Interesting picture. Even Moby found it interesting enough to blog about (check here). Moby called the picture "creepy" and wrote the following:
don’t get me wrong, i’m not opposed to same sex couples walking around holding hands, but i do find it a bit odd when the president of the united states walks around with the crown prince of saudi arabia and they’re so close and intimate that they’re holding hands like young lovers.
Now, if you’re a pomomusings regular (and even if you’re not), you’ll know that I’m no Bush-fan by any means. Not at all. And I am generally a Moby-fan. But Moby apparently just does not get it here. Granted, we all probably have our own views about this meeting between President Bush and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, what we should not be objecting to is them holding hands. Here I am actually a little bit impressed with Bush. He knows that it is the custom of the Middle East for me to hold hands while they walk together, it’s just common. Anyone who has been in Egypt, or Palestine or other places in the Middle East will tell you – just get used to it. It is how men walk in public. So, Moby (and others) – let’s be upset with this picture because of what this says about America’s (or rather, Bush’s) foreign policy, with the obsession with oil, etc. But c’mon Moby, let’s not blog about how this picture is "creepy" because they’re holding hands — I’d expect you to be a bit more culturally-knowledgeable than that…
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It’s fine by me.
Adam, thanx for the reference to my blog! i really appreciate it! i can’t speak for moby, but i think he might have been calling it creepy because of the political/financial ramifications and looking as if Bush is “in bed” with the Saudis. moby is not a homophobe. i responded back to your post on my blog. Adele :-)
It’s a little strange by american culture, to be sure. Whether or not you agree with George Bush, it is nice to see that he has some cultural awareness. I heard, just today through a friend, that when visiting China, an important political figure said that all white people looked the same. That’s pretty much awesome, I wish that had been OUR leader… ;)
But he’s our President. He needs to be the embodiment of our ideals: homophobic, white aristocrat, and surly. That picture seems to be none of the above — I AM offended.
What an excellent point Adam. I know when I lived in Kenya, men held hands while walking together all the time. It took some getting used to, but there’s no reason for anyone to react to this in any sort of homophobic way. It’s comical that many did.
why you no likey bush….
what is wrong with oil?
this website is full of liberal selfish utopian communists
Ahh…Bush’s (not so futile) attempt at giving the crowned prince his assurance. As holding hands is the custom in the Middle East, I would hate to assume that this is Bush’s attempt (again) at reassuring himself that holding hands with him would guarantee him the oil he wants so much. And the idea of holding hands is lost.