White House Decorations Are a Laughingstock

Published in Público
(Portugal) on 28 November 2018
by (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Rita Oliveira Almeida. Edited by Helaine Schweitzer.

 

 

The White House revealed images of its Christmas decorations this week, prompting much joking. According to tradition, the first lady is in charge of decorations. Melania Trump filled a corridor with 40 tall red trees and declared “American Treasures” to be the official theme for the Christmas decorations. The internet reacted by making jokes.

The White House presented the decorations to the media and launched a one-minute video showing different rooms and corridors. More than 6,000 meters of Christmas lights (approximately 19,685 feet), 12,000 bows and 14,000 ornaments (some containing Melania’s anti-bullying campaign slogan) were installed over several days with the help of 225 volunteers. The official tree, in the Blue Room, is 5.5 meters high (approximately 18 feet high). “The choice of red is an extension of the pales, or stripes, found in the presidential seal designed by our Founding Fathers. It’s a symbol of valor and bravery,” the first lady explained to The Washington Post.

The memes were quick to appear. Some placed white hats on top of the trees, alluding to the adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” to the screen. Others compared the trees to Elmo, the monster from “Sesame Street.” Some recalled the fictitious game, “The Cones of Dunshire,” from “Parks and Recreation.”

There have been constant references to “The Shining.” Last year, the white tree corridor led many to compare the scenery to a horror movie and someone had the idea to add a picture of Jack Nicholson. This year, the choice of red led many to say “all work and no play makes Melania be best,” and resulted in a meme containing the two twins from “The Shining” in the corridor. Let us not forget that the White House has a room called the Red Room, which Melania decorated with crowns made from pencils containing the “Be Best” logo.

According to The Washington Post, Jackie Kennedy was the first to set themes for the White House Christmas decorations. The first theme in 1961 was “The Nutcracker Suite,” with elements from the Tchaikovsky’s iconic ballet, “The Nutcracker.” Nancy Reagan chose the theme “A Musical Christmas.” Hillary Clinton sought inspiration in “Santa’s Workshop.” During Barack Obama’s presidency, the family dogs, Sunny and Bo, appeared many times in the decorations.



A Casa Branca revelou esta semana imagens das decorações de Natal, voltando a suscitar uma série de piadas. Como é costume há várias décadas, a decoração é da responsabilidade da primeira-dama. Melania Trump encheu um corredor com 40 árvores altas e encarnadas e declarou "American Treasures" como tema oficial dos enfeites natalícios. A Internet respondeu com chacota.
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A Casa Branca apresentou as decorações aos jornalistas e lançou um vídeo de um minuto a mostrar as várias salas e corredores. Foram usados ao todo mais de seis mil metros de luzes de Natal, 12 mil laços e 14 mil ornamentos (alguns com o slogan da campanha de anti-bullying de Melania, Be Best), instalados ao longo de vários dias com a ajuda de 225 voluntários. Já a árvore oficial, na Blue Room, mede 5,49 metros. "A escolha do encarnado é uma extensão das riscas que se encontram no selo presidencial desenhado pelos nossos fundadores. É um símbolo de valor e bravura", explica a primeira-dama, citada pelo Washington Post.

Não tardaram a chegar os memes. Alguns colocavam chapéus brancos no topo das árvores, em alusão à adaptação do livro Handmaid's Tale, de Margaret Atwood, ao pequeno ecrã. Outros comparavam as árvores ao monstro Elmo, da Rua Sésamo. Houve quem lembrasse ainda o jogo fictício The Cones of Dunshire, da série Parks and Recreation.

As referências ao The Shining são uma constante. Se no ano passado o corredor de árvores brancas levou muitos a considerar o cenário equiparável ao de um filme de terror e alguém a lembrar-se de sobrepor uma imagem da personagem Jack Nicholson no final do filme; este ano a escolha da cor vermelha resultou na frase "all work and no play makes Melania be best". Também não faltou o meme com as duas gémeas no corredor. Não esquecer que a Casa Branca tem uma sala chamada Red Room — que Melania decorou com coroas feitas de lápis com o logo Be Best.
Segundo o Washington Post foi Jacky Kennedy quem começou a definir temas para as decorações de Natal da Casa Branca. O primeiro, em 1961, foi "Nutcracker Suite", repleto de elementos do icónico bailado de Tchaikovsky, o Quebra Nozes. Nancy Reagan chegou a escolher o tema "A Musical Christmas". Hillary Clinton inspirou-se na oficina do Pai Natal, "Santa's Workshop". Durante o mandato de Obama, os cães da família, Sunny e Bo, apareceram várias vezes ilustrados nas decorações.
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