October 31, 2009

For Halloween, the First Lady is a leopard and the President is "a middle-aged dad."

"The first lady was dressed as a leopard, with a smear of eyeliner, fuzzy ears and a spotted orange-and-black top. The president was dressed as a middle-aged dad, with a black cardigan, checkered shirt and sensible brown slacks. Together they handed out treats on the steps of the north portico of the White House last night, sending some trick-or-treaters into fits of shock and joy."

But the President is a middle-aged dad. And how does leopard go with middle-aged dad anyway?

The First Family got way more kids coming to the door than Meade and I did. They got 2,600! Did we even get 26? We did this routine in which Meade, wearing a mask and werewolf gloves would attack me while  I was giving out the candy — traditional Milky Way bars. The Obamas gave "a plastic baggy containing White House M&Ms, an orange sugar cookie in the shape of the residence, and clumps of desiccated apricots, apples and papayas." No word on whether they did a leopard-attacks-middle-aged-dad routine.

51 comments:

MadisonMan said...

I LOVE MILKY WAY BARS!

That's why I don't give them out -- I'd eat them.

Freeman Hunt said...

A middle aged dad can't go as a middle aged dad.

Leopard is pretty good. The could both have been leopards. President probably didn't want goofy pics of himself out there. How about a safari man or something?

Freeman Hunt said...

Ooo, or a wildlife photographer and a leopard. That would have been good.

Jimmy said...

Give the Obama's a break on this one way to go POTUS & FLOTUS!

Irene said...

Imagine if the First Lady had gone as a cougar.

Avierra said...

I think Shelly O looks quite cute/fetching there. That was a good costume.

former law student said...

Despite the nanny dogooders in Congress who delayed the return to Standard Time "for the children," kids still wait for dark to go door-to-door.

kimsch said...

I was a witch handing out candy, hubby was a middle-aged-dad taking the kids (and one dog) out trick-or-treating. Hubby did the middle aged dad thing first!

We probably had a couple hundred kids throughout the four hour trick or treat window (1-5) that our village has.

vw: alshose either it's Al's Hose or it's Althouse spelt incorrectly.

former law student said...

the four hour trick or treat window (1-5)

Talk about the nanny state! That's like senior citizens setting the clocks four hours ahead on New Year's Eve -- the champagne toast follows Jeopardy.

Banshee said...

What? They gave out White House cookies and dried fruit?

Don't they know that kids aren't allowed to eat homemade stuff? I mean, there could be razorblades in that stuff! Nobody's parents are going to let them eat that! In fact, given the souvenir value, it's unlikely the kids will get to eat anything in the goody bags.

So basically, nothing but experience for one seriously long line. How stupid.

As for the costuming, I don't know that the President should dress up. But that being so, either decide that the dignity of the President means that neither wear costumes, or don't show up at the door and just let your wife hand out the bags. It's lame to have one costumed and the other pretending to wear a costume.

If he'd said he was Mr Rogers, I might actually have awarded him points.

kimsch said...

FLS - yep and if Halloween isn't on a weekend, trick-or-treating is the Sunday before.

Safer for the Littles, crappy for the tweens and teens.

Although it is nice to not have to open the door again and again until the wee hours of the morning.

wv: wings - saw a lot of those on fairies this afternoon!

kimsch said...

FLS - yep and if Halloween isn't on a weekend, trick-or-treating is the Sunday before.

Safer for the Littles, crappy for the tweens and teens.

Although it is nice to not have to open the door again and again until the wee hours of the morning.

wv: wings - saw a lot of those on fairies this afternoon!

well, that one didn't work, here's the next: hydinda

David said...

Prez. is dressed as a yuppie preppy middle of the road guy. It's a great costume. Fooled tens of millions of people.

former law student said...

It's lame to have one costumed and the other pretending to wear a costume.

Lame or not, it's 100% normal, in my experience. Who plays dressup, girls or boys?

kimsch said...

Sorry about the double post.

cocables

Dust Bunny Queen said...

Obama dresses up as middle aged dad? Total lack of imagination.

We never have trick or treaters in our area. Too rural. Too much distance. Too cold. Too dark!! Too dangerous!!!

The kids generally go to the VFW Hall or Lions Hall and have a community party, which is a lot of fun.... at least for the under 13 crowd.

daubiere said...

obama's been testing his "president of the united states" costume for the last 9 months...

im surprised michelle didnt take her leopard costume to its logical conclusion and go as a black panther.

:)

Peter Hoh said...

Middle-aged dad was by far the most popular costume for dads on my block.

Of the few adults wearing costumes while they followed their kids, my favorite was a couple who were dressed as the figures in Grant Woods' American Gothic. He was carrying the requisite pitchfork. Together they carried a giant frame.

Wish I had taken a photo.

My 17 y.o. son helped pass out candy. He wore a full gorilla costume and sat in a lawn chair with a bowl of candy on his lap.

I, dressed as the middle-aged dad, raked leaves. When kids came up, I told them they could just help themselves from the bowl. If the kids were old enough, David would move after they took their candy -- not violent thrashing, just gentle moves.

If the kids were little, I told them that they could turn on the gorilla by pulling its finger. David moved so slowly, none of them got scared.

Unknown said...

Irene said...

Imagine if the First Lady had gone as a cougar.

daubiere said...

im surprised michelle didnt take her leopard costume to its logical conclusion and go as a black panther.

:)


Actually, that's the name for an African-American cougar.

Many a true word...??

kimsch said...

Sorry about the double post.

The way blogger works, apparently you're either in danger of that or not getting the comment in because you have to WV so many times.

Randy said...

Peter: Sounds great! Did you get any pics of your son & the trick-or-treaters?

Randy said...

