Melania Trump proves that lazy trophy wives make terrible first ladies. But is it mean to mock her macabre Christmas decorations? I don’t know. Everything about the Trump White House is so awful and fascist, I actually think we needed this moment of levity, and it’s been a joy to laugh at Melania’s tampon trees/blood trees/Handmaid’s Tale trees. You would think that Melania’s default style would be everything gold and everything ostentatious and big, big, big. But Melania threw us for a loop with the Blood Trees Of Doom. She heard the criticism too, and she wants us to know that the Blood Trees of Doom look amazeballs in person.
Though she proudly unveiled the “American Treasures”-themed ornamentation on Twitter Monday, the all-red Christmas trees she chose for the East colonnade were the subject of countless memes and jokes online. The most popular and “liked” tweets compared Mrs. Trump’s 40 crimson trees to the red cloaks from Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale and even the sea of blood from the 1980 film The Shining. On Wednesday, the first lady, 48, defended her topiary, calling them “fantastic” and “beautiful.”
“We are in 21st Century and everybody has a different taste,” she said at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, on Wednesday, as seen in video obtained by Reuters.
“I think they look fantastic. I hope everybody will come over and visit it. In real life, they look even more beautiful. You are all welcome to visit the White House, the people’s house,” she said during her appearance as part of her Be Best initiative, which focuses on countering opioid addiction and cyberbullying.
“We are in 21st Century and everybody has a different taste… and that’s why I decorated with an eye towards ‘what would Vlad the Impaler do for Christmas?’” I’m actually going to give Melania a tiny bit of benefit of the doubt and say that… one Blood Tree of Doom might have actually looked good, especially if it was featured in a room which was already had red decor. It would have looked on-theme and different and special. MAYBE. I think Melania messed up by using a dozen Blood Trees in a white hallway, which makes the hallway look like some kind of pathway to hell.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid.
There is something very ‘Handmaids Tale’ about those trees! Or ‘Day of the Triffids – the Christmas Invasion’.
EDIT: I missed that ref in the article. All that’s missing is a white ‘hat’ at the top.
The long shot down the hallway with the red trees on either side always makes me think of The Shining. I keep expecting those creepy twin girl ghosts to pop up and start whispering “come play with us…”
Maybe it’s not as freaky in real life but yeah, the pictures don’t seem festive to me.
Yes! The Shining, for sure! There’s a cheap, felty, 70s motel vibe… also kind of getting mini golf feels? Like someone’s going to put-put down that grandpa-green carpet into a grinning, cheeto-dusted, Cheshire Cat, Santa hat-wearing, paper mache Trump head.
Don’t worry, here they are!
https://twitter.com/maxmcgloin/status/1067172205585358862?s=21
Ok, I just read that these trees were designed by a florist in Amelia, Ohio. 7,000 florists applied for the opportunity to help decorate the WH, but only 100 were chosen. Her dear husband secretly nominated her for the honor and she cried when she found out she’d been selected. She’s been working on these trees made of berries since October. Wish I had known the background before posting my previous comment.
The trees are actually pretty looking, but they don’t look good at all lined up in a white hallway. Plus with Trump in the White House, it’s not like people aren’t going to naturally see Handmaids and hellish hallways! I agree the red trees would have looked great in a red room.
Aw, heck, that really puts it into perspective. I hope she’s OK. And if you zoom in closely, they are quite pretty. But agree, it’s how they were arranged that’s the problem.
Honestly, it is the sheer number. Imagine a few of them surrounded by green pines. It would have set off the red and highlighted what I’m sure are lovely individual trees. As it is, however, way too much of a good(?) thing.
She hopes everybody will come over and visit? Just drop by? Because you can’t visit the White House unless you have a tour ticket that you must request through your congressional representative at least 21 days in advance.
And even then, they might decide you’re too “foreign” to let in. See: the kids who were recently precluded from going in with their class recently.
What?! I had not hear that.
I imagine Melania has no idea how people visit the White House – she doesn’t care.
