May 30, 2012

Why did Bob Dylan wear sunglasses to the White House?

Caitlin McDevitt (at Politico) simply notes that he did, but we watched the video (over there), and this was the dialogue at Meadhouse:

ME: Look how emotional he is. That's why he's wearing sunglasses...

MEADE: He doesn't want people scrutinizing him...

ME: He's crying. He doesn't want people to see him cry. Oh, jeez, look at Obama. That smug look on his face... compared to Dylan... who is shaking and crying... [Blogging the conversation:] Did you say he didn't want people peering into his soul?

MEADE: No, I said he doesn't want people scrutinizing him. He's very expressive. He doesn't want people to be able to see that.

ME: Oh, I'm mixing it up with Bush and Putin. [Bush said: "I looked the man in the eye... I was able to get a sense of his soul..."]

MEADE: "Please don’t put a price on my soul... I know you’ve suffered much/But in this you are not so unique.... And if you don’t underestimate me/I won’t underestimate you..."

ADDED: And if you don’t misunderestimate me, I won’t misunderestimate you...

ALSO: What Bob Dylan said about Barack Obama in June 2008.

33 comments:

ndspinelli said...

Both the prez and Marion Berry seem to have problems w/ "Polacks."

m stone said...

Meade actually quoted the Dear Landlord lyrics from recall?

Who is this alien?

traditionalguy said...

It is normal.

Bob Dylan has a soul that gets emotional when he remembers the people and places from his past.

A beautiful soul.

Bob said...

Actually that wasn't Dylan. It was his cousin, the bluesman Blind Bobby D.

chickelit said...

Maybe Bob has "vacuum eyes"?

Original Mike said...

Eye problems? I have some eye problems that are attenuated by dark glasses.

roesch/voltaire said...

So many years of spot lights on old eyes that need some shade in the public light, I can see that. But I do not see a smug look on the President's face-- that seems like a projection from one who has Obama derangement.

Shanna said...

Eye problems?

I would say eye problems, migraines or drugs are the most common answers.

MadisonMan said...

I figured he'd had eye surgery. Cataracts. Glaucoma. All those eye ailments that very old people get.

Skyler said...

I can't say that I understand your obsession with this singer. He may have been somewhat good at one time, but last I saw him, years ago, he was croaking incoherently and embarrassingly at a concert on television. I think he was high as a kite or otherwise mentally deranged. Perhaps he still is.

Meade said...

Little off topic: We were out riding bikes around Madtown the other day. I said to A., "I think we're in John Nichols' neighborhood."

I swear - no less than 30 seconds later, I looked across the street and I saw a white man who walked a black dog. AND IT WAS JOHN NICHOLS!.

ps: Soon after that, a soft rain fell.

William said...

I concur with Original Mike. There's a version of Occam's Razor that states that the least romantic explanation is usually the correct one. Dylan probably has cataracts and his eyes don't adjust well to bright lights and the sudden variations in lighting such as occurs when you are within sight of the President's radiant smile.

Ann Althouse said...

"Meade actually quoted the Dear Landlord lyrics from recall?"

Absolutely (Sweet M/arie/eade).

Well, anybody can be just like me, obviously
But then, now again, not too many can be like Meade, fortunately...


Half our conversations — which are short and sweet — are half Bob Dylan lyrics, here at Meadhouse.

Original Mike said...

You see a lot of elderly wearing dark glasses.

lemondog said...

As one does not look directly at the sun and he did not want to be blinded by O's magnificence.

edutcher said...

I've seen a couple of pics of him on stage going back to the mid-60s where he has shades.

Maybe it's just the lights.

Ann's seen him in concert - does he wear shades?

Ann Althouse said...

Half our conversations — which are short and sweet — are half Bob Dylan lyrics, here at Meadhouse.

Sweet in terms of passion, we hope.

sakredkow said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
ricpic said...

What's with that pencil moustache Dylan is sporting? A secret Claude Rains fan?

Unknown said...

Hah, this just reminded me of 2005 when the Northwestern Women's Lacrosse team got taken to task for wearing "flip-flops to the White House" when they got their picture taken with Bush. Funny thing is, my softball team (Michigan) was directly across from them in the same room and we were wearing tennis shoes, khaki shorts, and blue polo shirts, essentially the coaching uniform of a college softball coach. It was embarrasing. I was shocked and grateful it was never brought up in the media like the Lacrosse girl's outfits were.

Ann Althouse said...

Well, remember when George Bush chided some guy for wearing sunglasses and then it turned out he was blind or recovering from eye surgery or some such thing?

Ann Althouse said...

"Are you going to ask that question with shades on?" Bush asked.

"I can take them off," Wallsten offered.

"I'm interested in the shade look," replied Bush. "Seriously."

Wallsten said, "All right, I'll keep it, then."

"For the viewers," the president said to the TV cameras, "there's no sun." Some in the press corps laughed.

"I guess it depends on your perspective," replied Wallsten, Zen-like.

"Touché," said the president, who then took Wallsten's question about Karl Rove.


http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=2077873&page=1#.T8Zb_hx0xZc

Roman said...

Dylan was probably higher than an kite. Blood shot, empty looking eyes give that away.

sakredkow said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
walter said...

Because shades are cool..and you see most "rock stars" wearing them to obscure age (excluding Walker).

Or...he was crying because the award was diminished by who was giving it to him and by the fact that Delores Huerta was getting one too.

walter said...

Huerta presenting at a school in AZ.
http://quill.tusd.k12.az.us/doloreshuertaaddress

Oh..it's good from the warm intro by the principal(02:50) on. But here are some highlights:

14:26 "Republicans hate Latinos. Republicans hate Latinos."
17:55 Hugo Chavez sets the example.
25:47 Laws are important
28:49 arrested 27 times (huge applause)
30:45 Elect women. Without them, wrong decisions will be made
31:35 Celebrate our looks

robear said...

I met Dylan years ago and was introduced to him by Joan Baez - she told me he was the biggest introvert you could imagine - except when he was on-stage with his guitar - as there was only the three of us he definitely seemed quite shy - then he took the stage - and he rocked!!!

Dan said...

Bob Dylan is a reflection of America. He wears sunglasses to reflect what he sees and communicate his adoration for all that. I saw him in concert a couple of years ago at Summerfest. He was really good albeit hard to understand. The backing band had so much respect for him they looked like a grown up school band playing back-up to the greatest musical orater of all time. They also were as tight as an over-wound watch ready to spring the next surprise on us. Bobby was jovial yet in control. I admired his control over all. I think the sunglasses are a sign of control. God Bless Bobby D! Not sure why he won the medal, but ok....

walter said...

"Not sure why he won the medal, but ok..."

Indeed. Freedom fighter?

walter said...

Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you
Is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won't come again
And don't speak too soon
For the wheel's still in spin
And there's no tellin' who
That it's namin'
For the loser now
Will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There's a battle outside
And it is ragin'
It'll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don't criticize
What you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is
Rapidly agin'
Please get out of the new one
If you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin'.

The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is
Rapidly fadin'
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin'.

Rosalyn C. said...

I agree with Meade, it was a very emotional moment to receive such an award, and Dylan didn't want to show his feelings to the whole world. After all, he's a cool dude and has a reputation to uphold.

Have to admit I was fascinated by the little buckles on his jacket and the mustache. Very unique. He's always been stylish. Quite the troubadour.

Robert Cook said...

Dylan should have told Obama to take his Freedom Prize and insert it where only the TSA could find it, (or not!).

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Unknown said...

He wore them because Bob Dylan is a Bad ass. He can do what ever he wants and he's not gonna let the Government tell him what to do