A bit more madness please?

September 30, 2009 Comments 4

What if Therese Rein admitted that she had been an interstellar traveller? Or had multiple past lives where she met current celebrities? The Australian public would surely say she's completely nuts and Mr Therese Rein, KRudd, would invariably try to micro-manage the situation to limit the damage. However the Japanese public are entirely embracing their new first lady despite revelations that Mrs Miyuki Hatoyama has been to Venus (yes, the planet) and 'feasts' on the sun's energy. Mrs Hatoyama also has connections with the rich and famous, most notably actor Tom Cruise, whom she met in a previous life when Cruise was Japanese.
Are we missing out on something in Australia? I'm all for leaders being reasonably sane, or as much as they can be, but wouldn't it spice things up if at least their wives were interplanetary voyagers or thought they were? The cult of the first lady in the western world surrounds those like Michelle Obama and Carla Bruni, who are articulate, beautiful, fashionable and influential. But if we are going to have partners of the powerful entering into the spotlight, why can't they be a mouthful short of a sun feast?
Japan is pioneering in its embrace of the weird in public life. We love Japanese culture because of its high-tech, often sci-fi, quality which is unique in the world. Mrs Hatoyama, in a honeymoon with the Japanese public, fits perfectly into this culture. A self-titled 'life composer', she has now become a regular on chat shows.


and is a sometime author, with books like "Very Strange things I have Encountered" and a spiritual food cook book. After having married the equivalent of a 'Japanese Kennedy', she shot to fame in the international media after the election for her slightly bizarre perspective on the world and her willingness to express it openly.

There is undoubtedly an emerging cult of first ladies in the world. As leaders have become more humanised and personality driven, we love to know about the people behind them. They are also off limits for any real criticisms - they did not chose to be in the public eye, their partners did. We are more willing to cut them slack but for some reason we need to know what they think and more and more what they are wearing (Mrs Hatoyama for instance has dressed in a skirt made out of hemp coffee sacks). Michelle Obama is at the heart of the obsession. During her husband's election campaign she became a key part and arguably aided Barack Obama's rise to power. There is also a bit of a cult around Therese Rein, although she is a much less public figure than Mrs Obama. Rein is intelligent, successful and personable - many would say preferable to her husband.

So what if Therese Rein did say a hatoyama-ism? Australia does have its fair share of odd people in public life (I'm sure as you read this you can think of a few) but they are not quite declaring openly they believe in UFOs. You can imagine if Therese Rein suddenly said that she had been to Venus, there would be an out-cry and a call for the Prime Minister's resignation. The spin doctors would jump in to say she's been under a lot of strain and has 'X' psychological disorder. There would be concern about her influence over her husband and Rudd would undoubtedly try to (pardon the pun) rein her in, restricting public appearances. It's a pity. I think people are yearning for a bit more madness. With everything so stage-managed and controlled, getting to paint-dry level, we need a Mrs Hatoyama. We need an eccentric aunt at a boring family function. Embarrassing for most of the family but a topic of conversation around the potato salad, making the whole affair a bit more enjoyable. A bit of open lunacy is important. Maybe we could take a lesson or two from the Japanese.


Bella Counihan is Lady Goanna