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Marie Antoinette toasts champaign (and cake, of course) to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross before a hearing by the House Oversight Committee on Thursday, March 14, 2019. (Photo: Inequality.org)
Marie Antoinette Stages a Comeback on Capitol Hill
In this exclusive interview, the 18th century queen shares her views on the popular revival of her ‘let them eat cake’ attitude among top Trump administration officials.
Mar 14, 2019
She's back -- in all her out-of-touch glory.
More than 225 years after losing her head to a guillotine, Marie Antoinette has made a grand re-entrance into the halls of power.
With her reattached head holding up a frothy mound of white curls, she descended on Capitol Hill on March 14 to attend a House Oversight Committee hearing. The star witness: billionaire Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross.
Ross is just one of numerous Trump administration officials who've distinguished themselves with statements so cluelessly elitist as to make comparisons with the French Queen unavoidable.
Inequality.org co-editor Sarah Anderson caught up with the 18th century icon of indulgence to get her views on her fellow plutocrats of today.
What brings you to Capitol Hill, your majesty?
To meet Monsieur Wilbur Ross, of course! I have heard that the Commerce Secretary said during the shutdown that he didn't understand why government employees would go to homeless shelters for food when they could simply take out loans -- how ME of him! "Let them take out loans" is the new #LetThemEatCake! I felt I must meet this man who clearly draws so much inspiration from me.
Did you ever dream you'd be so relevant to the political scene more than two centuries after your death?
Absolument, mon cheri! I am, after all, Marie Antoinette. My fabulosity and philosophy are eternal.
What lessons would you like to impart to today's clueless plutocrats?
They must be a little less brazen in the pillaging of public wealth. I mean, they can still be VERY wealthy AND keep their heads.
With what member of today's richest 0.1% do you most identify?
I really quite adore Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin's fabulous wife, Louise Linton. Those long black leather gloves she wore to grub the sheets of money at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing were PERFECTION.
I see you're quite stylishly decked out yourself in a rouge-colored gown, and I'm impressed you were able to get into an elevator with a skirt that wide. Other than Linton, how would you rate the fashions here in the corridors of power in Washington in 2019?
Terrible! So drab! Where are the sky-high hairdos? The pastel colors and big gems? I haven't seen a single lady wearing a hoop skirt. It's a travesty, really.
When she's not eating cake on Capitol Hill, Marie Antoinette works as the Executive Director of American Family Voices under the name Lauren Windsor. Follow her @lawindsor.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
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Marie Antoinette
Notorious for her line, "Let them eat cake!," Marie Antoinette was the last Queen of France before the French Revolution and, following the overthrow of the monarchy, was executed after a trial before the Revolutionary Tribunal in 1793. In this humorous Q&A she is played by Lauren Windsor, executive Director of American Family Voices.
She's back -- in all her out-of-touch glory.
More than 225 years after losing her head to a guillotine, Marie Antoinette has made a grand re-entrance into the halls of power.
With her reattached head holding up a frothy mound of white curls, she descended on Capitol Hill on March 14 to attend a House Oversight Committee hearing. The star witness: billionaire Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross.
Ross is just one of numerous Trump administration officials who've distinguished themselves with statements so cluelessly elitist as to make comparisons with the French Queen unavoidable.
Inequality.org co-editor Sarah Anderson caught up with the 18th century icon of indulgence to get her views on her fellow plutocrats of today.
What brings you to Capitol Hill, your majesty?
To meet Monsieur Wilbur Ross, of course! I have heard that the Commerce Secretary said during the shutdown that he didn't understand why government employees would go to homeless shelters for food when they could simply take out loans -- how ME of him! "Let them take out loans" is the new #LetThemEatCake! I felt I must meet this man who clearly draws so much inspiration from me.
Did you ever dream you'd be so relevant to the political scene more than two centuries after your death?
Absolument, mon cheri! I am, after all, Marie Antoinette. My fabulosity and philosophy are eternal.
What lessons would you like to impart to today's clueless plutocrats?
They must be a little less brazen in the pillaging of public wealth. I mean, they can still be VERY wealthy AND keep their heads.
With what member of today's richest 0.1% do you most identify?
I really quite adore Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin's fabulous wife, Louise Linton. Those long black leather gloves she wore to grub the sheets of money at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing were PERFECTION.
I see you're quite stylishly decked out yourself in a rouge-colored gown, and I'm impressed you were able to get into an elevator with a skirt that wide. Other than Linton, how would you rate the fashions here in the corridors of power in Washington in 2019?
Terrible! So drab! Where are the sky-high hairdos? The pastel colors and big gems? I haven't seen a single lady wearing a hoop skirt. It's a travesty, really.
When she's not eating cake on Capitol Hill, Marie Antoinette works as the Executive Director of American Family Voices under the name Lauren Windsor. Follow her @lawindsor.
Marie Antoinette
Notorious for her line, "Let them eat cake!," Marie Antoinette was the last Queen of France before the French Revolution and, following the overthrow of the monarchy, was executed after a trial before the Revolutionary Tribunal in 1793. In this humorous Q&A she is played by Lauren Windsor, executive Director of American Family Voices.
She's back -- in all her out-of-touch glory.
More than 225 years after losing her head to a guillotine, Marie Antoinette has made a grand re-entrance into the halls of power.
With her reattached head holding up a frothy mound of white curls, she descended on Capitol Hill on March 14 to attend a House Oversight Committee hearing. The star witness: billionaire Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross.
Ross is just one of numerous Trump administration officials who've distinguished themselves with statements so cluelessly elitist as to make comparisons with the French Queen unavoidable.
Inequality.org co-editor Sarah Anderson caught up with the 18th century icon of indulgence to get her views on her fellow plutocrats of today.
What brings you to Capitol Hill, your majesty?
To meet Monsieur Wilbur Ross, of course! I have heard that the Commerce Secretary said during the shutdown that he didn't understand why government employees would go to homeless shelters for food when they could simply take out loans -- how ME of him! "Let them take out loans" is the new #LetThemEatCake! I felt I must meet this man who clearly draws so much inspiration from me.
Did you ever dream you'd be so relevant to the political scene more than two centuries after your death?
Absolument, mon cheri! I am, after all, Marie Antoinette. My fabulosity and philosophy are eternal.
What lessons would you like to impart to today's clueless plutocrats?
They must be a little less brazen in the pillaging of public wealth. I mean, they can still be VERY wealthy AND keep their heads.
With what member of today's richest 0.1% do you most identify?
I really quite adore Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin's fabulous wife, Louise Linton. Those long black leather gloves she wore to grub the sheets of money at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing were PERFECTION.
I see you're quite stylishly decked out yourself in a rouge-colored gown, and I'm impressed you were able to get into an elevator with a skirt that wide. Other than Linton, how would you rate the fashions here in the corridors of power in Washington in 2019?
Terrible! So drab! Where are the sky-high hairdos? The pastel colors and big gems? I haven't seen a single lady wearing a hoop skirt. It's a travesty, really.
When she's not eating cake on Capitol Hill, Marie Antoinette works as the Executive Director of American Family Voices under the name Lauren Windsor. Follow her @lawindsor.
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