The Muscat family album
Why do I get the strangest feeling that one of the primary objectives of this 10-year exercise (five years campaigning in Opposition and now five years in government) is the compilation of the Muscat family album?
It seems to be such a priority – “making the most of it because we know we are very lucky” (to quote Mrs Muscat in Style magazine) while getting the pictures to prove it.
I never got that impression with Lawrence and Catherine Gonzi, Eddie and Mary Fenech Adami, Alfred Sant, certainly not Dom and Moira Mintoff (few people even knew what she looked like, and even his greatest fans didn’t know he had two daughters), and it certainly wasn’t the case, for a great variety of reasons, with the Borg Oliviers.
But with these two…I don’t know. I’m left with the idea that what should be the real priorities are way down the list, that they don’t even know those are the priorities, while they’re getting off on the thrill and excitement of “I can’t believe we’re with Obama” and “I can’t believe we’re with the Pope”.
There’s no gravitas, no sense that the prime minister, especially, carries that weight of responsibility. These two are like a couple of excitable teenagers who have won a ‘journey of a lifetime’ competition and are totally engrossed in taking photographs of themselves with major landmarks.
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A most unfortunate photograph. Spot the proles.
In his defence, his posture is bound to be dictated by his girth.
Not at all. It’s dictated by the way he holds his shoulders and pelvis. You will not see a large or even fat man of good breeding standing like that.
I wonder if Barack Obama mentioned that embarassing letter of congratulations Muscat had sent him when he was first elected.
I completely agree with you. Celebrations, tea-parties and travelling abroad posing in front of the cameras are more important for the PM and his wife than job creation and giving Malta a sense of direction.
The Maltese prime minister’s posture is…unfortunate.
It looks like David Cameron isn’t the only tall, elegant and powerful man Joseph Muscat has the hots for.
The Munchkins meet the Wizard.
Thankfully, Kurt Farrugia was not around.
Who says he wasn’t? There’s a bulge in Muscat’s pocket and it’s not necessarily a pistol.
Michelle Muscat’s outfit is pretty.
Don’t they look a little bit too eager for the photo?
X’kien m’hemmx it-tfal ukoll fir-ritratt?
Hekk kont qed nghid ukoll! Ma min hallewhom? Tellghu xi nanny ukoll?
Mrs Muscat needs to feed the prime minister some prunes.
Just look at that professional, striking pose that the First Lady has so instinctively and naturally thrown at the camera (any pro model knows about the straight foot in front and 45 degree foot at back pose).
Now take a look at Mrs. Muscat’s feet and hands (and irregularly positioned fingers). She hasn’t got the slightest clue as to where to place them when posing for a formal photo.
And is it possible that Malta’s Prime Minister could not set aside a few seconds to fix his tie and balance his shirt cuffs before posing for a picture like that?
You should have seen the Mrs at Rockestra. When the photographers got going, she was like Cruella de Vil going after the 101 dalmations.
Joseph Muscat looks like a Disney dwarf who’s been playing with Snow White’s rouge.
Good lord, he seems to be wearing lots of blusher. Also his position is all wrong. His left shoulder should be behind his wife’s right shoulder.
Not a great pic for the family album. The Maltese ‘royal’ couple are dressed up for a funeral.
Well, on the one hand we have the least qualified presidential couple in recent US history, with Michelle Obama constantly interfering in the functioning of the state when she clearly has no credentials to be doing so.
On the other, we have two complete upstarts acting like a presidential couple even though Malta’s system is based less on personalities and more on the party itself. To allow Westminster systems to degenerate to the superficial level of the presidential systems of the US or France is a real shame.
On another note, again with that awkward ‘first day of school’ stance.
Now that’s a Michelle.
Qishom fir-ritratt tal-grizma, mal-parrini.
My feelings exactly.
First impression on seeing this photo was that my thoughts are quite correct, seeing the overly satisfied look/smile on the Maltese couple’s face.
Daphne, that’s why I had earlier remarked that Muscat & Co. consider their March electoral victory as a flash in the pan or as you say a journey of a lifetime. If, on the other hand, they manage to extend their period of government to another five years then I’m afraid to say the majority of Maltese are really a sorry lot.
it really looks more like ‘Charlie Brown at the White House’
suckup country anyway, quite representative
He always looks so uncomfortable in a suit, the polar opposite of elegant.
Joseph Muscat is literally swollen with pride.
MAAAAA AND LOOK AT THAT POSE – RIGHT FOOT FORWARD AND HERE I COME.
My God, Muscat’s face fills the whole photo. Shame about his height-to-width ratio.
I’m sure US President would have been delighted to meet the guy who plagiarized his 2008 campaign song.
