Congressional Kabuki
That was my original title for part of my “Heartless” post, below. Thesaurus Rex of Shakespeare’s Sister used the term in a post on the same general subject, and August J. Pollak’s latest cartoon is in a similar vein.
The comparison to Kabuki runs deeper than the obvious theatrical elements that we have been seeing lately in Congress, although the stereotypes and caricatures in themselves would be sufficient.
There are three periods in Kabuki and they are illustrative of Congress. Originally it was an all female art form with wit and promise that degenerated when less talented people entered the stage. It became entertainment for men with money and prostitution was rampant.
The first reform replaced women with young men, but the pattern was repeated and so many reforms and restrictions were placed on the form, including using only older male actors and freezing the repertoire. To save the art it was necessary to reduce the influence of men with money.
Maybe we could reduce Congressional prostitution by only electing women, because old men don’t seem to be the answer.
