Michael Jackson, George W. Bush

First of all, the Michael Jackson mugshot (via Hoffmania). His face looks like a bad Hero Machine attempt: decent-looking hair, but the rest of the facial features are by-the-numbers, disproportionate, unrealistic. The nose is too straight, too flat; the mouth is too perpendicular, too wide. He doesn’t look anything like Diana Ross.

More seriously: when Bush mentioned by name an Australian soldier when in Australia, he didn’t warn the Australians in advance, so his widow wasn’t invited (via Atrios). More importantly, Bush mentioned an individual soldier specifically, moments before laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

The whole point of the term “Tomb of the Unknown Soldier” is that you’re paying tribute to the unwashed masses, the ordinary grunts. You’re ignoring for a moment the officers who are either a) Ivy-League or otherwise privileged people who were promoted because of their achievements outside of the military arena (“you know about computers, well done, now you’re a Lieutenant”) or b) damn brave / competent (“you took that bridge, and hardly anyone died; well done”).

If you mention an individual soldier as being worthy of the “Unknown Soldier” media jackpot, you’re cheapening what you claim to be paying tribute to.