by Meagan Dorsch
I love funny emails and I think the funniest one to date arrived yesterday in my in-box.
A blog called Elected Hotties wanted to let me know that I still had time to vote for one of the hottest legislators in the Utah House of Representatives. Don't worry everyone! Voting has just started for both men and women. Next week, Elected Hotties will judge the members of the Utah Senate, and after Utah, Elected Hotties is coming to vote on members of your legislature!
I had to check out this website. The site's tag line alone ("just another way to get to know your elected officials...the hot ones anyway") made me laugh out loud and take 15 minutes out of my day to explore the webpage. My favorite part is the scrolling pictures of the "winners so far." When you log on (because I know you will) put your mouse over a picture. HA!
This website transported me back to 1985 when I was cutting pictures out of Teen Beat and Tiger Beat magazines. I began to wonder if this is the 2008 version of the magazines for legislative junkies? Can we print their pictures and put them up on our office walls?
There is a conversation in the blogosphere about the Elected Hotties website. We want to hear your two cents.
Funny blog post. Reminded me of the "girls" at the OK State Capitol who had selected members for the unofficial "Hot Caucus." Senator Andrew Rice, a freshman from Oklahoma City was their chosen "leader." One day the very unassuming senator asked one of my friends about the Hot Caucus. Story, even as she tells it, is that she blushed and gasped when he asked. Not the coolest Capitol behavior.
Maybe The Thicket should sponsor a nationwide competition like they have on some sports talk shows. Take nominations and then invite lawmakers and staffers across the country to choose the hottest male and female legislator.
Posted by: mrflak | May 27, 2008 at 02:34 PM
HA! What type of response did OK's unofficial contest get? I have only checked the Elected Hotties website three time, but traffic seems to be picking up. Maybe it's all of this blogging that is getting people to check out the site.
Posted by: Meagan Dorsch | May 27, 2008 at 02:46 PM
Even at risk of outing myself as a fun-killer: If you think of state government as an industry, you have to also think about its "brand" -- and how do young, internet-savvy citizens view that brand? I bet for the most part the answer is "stuffy and uninteresting". This is light-hearted and funny without being tasteless or mean. I think it's a great way to get people looking at elected officials as human beings, in a positive and casual light.
I just hope we don't find out down the road that it is a partisan or advocacy effort, or astroturfing. :(
Posted by: Tracy Gamble | May 31, 2008 at 11:16 AM