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McCain in Time -vs- McCain in Newsweek

Bzcritic Ready for his Close-Up?

Honestly, we try not to get too political over here at Movie Smackdown!  After all, we have our work cut out for us with our film-on-film comparisons without taking sides in blue-versus-red issues, but sometimes the target is just too damn tempting even if it’s a little off-concept.  This, my fellow Americans, happens to be one of those times.

There’s been a lot of talk about how eyebrows were raised over Sarah Palin being plucked
from obscurity to serve as VP on the Republican ticket.  Now it appears
that her running mate (remember him?  the McCain guy?) is having to
play catch-up to compete. 
In the issues of Time and Newsweek that just came out (September 8 cover date), there’s a fine full-page picture of the Senator inside Newsweek and his mug gets the full cover treatment on Time.  Here they are: take a good look before we continue…

Browgate1

 

As a producer out here in Hollywood, I’ve studied my share of head shots while considering actors for parts.  While I was looking at McCain to see if he seemed up for the role, it hit me.  The man had all the grey hairs plucked out of his eyebrows. 

Now we always knew that McCain was a gutsy warrior but we never would have thought to apply the adjective plucky but there it is.  Somehow, John McCain got his picture taken for Newsweek and then must have gone off to Time to be photographed for the cover shot.  Along the way, somebody got rid of all those pesky white hairs because they are gone, baby, gone.  Because of our commitment to investigative journalism here at Movie Smackdown, we have gone the extra mile.  Take a look yourself and you tell me if we have a Brow-gate on our hands or not?

Browgate2
Above: Newsweek | Below: Time

Look, I’m all for sartorial striving, but there is a little irony here.  Isn’t John
McCain the guy who “approved” the ads that tried to make Barack Obama
seem like a lightweight by branding him with the “celebrity” brush and
running pictures of Britney Spears and Paris Hilton next to his?  Then
this same candidate runs out and plucks his brows for his big Time cover?

Did one of his consultants tell him that the grey in his
eyebrows made him look, well, a little old?  Especially compared to his
much younger new running mate?  Did the famously irritable McCain fuss
and fume before agreeing?  Did the Secret Service have to inspect the
tweezers first?  We just ask the questions, you decide.

Here’s the biggest question.  If Barack Obama had done the exact same thing
before his recent cover shoot, would any of the Republican speakers
last night have missed the opportunity to use that against him in
dismissive and contemptuous sound-bites?

Yeah.  Probably not.

Oh, well.  It’s just another trivial issue that probably won’t even make it past a news cycle.

Hair today, gone tomorrow

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About Bryce Zabel 196 Articles
Drawing inspiration from career experiences as a CNN correspondent, TV Academy chairman, creator of five produced primetime network TV series, and fast-food frycook, Bryce is the Editor-in-Chief of "Movie Smackdown." While he freely admits to having written the screenplay for the reviewer-savaged "Mortal Kombat: Annihilation," he hopes the fact that he also won the Writers Guild award a couple of years ago will cause you to cut him some slack. That, plus the fact that he has a new StudioCanal produced feature film, “The Last Battle,” shooting this summer in Europe about the end of World War II. He's also a member of the Directors Guild, Screen Actors Guild, and a past enthusiast of the Merry Marvel Marching Society. His new what-if book series, “Breakpoint,” just won the prestigious Sidewise Award for Alternate History, and has so far tackled JFK not being assassinated and The Beatles staying together.
Contact: Website

2 Comments on McCain in Time -vs- McCain in Newsweek


  1. As a front desk manager of two prominent day spas in Los Angeles, I must admit that Mr. McCain has definitely been to the ‘chair’ for his brows. BUT, they didn’t do a very good job! Maybe a little brow tint or even permanent makeup would help him to THINK he looked younger, or young enough at least to compete with his new vixen counterpart.


  2. Given the lady’s speech last night, I think McCain may have been browbeaten by Ms. Palin. Up next — a bikini wax. But don’t worry, the man has proven he can withstand torture…

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