Monday, July 23, 2012

Chinoiserie on "Political Animals"


I don't know if any of you are following the trashy new USA network limited series "Political Animals," but it is fun for me on several levels. I have been in DC for a long time and I'm a complete political junkie. But the show is also full of Chinoiserie. In the opening scene, the Secretary of State and former First Lady who yearns to be President (ring any bells?), played by Sigourney Weaver, sits at a black and gold Chinoiserie desk adorned with beautiful orange Chinoiserie vases. The sofa is Mitchell & Gold BTW.


Her desk below has elephants and blue and white Chinese porcelain. Check out the pair of blanc de Chine lamps in the bottom photo. In last night's episode, in a flashback, she throws a blue and white Ming vase at her then husband (now ex-husband and former President) who does a dreadful Bill Clinton impression, when she learns of one of his many affairs. The set designer chose Chinoiserie to express the grandeur of high political office. Chinoiserie, sex, and politics - the perfect summer diversion.


3 comments:

  1. Thought of you when I watched this! "Chinoiserie, sex, and politics - the perfect summer diversion." Too funny!

    When I was young, my dad would read the newspaper to me instead of children's books. We were arguing politics by the time I was in grade school. Understand the political junkie disease.

    ps Don't you just want to reach up and pull those curtains down to the floor? What's up with that?

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  2. Now I am going to have to play catch up and see what I have been missing! Is there ANYTHING that you don't know before most of the rest of us???

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  3. Hi Beth
    I LOVE your blog...it is such an inspiration ! I live and work in Duba, UAE as a decorative painter and I have been following your blog for a while now....
    I recently started watching Political Animals too, and the first thing I thought when she threw the Ming vase at her husband was: what a waste!!!
    I LOVE all the touches of Chinoiserie and I am equally fascinated by US Politics....so all in all it's great fun for me all round!I am in total agreement...the perfect summer diversion.

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