Newsom attributes the line —"The first duty in life is that we all strike a pose, and the second duty no one's really figured out" — to Oscar Wilde.Two-faced California Governor Gavin Newsom says that he's been wearing a "mask" for years.
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) February 25, 2026
NEWSOM: "I put a mask on, and at times my face grew into it…"
What a strange, little man. pic.twitter.com/HawZxCDqk6
Did Oscar Wilde say that? In "Phrases and Philosophies for the Use of the Young." he said, "The first duty in life is to be as artificial as possible. What the second duty is no one has as yet discovered." "Strike a pose" is Madonna:
But who doesn't mix up Oscar Wilde and Madonna?
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42 comments:
Vote for me, I am a big phony.
In Bonjour Tristess, Sagan said that it was forgivable to be ugly, but it was unforgivable to not try to put on an appearance.
Newsom fucked his friend’s wife. That’s who he is.
I take “strike a pose” as a temporary thing. Except maybe for Michael Jackson’s five minutes still pose at his halftime Super Bowl show. In relative terms that was longer than Trump’s latest SOTU. But I digress.
Is a pose artificial in the sense that it is only temporary?
As temporary as a hitch hike to Pennsylvania Ave? Pose to pose from coast to coast.
No one who truly gets where Oscar Wilde was coming from is proud of it.
Once you can fake sincerity, you've got it made. He can't.
Not his fault he mixed them up - he is dyslexic. Didn’t you know that?
"There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about and that is not being talked about."
This would be a good year to break the money chokehold that California has on the DNC. I thought Kammie would do that but alas. Gavie doesn't really have a record to stand on but he'll lie his way out of it. Fortunately it's early and a better Dem can still emerge.
Thats a skin suit not a mask
To me it sounds more like something Oscar Levant said.
Except Levant was not known for coining phrases lacking cogence or lucidity.
To the casual observer Trump may appear to be a poseur. But, sticking to his guns on illegal immigration, for as long as he has, should disabuse that notion from any consideration. Trump has proven once again that you got to expose some skin in the game in order to be considered as legit to the average American voter. Exposing your skin to the cameras is not enough. Ask Beto, Romney, Gary Hart Teddy Kennedy and others that maybe this space and memory falters naming them all.
Then again, what core beliefs do the Clintons, Bushes and Obama’s have? Maybe the next election will reveal something about us once again. I’m not optimistic.
Favorite Wilde line:
To lose one parent, Mr. Worthing, may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.”
Poseur.
Hoseur
It is hilarious watching Newsom attempt to create an authentic mask here. That dumb fuck is clueless.
Poseur… Hoseur… Yohan… Knob…
the petroleum-based clown falls somewhere on the “exspectorum”…
Because his family fortune was tied to j paul gettys
Well, thats his brief for the defense, he is not responsible for anything because he was just a facade. And he is being honest here I think.
"The first duty in life is to be as artificial as possible"
A lot of people in public life took this far too serious.
I assume that Newsom's low intelligence, and physical advantages taught him early on that being himself was suboptimal compared to what could be achieved with dishonesty. His family and political allies protected him from challenges that would have made him better at it.
That's a really good try. But you cannot make this guy interesting.
That's some very deep thoughts there.
“George Washington is widely considered the first U.S. president with dyslexia. While modern diagnostic terms did not exist in the 18th century, historians and medical experts believe his lifelong struggles with spelling, grammar, and reading—documented in his own writings—align with the symptoms of dyslexia.”
There goes “the first dyslexic president” idea.
Malaria on the other hand… the first president with Malaria. I don’t know if Althouse intended that malaria entry in her poll to be funny or not. I think it’s hilarious.
The first Artificially Generated President. Thats the best fit for Newsom.
Is this guy running for something or did his therapist retire?
There was a yellow fever epidemic in the 1780s in the potomac region
"Newsom fucked his friend’s wife. That’s who he is."
Well. That's also who she is. His type, it would seem.
Newsome is Temu Trudeau- fake, conceited, and corrupt
Another similar name comes to mind- John Edwards.
A slimeball lawyer who also cheated on his wife (while she was dying of cancer) to further is ambition, and also suffered from (D)yslexia - common malady that affects millionaire leftists into pretending their elite lifestyle is comparable to the the normal citizen.
Why a transient thought slipped through this posturing poltroon's mind--and he messed it up. He's struck so many poses he doesn't know who he is.
"The first duty in life is that we all strike a pose... I struck a pose, I put a mask on, and at times my face grew into it, becoming someone I couldn't even recognize."
Like Al Gore being the model for “Love Story”. Gavin was the model for Jim Carry’s performance in “The Mask”. Wait for him to sing “my name is Cuban Pete I’m the king of the rumba beat…”
Gavin should start a company that prints books backward to help people like himself read.
Lem Vibe Bandit said...
Then again, what core beliefs do the Clintons, Bushes and Obama’s have?
They all believe they ought to run things. In underpants gnome style:
1) Run things
2) ????
3) $$$$$$$$
Ann has her eye on Gavin as he is fodder for lively posts. And that's a good thing.
Beto 2.0. Nothing good comes from guys who run for president to "find themselves." I'm trying to think of who the first was. Jerry Brown, Newsom's former boss, comes to mind. I would suggest that Newsom take a long sabbatical until he figures out who or what he is. He doesn't need to take the rest of the country on his long voyage of self-discovery.
Greta Garbo and Monroe
Dietrich and DiMaggio
Marlon Brando, Jimmy Dean
On the cover of a magazine
Grace Kelly, Harlow, Jean
Picture of a beauty queen
Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire
Ginger Rogers, dance on air
They had style, they had grace
Rita Hayworth gave good face
Lauren, Katherine, Lana too
Bette Davis, we love you
Ladies with an attitude
Fellas that were in the mood
Don't just stand there, let's get to it
Strike a pose, there's nothing to it
And if he's referencing Madonna then he's misquoting the entire meaning of the song, which is not about being fake at all.
Artificial doesn't necessarily mean fake or pretend
Man is being of selfmade soul - Ayn Rand
I'm a weirdo, vote for me. No thanks.
Newsome - "The first duty in life is that we all strike a pose. I read that somewhere...no wait..."
Newsome - I became a complete phony and a total slimeball, everyone knows it, no use denying it and I'm okay with that now. I learned that about myself and I accept it. Whew! Wow. There I said it. Deep breaths, right? Haha. Feels good. But we all do that, right? Oscar Wilde and shit? We all do it. The important thing is, with me you know what you're getting...I mean, you do and you don't, but what you do know for sure is, I'm not Trump, right. I'm not Donald Trump."
Applause.
Anyone who chooses to live by that quote, rather than a thousand meaningful quotes, shows just how shallow they really are.
Oh boy are we screwed.
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