Seriously, I don’t know where to start with that photo, but I guess I have to start with his face.
What is wrong with it? Is it all red with excitement or did he jog it all the way to the White House?
Then, what happened to his left sleeve? We can see the right one all right, but not the left.
And then, since you mention him, why are they wearing what they would wear to meet the Pope? Or are they in mourning?
Muscat looks as though he wishes he could elbow his wife out of the picture.
The man himself will soon be cutting zigarelli for grocer shop extensions if they can only squeeze in another photo shoot.
No Daphne, it is not the case of ‘a couple of excitable teenagers who have won a ‘journey of a lifetime’ competition’.
It is the crafty compilation of photos taken explicitly for use during the next election campaign of 2018.
Why is the Maltese prime minister’s wife wearing black lace? And who’s looking after the twins – Marisa Micallef?
My goodness,Joseph looks so elated that his head is about to pop.
He’s got that Cheshire cat smile.
I hope The Twins did not feel left out and neglected.
Arani, mama! Ilhaqt!
Little Joey with big people
The short answer: Yes, it is.
Spot on, Daphne.
They are soooo excited to be meeting people such as Obama and the Pope, and of course taking their children with them wherever they can.
A real joy ride at the expense of the tax payer.
Love our PM’s square, rigid stance in the pic. He should fire his gym instructor.
The thing is, that when past prime ministers, dictators, kings, queens, popes etc. are mentioned, they are mentioned for what they had done for their country and not for whom they were photographed with.
Has the prime minister borrowed Mrs Muscat’s blusher?
I hope they didn’t shake hands!
Because .. well look at this article at the Huffington Post:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/25/obama-handshake_n_3988504.html
Check out Muscat’s posture. He’s like…so excited to be getting his picture taken with Mr President that he’s literally pushing everyone out of the way, leaving almost no space for his lady wife.
He really looks more like an excited kid who won a lottery to visit the president of the USA than like the prime minister of an EU member state.
His being so short and squat and the Obamas so tall doesn’t help him either.
A reverse Google images search revealed the following three photos:
01: https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/1264914_328624383949102_1452789212_o.jpg
02: http://vlada.mk/sites/default/files/galerii/gruevski_obama_g111.JPG
03: http://www.newsbeast.gr/files/1/2013/09/25/beni_1.jpg
It looks as if Muscats’ photo with the Obamas is not so unique nor special.
Can see them excited waiting in line to take the photo.
Just like his friend Franco Debono back in their school days; waiting in line for his prize day certificate.
Arani Ma, mal-President tal-Amerka.
Ara kemm hassitha ferhana il-Mrs li l-USA first lady jisimha bhalha.
Mrs. Muscat’s body language communicates lack of confidence while her husband’s communicates egocentricity and chauvinism. Trying to impress, but failing miserably.
Well with his jacket bursting at the seams, he did not dare embrace Obama, same way as his ambassador did a few days ago.
I look at that photo and think to myself, that it is a veritable case of mice and men.
This is just a formal picture. I remember when Eddie Fenech Adami brought over to Malta a poodle which was donated to him by some over enthusiastic emigrants in Sunshine, Australia. The Labour media jeered that Mintoff brought millions every time he went abroad and Fenech Adami brought a poodle.
Now our well-fed, shaven poodle in a suit is sending us his posed pictures with a powerful man.
I boomerang the old Labour Mintoffian questions: “Is this all we got from this expensive Muscat family visit to the US of A? How many millions is Muscat bringing over to Malta from this visit?”
Xi posa ta’ ruffjan ghandu Muscat. Jerfa jdejh u jurina l-muskoli jonqsu. Kemm hu bla grazzja.
Why is he rouged like a harlot?
Why do I have the the feeling that in time he will not want to see the album he is compiling?
Is Michelle Muscat REALLY wearing black lace for a morning event? Someone may need to inform her of where and when black lace should be worn.
Min qatt ma ra qalziet meta jarah………..
It’s like a confirmation photograph with the godparent and the godparent’s spouse.
The look on Joseph Muscat’s face, and his “arawni” pose, say it all – he simply cannot believe it’s really happening.
Straight out of “Dumb & Dumber” …
Quo Vadis Malta
Wow – Joseph Muscat’s hips seem to be getting wider by the minute.
And I say so not because it is wrong or a bad thing to have wide hips, but only because he was the one who made such a fuss about hitting the gym for an hour every day in the run-up to the election and supposedly even now.
There he is, standing next to Barack Obama, who is truly committed to keeping fit. And that difference is evident in this picture.
If the president of the United States can do it, so can Muscat.