The photograph depicts Sally Mason, President of the University Of Iowa, opening a jewelry store in Iowa City, Iowa, on April 2, 2011.
In the photograph, Mason presents herself in a manner totally inapt for a professional educator, let alone a university president. Her attire is more appropriate for attending a livestock auction than presiding over the affairs of a large state university—and it looks as if her entire ensemble were picked up for $5.00 at Goodwill Industries.
The photograph reveals a woman that is pure hillbilly.
Examine closely her hair. Examine closely her teeth. Examine those squinty eyes. Examine those hardened facial muscles.
The woman in the photograph is appalling: unknowingly, she represents both tragedy and farce, and in equal measure. I gawk in amazement.
I would think that people affiliated with the University Of Iowa, or any resident of the State Of Iowa, would be appalled over the spectacle Mason presents.
I would also think, given the vast array of critical problems facing the University Of Iowa, that opening an incredibly crummy, down-market jewelry store is not a productive use of the President’s time.
However, I suspect this woman is incapable of embarrassment.
I must echo what former Senator Robert Dole was wont to say: Where is the outrage?
This foolish woman should have been fired within months of her 2007 appointment.
Iowa Board Of Regents: Do your job!
(And thank you, Joel, for the photograph. I am getting lots of Iowa visitors in recent days.)
Update at 7:35 p.m. on 28 April 2011:
I knew Sally Mason was unpopular, but I did not know how truly unpopular she was until I published this post. This post has generated an enormous number of visitors, about half of which are from the University Of Iowa and about half of which are from other universities.
This post was published 42 hours ago. Its search result ranking already is in the stratosphere.
If one googles "Sally Mason Iowa", this post is, as of this moment, the number six search result among 9,770,000 search results for "Sally Mason Iowa".
If one googles "Sally Mason Iowa", the image appearing on this post is, as of this moment, the number three image search result among 118,000 image search results for "Sally Mason Iowa".
That jewelry store looks like Goodwill Industries.
ReplyDeleteGet a load of the other people in that photo, including the fat woman in blue sweats.
What a crew.
Sally Mason looks like a witch.
I am baffled and saddened by the depiction of President Sally Mason, as well as the event in question (which took place at a jewelry studio in rural North Liberty, and not a jewelry store in Iowa City). Given the superb writing, quality of content, sensitivity, and excellent information (particularly the music reviews), I was taken aback by this one. Best wishes, and thank you for sharing this wonderful blog with your readers.
ReplyDeleteI submit that mine was fair comment, and that persons that do ridiculous things in public should be held up to public ridicule.
ReplyDeleteThis principle is especially true for persons in positions of authority, whose actions carry public significance, whether on their own time or no.
I would never have ridiculed an unknown housewife for showing up—dressed like a hillbilly—at the opening of some down-market jewelry establishment. However, for a university president to do so—especially a university president with Mason’s checkered record, to put it kindly—raises the matter to an entirely different level of scrutiny.