I don't recall which P.J. O'Rourke book it was (I think it was this one), but he once opined on the "babe theory" of political movements. It was his observation that the movements that are bound to succeed are the ones with the pretty girls. The reasoning behind it is they are more likely to woo a large number of male supporters, hoping to impress said pretty girls.
It's a pretty shallow observation, but I think it holds some merit -- even in the Middle East, that same wonderful region that brought us the burkha and chador. For example, contrast this picture with this one. Or this one. Or these.
It all just makes me so gosh-darn proud that I can say I was born in Lebanon.
(Lebanon, New Hampshire, that is.)
J.
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Comments (40)
It's in Parliament of Wh... (Below threshold)1. Posted by Karen | March 15, 2005 7:40 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
It's in Parliament of Whores, at the end of the chapter "Among the Compassion Fascists."
1. Posted by Karen | March 15, 2005 7:40 AM |
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Posted on March 15, 2005 07:40
2. Posted by Jay Tea | March 15, 2005 7:53 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Thanks for the correction, Karen. I recalled it was during a conversation with a peer while they were on a college campus. I figured it was from his return to his alma mater in "Age and Guile," but I'd forgotten about his visit to a college in "Parliament." I can't find a copy of either at such short notice, so I'll just take your word for it.
J.
2. Posted by Jay Tea | March 15, 2005 7:53 AM |
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Posted on March 15, 2005 07:53
3. Posted by GaijinBiker | March 15, 2005 8:21 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
I actually think there is a causal connection between supporting democracy and looking hot.
3. Posted by GaijinBiker | March 15, 2005 8:21 AM |
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Posted on March 15, 2005 08:21
4. Posted by BR | March 15, 2005 9:08 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
GaijinBiker: I really enjoyed reading your thoughts and quotes at your site. Many months ago I read a western reporter's article from Baghdad describing the beautiful sound of laughter coming from a female reporter in the hotel and how it suddenly struck him how that had been absent - under Islamic rule, female laughter had been forbidden. (Perhaps he had been in Afghanistan, I don't know if female laughter was also forbidden in Iraq.)
Re Lebanon - this is so exciting what's happening there. I heard Beirut was once the Paris of the Middle East with a beautiful waterfront - before Arafat and his thugs arrived and all the ensuing violence and destruction. Besides freedom for the Lebanese and the ability of expatriates who fled from the violence to return to their homeland, now there's also hope (for an incurable traveller like me) that one can visit there in the future and peacefully sit and drink coffee in a waterfront cafe and enjoy the beauty!
4. Posted by BR | March 15, 2005 9:08 AM |
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Posted on March 15, 2005 09:08
5. Posted by lawhawk | March 15, 2005 9:14 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
I've made similar observations given Glenn's penchant for finding cuties to grace his pages at Instapundit, not to mention all the other sites that have covered the Cedar Revolution.
It makes me wonder whether the 1989 Tienneman Sqare Protests might have turned out differently had the protestors led the way with the likes of a Ziyi Zhang.
What is it when gals lead the way? Beats me, but let's hope that the women in Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt take a gander at what's going on in Lebanon and want a piece of the action.
5. Posted by lawhawk | March 15, 2005 9:14 AM |
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Posted on March 15, 2005 09:14
6. Posted by BR | March 15, 2005 9:29 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
I think it was Michael Savage (radio host) who said - The US needs less sex and the Middle East needs more - that'll solve the problems. (Hollywood doesn't even realize they could be a force for good! The Mullahs worst nightmare. Liberated women! Hee hee, what they resist, they'll get!)
6. Posted by BR | March 15, 2005 9:29 AM |
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Posted on March 15, 2005 09:29
7. Posted by Easycure | March 15, 2005 9:55 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Savage was wrong, we need more sex too. It's the only area the French may be better than us (in quantity, anyway. They're still smelly.)
7. Posted by Easycure | March 15, 2005 9:55 AM |
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Posted on March 15, 2005 09:55
8. Posted by Richard Aubrey | March 15, 2005 9:57 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
It's apparently working. LGF tells us a significant number of US Navy battlegroups are under way toward the area.
8. Posted by Richard Aubrey | March 15, 2005 9:57 AM |
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Posted on March 15, 2005 09:57
9. Posted by susan | March 15, 2005 10:01 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Guess this will never happen in China since the women willfully abort their female babies.
9. Posted by susan | March 15, 2005 10:01 AM |
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Posted on March 15, 2005 10:01
10. Posted by Rancor | March 15, 2005 10:03 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Politics and Chics, please don't tell Bill Clinton. He might run again.
