, 1_I_M!
Or just close your eyes and visualize Bill pointing his finger, jabbing off to the side saying, "I do not have anything to do with the psychic fallout regarding berets and tams!" repeat it until it becomes a mantra, passing into an abstraction (pure idea) and you will be free!
You'll feel much better.....
never use the phrase "left a bad taste in my mouth" when commenting on an article about Bill and Monica
What did Bill do again? I didn't watch the news much in the 90s:(
hungry now.
this was a cute post - missed it the first time around, but glad to find it now. dont we get a pic of your beret?