US in the Media: 2 Noses

Pascal correctly remarked how different the history of the world would have been if Cleopatra's nose had been shorter. I have always wondered by Pascal singled out her nose, but press photographs of Paula Jones' nose before and after plastic surgery suggest that he realized the relative importance of things. Perhaps we should concentrate on Monica's nose. Always discouraged by public lack of interest in international affairs, I was distressed to learn that over 3,000 reporters are covering (?) Monica, many of them taken off the international beat. But remember Cleopatra. Perhaps the assorted noses will change the course of U.S., and indeed world history. However, I doubt if that is in the mind of the nose counters or watchers.

There are many precedents for my distress. In his masterly book, The Spanish Civil War, Hugh Thomas abandons his cold analysis to express his anger at the British public's concern with frivolous things when the collapse of the Spanish republic doomed humanity to World War II: "The British public were generally too preoccupied by the appearance on these shores of the Giant Panda, by their new game Monopoly, and by the homely sight of their Royal Family singing 'Under the Spreading Chestnut Tree' to care greatly."

The American public is distracted not by one panda but by a whole circus. Will the noses which attracted President Clinton be as fateful as Cleopatra's? Who cares? You and I do.

Ronald Hilton, 08/15/98

US in the Media:World Image

Studying in various European countries, I learned early on that each has a different and usually distorted view of its role in history and in the modern world. This leads to false assessments which are important causes of wars. Once more, I recommend World Press Review as an excellent compilation of current world opinion. The September 1998 devotes its main section to "Bashing America." Most of the criticism is well thought out, although the critics' own countries could benefit from a similar examination of world opinion.

Now world coverage of Clinton's mea culpa constitutes a big postscript to "Bashing America." Mexican television ran a long and odd Israeli TV ad using the affair of Monica Lewinsky (who is Jewish) to promote a new detergent and spot remover. It did not show Monica sticking to her knitting.

Ronald Hilton, 08/18/98

US in the Media:More on World Image

My main concerns in international studies have been 1) getting the facts straight 2) the distortion of facts in the images countries have of themselves and of other countries. TV programs are a good way to assess this. The United States inspires ridicule, fear and respectful concern around the world. It has been widely reported that at a London banquet of Americans and Britishers there was the usual toast to the Queen, while the toast to President Clinton was greeted with general laughter. Today Peruvian TV news ran a section on the the Clintons' holiday in Martha's Vineyard. It showed the three in bathing suits besides a pool, with Bill and Hillary effusively embracing each other, deeply in love. This intriguing spectacle of course was not shown on the TV of the Islamic world, which depicted the U.S. as war criminals. Most puzzling was Western European leaders' hard support for the U.S. bombing raids. It sounded as though they were warning their own Islamic populations, which might be plotting violence like that at New York's World Trade Center.

Ronald Hilton, 08/25/98