10. Posted by Rancor | March 15, 2005 10:03 AM |
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Posted on March 15, 2005 10:03
11. Posted by OregonMuse | March 15, 2005 10:20 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Jay says O'Rourke's observation is "shallow", but I don't think so. I think it's one of those "embarrassingly true" observations. Kind of like the one that goes "large, dangerous male prisoners ought to be escorted through Atlanta couthouses by equally large male guards and not 5-foot-tall 51-year-old grandmothers who can be easily overpowered and have their guns taken away and used on them."
Incidentally, we see this same "pretty girl" phenomenon in the music industry. That is, you know your band is doing well if it starts attracting significant numbers of young, hot groupies who are willing to trade sexual favors for the privilege of hanging out and being seen hanging out with band members.
11. Posted by OregonMuse | March 15, 2005 10:20 AM |
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Posted on March 15, 2005 10:20
12. Posted by Ted | March 15, 2005 10:22 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
I have been impressed with how many hot chicks are showing up at these demonstrations - or at least getting some pictures.
12. Posted by Ted | March 15, 2005 10:22 AM |
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Posted on March 15, 2005 10:22
13. Posted by Nate | March 15, 2005 10:27 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
heh
http://lebanesechicksforfreedom.blogspot.com/
13. Posted by Nate | March 15, 2005 10:27 AM |
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Posted on March 15, 2005 10:27
14. Posted by Mike G | March 15, 2005 10:37 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
I suppose it's a little less than shallow in that, popular movements attract popular people with lots of friends, who tend to be attractive people.
While less attractive, less popular people are more likely to take up some cause that's rooted in wanting to spoil the more popular kids' fun, such as PETA, Marxism, abstinence programs, SUV and cigarette hatred, etc.
Feminism, for instance, represents a clear case of how this works positively and negatively. When feminism had mainstream, popular goals, it attracted attractive people despite itself. Once women were in the workplace and the general state of domestic relations between men and women had moved from patriarchy to general equality, the (attractive) mainstream dropped the movement per se and it was taken over by the (generally unattractive, not to mention unbalanced) all-sex-is-rape kooks, anti-porn crusaders, satanic ritual abuse fantasists, and others of the professionally aggrieved.
14. Posted by Mike G | March 15, 2005 10:37 AM |
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Posted on March 15, 2005 10:37
15. Posted by Kimberly | March 15, 2005 10:43 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
I mentioned PJ's Babe Theory when that hot French activist, Sabine Herold, was speaking out: http://www.kimberlyswygert.com/archives/001766.html
The Lebanese babes are even further proof of it.
15. Posted by Kimberly | March 15, 2005 10:43 AM |
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Posted on March 15, 2005 10:43
16. Posted by Ed | March 15, 2005 10:52 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Maybe Larry Flynt can send some honeys to Beirut. He's all about freedom of speech isn't he, let's help out the cause Lar!
16. Posted by Ed | March 15, 2005 10:52 AM |
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Posted on March 15, 2005 10:52
17. Posted by Syl | March 15, 2005 10:53 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Don't forget all the Babes for Bush! compare them to the aging hippies at anti-war demo's and you have the reason for Nov 2's results. Heh.
17. Posted by Syl | March 15, 2005 10:53 AM |
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Posted on March 15, 2005 10:53
18. Posted by PatCa | March 15, 2005 10:54 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
The babe theory is true! When I was a coed back in the days, my friend (a Demi look alike) walked into a Peace Community meeting, and the pres said, "Oh, good, here come the girls! Now lots of guys will join, too"!
No will you blogger please find us some hot looking Lebanese men?! You need the women in this movement, too!
18. Posted by PatCa | March 15, 2005 10:54 AM |
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Posted on March 15, 2005 10:54
19. Posted by Yes | March 15, 2005 11:20 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
You aint kidding about the hot babes theory.
19. Posted by Yes | March 15, 2005 11:20 AM |
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Posted on March 15, 2005 11:20
20. Posted by John Thacker | March 15, 2005 11:35 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
I suspect that this is largely true because the pretty girls are disproportionately those who are very good at spotting trends and following them. The ability to read social situations is a form of intelligence.
20. Posted by John Thacker | March 15, 2005 11:35 AM |
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Posted on March 15, 2005 11:35
21. Posted by Mr. Snitch! | March 15, 2005 11:50 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Politics, schmolitics. Same principle works in real estate. Once the babes move into the neighborhood, prices go through the roof.
21. Posted by Mr. Snitch! | March 15, 2005 11:50 AM |
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Posted on March 15, 2005 11:50
22. Posted by Chris | March 15, 2005 12:17 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Hey, I live and blog from Lebanon, NH! I also work at the hospital where you were born. The "babes" here are currently dressed in flannel. Just found your great site and trackbacked to this post.
