RULES
David Frum
OCT. 2, 2005
WFB in NYT
David Brooks has coined many trenchant rules of life, but one of his most emphatic was this:
any conservative photographed by the New York Times
magazine will always be posed with his arms crossed,
scowling.
Yesterday's magazine profiled William Buckley, with what looks to be an excerpt from Sam Tanenhaus' forthcoming biography. As with everything Sam writes, the piece is astute, sensitive, and fair. But the photo! Arms crossed, face scowling ... it's the Brooks rule spread over a full page.
So listen up conservatives: If the day should ever come when the NYT (or Newsweek or Time) wishes to photograh you - smile!. No matter what they say or do, keep smiling. I don't care if your cheeks get sore or your teeth dry out: You smile, smile, smile. And your arms? Pockets fine, dangling beside your body okay, extended sure. But do not fold them. Not once. Not even if they say, "Oh let's just try something different." If you feel yourself weakening, just ask yourself this: Are you better looking than Bill Buckley? Statistically it is very unlikely that you are. See what they did to him. They'll do worse to you.
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