Did you see the closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics? Stunning. Just like the opening ceremonies, it was a spectacle the likes of which I will probably not see again.While the run up to these most recent games was filled with concern over China's ability to actually pull off the Olympics, its aftermath must fill London with dread. How on earth do you top China?
It went so well and cost so much and broke so many preconceptions about China's capabilities in the human-interaction department that I can only assume Boris Johnson, London's Mayor, was in complete shock when he wandered out into the spotlight to accept the Olympic flag on behalf of the British nation. How else do explain his state of dress?
As a rule I don't like to pick on people. Should any of my many readers sidle up to me one afternoon in the grocery store, I am sure they would have little trouble picking apart my errand-running attire. If, however, I were invited to represent the site of the next Olympiad, and by extension the entire host nation, rest assured that I would dress for the event.
Where do I begin? When Mr. Johnson first appeared, shambling along next to a natty and beaming Beijing Mayor Wang Qishan, it took a minute for me to accept that it was he. Perhaps he was unaware of his pivotal and symbolic role? Maybe no one told him that he was to be on television - global television at that. Even so, Johnson could have just buttoned his jacket.
Instead, jacket flapping in the breeze, the Mayor soldiered forward apparently unconcerned and unaware of the decidedly negative image of London being transmitted across the earth. Once on the podium and joined by the impeccably turned out IOC President, Jacques Rogge, the sartorial trifecta was complete. He was amateur hour. Even if no one had told him what his role would be that evening, basic common sense would indicate that you should look sharp - or at least mildly professional.
You will never hear me say that clothes maketh the man. If anything, they maketh the image or impression of the man. They tell you something about who he is and how he wishes to be seen. Clothes are a man's armor as well as his calling card. One's state of dress can speak to a man's state of mind and how he deals with life. As such, virtually any public figure is acutely aware of how they are being perceived. Their presentation is their currency.
Taking all that into account, what I saw the other night was London calling and the news was not good. He didn't even try, and that's the sad part. Johnson's suit was ill-fitting and rumpled. The open jacket and lack of attention to protocol gave the impression of amateur buffoonery. To me it was a sad moment for a nation which has a reputation for the exact opposite.
As a man, he presented himself poorly. As an ambassador for a people and representative of a great nation, he was an embarrassment. London, and the English people, deserved better.
