As any fan of awards and red carpets knows, the appeal of watching big proceedings doesn’t just come from who actually wins whatever statue is handed out. The winners and losers of the Emmys, say, are easy to pick out and record by year in the history books. But Emmy red carpet winners, for example, aren’t so cut and dry. The talk and discussion of the ensembles and glam of those attending these events is part of the awards circuit, with stars making statements with their fashion choices beyond what any acceptance speech could.
Why shouldn’t the Republican National Convention get the same treatment? Certainly, the “fashion” on display this week in Milwaukee is very much the J.Crew suit separately and toilet paper ear ornament, but it’s still possible for some glam tracks to rise above the reasonably adjusted noise. Republican congressman from Florida Agent Matt Gaetz proved that when he spoke during the third night of the convention on Wednesday afternoon, passionately characterizing the Republican nominee Donald Trump as “unstoppable”, with the ability to deliver this non-stop to America as well, if re-elected.
What raised the eyebrows of many viewers, however, was Gaetz’s own eyebrow.
Many commentators speculated whether Gaetz, who is currently under investigation by the House Ethics Committee over possible sexual harassment, drug use and other non-government issues, had done a little cosmetic work before his big speech. Side-by-side photos of Gaetz on Tuesday and Wednesday it seemed to have a noticeably different appearance. Where faint lines could be seen on Tuesday, Gaetz’s forehead on Wednesday looked as smooth as fresh snow, leading many to speculate that the congressman’s beauty came with the help of a beautician.
It’s generally considered rude to comment on other people’s appearances, but let’s play by Gaetz’s rules, where you’re allowed to publicly share your belief that pro-choice voters are “loathsome inside and out,” “like a sore thumb,” and he’s “like 5’2″, 350 pounds.” He had some choice words about their skinny ankles and their food choices, too. So it seems eyebrows should be more than fair game, by his standards.
“More botox than every drag queen combined” activist Matt Bernstein wrote to X (formerly called Twitter) along with a clip of Gaetz, who has vocally opposed LGBTQ+-friendly events like drag queen story hours.
ONE parody account dedicated to Congressman’s upper skull, @MattGaetz4headwas created on the platform in February 2021 and appeared revived after the Florida representative’s speech, sharing memes from Gaetz as the King of Burger King, Liberace, Willy Wonkaone Saran Wrap boxand more, all with an excessive amount of front real estate.
Journalist Peter Hubby kept his thoughts short, just by tweeting“Matt Gaetz (R-Botox).”
Alt-weekly The Miami New Times a plastic surgeon is called Dr. Michael Salzhauer (nicknamed “Dr. Miami”) for his theories. He argued that it could indeed be the result of earlier Botox that had started suddenly (Botox’s facial paralysis does not take effect immediately). thread lift (a non-surgical procedure nicknamed the “lunchtime facelift” due to the lack of downtime), a brow reshaping that resulted in a super arched and super wild brow, good old-fashioned makeup, or some combination of the above.
“I mean, it looks good,” Salzhauer said New Times, before adding, “Except the eyebrow position is too high. And, like, surprised and weird looking.”
Gaetz’s hair and makeup choices aren’t the only things that have drawn comparisons to reality stars: His long-running feud with former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy continued apace this week, with Gaetz taunting his former colleague at the convention, including McCarthy’s switch in the middle of a television interview. It’s just another installment in Gaetz’s dramatic performance in Congress, prompting a bystander to comment: “Shut up, Gaetz. Don’t be a jerk.” In response to the video framed as Gaetz being “physically restrained by security,” Wisconsin Rep. Derrick Van OrdenAlso a Republican, he mocked his colleague’s behavior in a tweet.
“He was doing a ‘hold me back bro’ move to look like a tough guy because he’s actually a little bitch,” Van Orden wrote.
Spokesmen for Congressman Gaetz did not respond Vanity fairrequests for comment.
