Sarah Palin

What a week for US politics! And the brands on display have made for fascinating viewing. First we had Michelle Obama with a heartfelt rendition of family values and the power of the American dream. Then came Hillary... dynamically rousing her supporters to vote for Democratic principles - and to get over the attachment to the person.

Then the nation collectively held its breath waiting to see if Bill would do the same. And he did - even describing himself as the warm-up for Barack's running mate Joseph Biden. Biden delivered his yin to Obama's yang - or is it the other way around? And the grand finale, Obama accepting his party's nomination in front of 38 million countrymen - fighting, fierce, up for it.

And just when we thought it was all over until next week when the Republicans will do the same, McCain stole the weekend media thunder and announced his running mate, Sarah. Sarah who? Who? Oh, Sarah Palin of course. Virtually unknown, a governor for less than two years, small town beauty queen, small town mayor - who has (now famously) said of the Vice Presidency role "...what is it exactly that a VP does every day?"

And so the rapid building of a brand is occurring as I write this and by next week, Sarah will be a household name. Fascinating. But not as fascinating as the impact that this has had on McCain's brand. We are now thinking of him as a maverick, a risk taker. If this is his way of showing that he is not George Bush, then he has certainly gone out on a limb to do so - far, far out.

Men in Tights

With the recent focus on men's tights (yes, tights, as in pantyhose) on almost every news channel here in the UK, the question of whether men should wear make-up has also raised it's head.

It seems that men's tights and make-up are in demand - thousands of pairs of soft, silky tights are sold in super-large sizes every month, and a major retailer here in the UK is about to launch a new range of make-up for men. Although one wonders how it will differ to women's make-up apart from the branding? Perhaps the heavily macho version won't include a waterproof mascara as men don't cry?

When it comes to tights, we can all see the benefit to the Queen's Guards - standing in the freezing cold for hours on end - guarding the bastions of the English monarchy against anarchists, terrorists and stalkers. Or perhaps men could wear them at home to stave off the recent energy price rises. Afterall, it seems that the average UK household may soon be paying 100 GBP per month for their energy bills.

All well and good, except for the very simple question - do women find men in tights, or those with a dash of eyeliner attractive? From my (un)scientific research conducted on a group of smart savvy women (my friends) the response has been overwhelmingly conclusive. No. Howls of laughter, loads of eeeuuuw's, noses crinkled in distaste. And the "I'd run a mile if he took his trousers off and then started peeling off a pair of 10 deniers." It's always useful to put things into context.