What hath cool wrought in the last 3+ years? $5/gallon gas, economic stagnation, a dispirited workforce, mockery overseas, and the cancerous growth of a government that assumes more and more control over our lives on a daily basis.
So maybe it's time for some heat. Me, I conceptualize that as white-hot rage against the direction our nation is heading. But others - also seeing the need for an increase in temperature - appear to visualize it a bit...differently:
What the...?
The Washington Post explains:
Emily Zanotti, a self-described “freelance political communications consultant and comedian from Chicago” who also blogs for NakedDC.com, said she and her friends got the idea for the site after wondering what Ryan — who enjoys “Noodling,” or catching catfish with bare hands — might look like shirtless as he chased after catfish in a river.
“Really, we just put it together as an inside joke,” she said in an e-mail. “I’ve worked with lots of politicos (I’m a libertarian and work primarily with conservatives), and Paul Ryan is a bit of an ‘economic heartthrob’ among us, if you will. We liked the way that Paul Ryan and the meme fit together, and thought it might just appeal to people who work on the Hill or at least in the political industry. We didn’t anticipate that it would become as huge as it did.”
Indeed, the site quickly took off after first surfacing widely Tuesday...
We couldn't get a better pick for VP than Paul Ryan. While some have already derided a possible Ryan pick as a "vanilla ticket" (no dog whistle there, right folks?), his selection would make a statement to the American people about how serious the Republican party is about righting our fiscal ship, and would provide a stark contrast to the empty-suit cool and bumbling but lovable sidekick duo as represented by Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
Even the idea of Ryan as "hot" seems to further the cultural narrative that is taking hold: Faux cool is out, and nerdy capitalists are in.
Just ask Emily & the girls...