The most popular costume for men on my block was whatever they were wearing this afternoon, I guess. Almost all the houses on my street have their lights OFF tonight. Almost all of them really aren't home, too.

former law student said...

Almost all of them really aren't home, too.

I have a party to go to as soon as the trick or treaters die down.

To me, Halloween is for the neighbor kids, not for adults. Plus my dad told me about how "tricksters" would soap windows, tip over outhouses, and steal picket fences to make bonfires.

Peter Hoh said...

Randy, it was too dark for photos. We pulled the chair close to the sidewalk, away from the porch light, to help sell the effect. Maybe next year we'll set up a hidden camera and add some strategic lighting.

careen said...

I think it would have been a hoot if they'd dressed up as their New Yorker cover.

KCFleming said...

Obama shoulda worn a Nixon mask.

KCFleming said...

Instead he went as Jimmy Carter, sweater and all.

blake said...

Randy!

Yeah! What was up with that? No costumes? Or, like, a Lone Ranger-type mask with street clothes? I saw a teen boy in his regulas clothes--with leopard ears?

Made me cranky.

blake said...

We did finally get a full complement of kids, though. Everyone started an hour later, though. Weird.

Bender R said...

an orange sugar cookie in the shape of the residence, and clumps of desiccated apricots, apples and papayas

Which any safety conscious parent, and any normal kid who understands that Halloween is for CANDY, knows to immediately throw in the trash.

Bender R said...

Apparently he couldn't fit into the Teleprompter costume.

Penny said...

"Michelle, mah belle" looks more like Candy from the Housewives of Atlanta than she does a leopard.

I guess that fits though. Candy on halloween.

Penny said...

LOVE how Althouse labeled this...

"Obama, the father"

You just KNOW she was rolling her eyes and thinking "son and holy ghost"

jaed said...

Oh jeez, Pogo is right.

Obama has taken to wearing a cardigan.

We're doomed. Doomed, I tell you. A cardigan on the president is like a sighting of one of the horsemen of the apocalypse, or the plague of frogs, or something.

Penny said...

Actually jaed,

I prefer "truth in advertising".

Obama as a regular "Joe" in cardigan and khakis, or Obama as "Father, Son and Holy Ghost?

The man needs to pick one, and then run with it.

AllenS said...

I wore black face and tried to give away Obama Presidential Coins, but the little urchins scattered before I could pass them out (get rid of them).

WV: apope

Next years constume, perhaps.

Jon said...

Obama should have gone as Beck or Roger Ailes, since he considers Fox News to be so scary.

Bissage said...

Halloween night went badly here in USDA zone 6b and I have to admit I’m feeling a little bit sad and lonely this morning.

I dressed up like Jacque Pepin and Mrs. Bissage dressed up like Julia Child and we had an omelet station set up on the driveway. Three cheeses, mushrooms, red peppers, green peppers, onions, asparagus, bacon, ham and sausage. Melon slices and lots of different herbs. Lots of pleasant, witty banter -- or so I thought.

Not one kid showed up! Not one!!!

All we got were local cops. Several of them complained that our variety of exotic teas was naïve and one of them insulted me, saying his omelet lacked volume and was more suited to a field hand’s lunch than a Halloween treat.

Everyone’s a critic!

rhhardin said...

They've gotten it mixed up with Easter, from the picture.

Unknown said...

The Washington Post reporter says the president wore a cardigan, and you all just believed it?

Look at the picture. It's a crew neck.

Please remember that the MSM can't be trusted to accurately report anything.

TWM said...

And I am SURE she rocked that leopard costume like no other First Lady has rocked any costume EVA!!

She should have gone with the obvious choice - the one she carried off before with that ugly red and black dress - black widow spider.

El Presidente said...

How can we trust the Post to get any facts right when they can't even identify the presidential sweater?

That ain't no Cardigan. The cardigan probably didn'y poll so well.

And I guarantee the President got some that night. So there's two differences between Carter and Obama.

Leland said...

I like the picture. It shows she does have a sense of style to give her a bit of a costume that's comfortable and functional. Yeah, he was a bit boring, but I'm a middle-aged dad too, and I have a hard time getting into the dress-up. So he gave out candy next to his wife. Good for him.

Anthony said...

I didn't dress up this year (except for a Badger Foamhead) because I went whole hog with an Indiana jones costume -- complete with Nerf cracking whip! -- last year and got a whole two groups, both neighbors. So I just set up the ol' computer and watched football on ESPN360 and waited for the, again, 2 groups of miscreants to stop by. Total ToTers: 5.

It's really Jewish around here, maybe that's why we don't get many.

Unknown said...

MadisonMan,

I hear you. I purchased a bag of Milky Ways Wednesday.

Fatal error.

kentuckyliz said...

Hungry Like The Wolf!

I think the Righties would only be happy if she dressed as Aunt Jemima and he dressed as Little Black Sambo.

Ralph L said...

So there's two differences between Carter and Obama.
How could you forget that the Carters informed us they were still doing it several years ago?

Sorry to spoil everyone's day.

Chip Ahoy said...

KL, you should consider a career in cinema. You're one of the better projectionists.

El Presidente said...

KL,

If she dressed as Aunt Jemima and he dressed as Little Black Sambo it would show that they had a sense of humor and maybe that they were on the way to the post racial society we seem to have been promised.

We know that it would pain you to see that happen. You seem to hold fast to your prejudices even while ascribing them to others. Chip Ahoy is right, projection is a very powerful defense mechanism.

CGHill said...

I got exactly twenty-six little goblins (down four from the year before).

BJK said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
former law student said...

That ain't no Cardigan

Quite right -- this is a Cardigan:

http://www.justdogbreeds.com/images/breeds/cardigan-welsh-corgi.jpg