Chris
22. Posted by Chris | March 15, 2005 12:17 PM |
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Posted on March 15, 2005 12:17
23. Posted by wlad | March 15, 2005 12:28 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
eh. the anti-chavez movement in venezuela certainly did not suffer of a lack of babes. didn't get them all that far though.
23. Posted by wlad | March 15, 2005 12:28 PM |
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Posted on March 15, 2005 12:28
24. Posted by mark | March 15, 2005 12:34 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Lebanese women aren't the only hotties. Iraq has it's share too! If you watch the documentary Voices of Iraq (I think Netflix might be the only outlet to rent it or got to voicesofiraq.com) the number of babes is amazing! Of course there is MUCH more than to VOI than women. It is an outstanding documentary made by Iraqis about their repression under Saddam, and the hardships/hopes/dreams of post-liberation. It's the anti-F911 in so many ways.
24. Posted by mark | March 15, 2005 12:34 PM |
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Posted on March 15, 2005 12:34
25. Posted by Rick | March 15, 2005 2:00 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
I'll have to go back and reread O'Rourke's words. It's been a very long time, but I recall only that he observed the correlation, not that he theorized abot the reason.
25. Posted by Rick | March 15, 2005 2:00 PM |
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Posted on March 15, 2005 14:00
26. Posted by Rob Read | March 15, 2005 2:38 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
It's equally likely that the hottest babes are simply following the men showing the most leadership...
26. Posted by Rob Read | March 15, 2005 2:38 PM |
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Posted on March 15, 2005 14:38
27. Posted by Bert | March 15, 2005 2:53 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Susan: "Guess this will never happen in China since the women willfully abort their female babies."
Actually, that will radically increase the influence of the remaining hotties.
27. Posted by Bert | March 15, 2005 2:53 PM |
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Posted on March 15, 2005 14:53
28. Posted by erp | March 15, 2005 3:13 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Is this rocket science?
If you're a beautiful young girl would you want to walk around in a black shroud or a tank top?
Duh?
28. Posted by erp | March 15, 2005 3:13 PM |
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Posted on March 15, 2005 15:13
29. Posted by donna | March 15, 2005 4:17 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Not to rain on your parade, but have you ever noticed the appearance of those buxom black-haired hotties 25 years later? Give me a nice average blonde with "sunny-side-up" boobs any time...including 25 years later. Less loss of "pride" to gravity over the years.
29. Posted by donna | March 15, 2005 4:17 PM |
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Posted on March 15, 2005 16:17
30. Posted by BR | March 15, 2005 6:14 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Hee hee, I see the Babes of Beirut have awakened the manhood of wizbang's sitemeter. The link will change, but it's V-formation on this date was quite funny (Sunday being the bottom of the V, and Monday when this thread appeared, it shot up!) I could go on about the erection of statistical models, but you get the (phallic) point...
30. Posted by BR | March 15, 2005 6:14 PM |
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Posted on March 15, 2005 18:14
31. Posted by fat kid | March 15, 2005 6:37 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Christ, I think I've been to Lebanon (NH) - isn't that where they have that paper plant that reeks like hot garbage? ... or is that Berlin, NH.
Damn.
31. Posted by fat kid | March 15, 2005 6:37 PM |
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Posted on March 15, 2005 18:37
32. Posted by Frank Warner | March 15, 2005 7:15 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
It all began in 1830, when Eugene Delacroix painted “Liberty Leading the People.” There was a bare-breasted babe carrying a gun against tyranny. How could the men do anything but follow?
32. Posted by Frank Warner | March 15, 2005 7:15 PM |
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Posted on March 15, 2005 19:15
33. Posted by BR | March 15, 2005 7:28 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Thanks, Frank, for that wonderful link. I had forgotten - even Tiananmen Square had its beautiful woman statue of liberty.
33. Posted by BR | March 15, 2005 7:28 PM |
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Posted on March 15, 2005 19:28
34. Posted by Major Bill | March 15, 2005 9:31 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Not that I want to stir the pot or anything like that here, but...
It is very interesting to compare and contrast the long in the tooth losers at the "weresorryworld" website with the Babes that were celebrating President Bush's re-election.
34. Posted by Major Bill | March 15, 2005 9:31 PM |
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Posted on March 15, 2005 21:31
35. Posted by Darwin | March 15, 2005 11:27 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Wow, crazy. My family has a house near Plainfield, mere minutes from Lebanon, NH.
=darwin
35. Posted by Darwin | March 15, 2005 11:27 PM |
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Posted on March 15, 2005 23:27
36. Posted by toodles | March 15, 2005 11:33 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
What do you want to bet the Lebanese babes are all Lebanese Christians? I don't think any of the Muslims there would let their women dress like that.
36. Posted by toodles | March 15, 2005 11:33 PM |
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Posted on March 15, 2005 23:33