A school group was on a tour. Some kids did not have passports. They and their chaperone had to wait outside while the other students got the tour.
Jerusha: who were these kids? Is it common for children to have passports? I mean, does the average kid even have one? I didn’t get one until 16, because I got to be a foreign exchange student. Still, poor kids.
Sorry to be so late responding, Beanie. It got busy. Apparently, they were foreign exchange seventh graders. So vety dangerous.
https://nypost.com/2018/11/24/white-house-turns-away-foreign-students-on-tour-with-class/
Thanks, Jerusha. And for heaven’s sake, poor kids!
I Know, I guffawed when I read that. Like any of us could just drop on by and take a look at her shitty trees and stupid Best Best ornaments. She’s such a moron.
She is at Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University. They will make room at the White House for those students. Ultra conservative, Evangelical, probably mostly white students.
It is an ultra conservative school where every other word is about God so I see no problem with those Trump backers getting in. I read an article that it is a stopping place for republicans running for president. Jerry Falwell is a huge Trump backer, that is why she went there I am guessing.
Her invitation kinda scared me LoL. I had thoughts of the evil Queen inviting Snow White to visit and taste her poisoned Red apples. Run children run…away.
Yes! It’s definitely a trap! You can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave. Creepsville!
Why would Melania know or care about the rules for visiting the White House? It’s not like she actually lives there full time.
A poster the other day said the trees look like they come alive and eat people.
“You are all welcome to visit the White House, the people’s house,”
Hmm, I wonder who this got plagiarized from? Because you know she didn’t come up with that on her own. Not to mention, it has never less been “the people’s house” than it is right now.
The trees are horrible and reflect the color of the virgin’s blood she bathes in to try and stay young looking. It didn’t work for Elizabeth Bathory either, Mel.
Hideous. Getting conspiracy theorist about how it’s more double speak for their base – “PROTECT CHRISTMAS! There’s a war on Christmas!” and then “ love these blood trees – Trump has great taste in Christmas trees”.
Next year it will be only white trees
Lol
Yes, only true blooded American white trees, preferably ones that came here on the Mayflower.
I don’t like all white trees either. These red ones are bland. The only thing they have going for them is the color (and it is horrid). You can’t put any type of decorations on them, they have NO shape (except triangular shape) that is anywhere near interesting and it’s like they were thrown there so that the hall wouldn’t be lacking any decorations.
@rbc & 3cents – Probably! Ha!
Id honestly be a bit scared to walk down that hall in the evening !
Those trees look like they move around at night! See that bare spot in the pic? That tree is hiding around the corner with a butcher knife!
I don’t think it looks bad. It’s her personal style and it’s her residence to decorate as she sees fit. I’m sure it really is much more ascetically pleasing in person as most things are. However, the irony of it all is not lost on me.
Technically, it’s our residence. She just has temporary housing there. I pay taxes to maintain that place. Knowing the felonious trump family, I doubt they’ve paid a penny for its upkeep.
Of course there are all the rumors that she actually lives somewhere else with Barron and her parents… she like us is merely a visitor there.
I understand what you’re saying but you know what I meant by it being her residence. It’s her space to decorate just like the first ladies before her. I hate Trump btw so I have no sympathy for him at all.
I know someone who works somewhat closely with the White House. She does not, nor has she ever, lived there. She flies in for photo ops and goes back to New York or to “her parents’ house” in DC.
Can’t say I blame her, honestly. I would be as far away from Trump as possible as much as I could be if were her.
Agree 100%
Elegant office!
I laughed out loud at your opening sentence “Melania proves that trophy wives make terrible first ladies”. Thanks for that.
This woman has weird and rather tacky taste, et all. Worst FLOTUS ever!
In nearly every photo she’s alone with that cartoon evilFace. An happier 1st lady would bring out the whimsey, but this one shadows everything grade B horror movie.
It’s part of their opposite world message – trees are red, Nazis are good, DT is presidential, etc.
@smee – exactly!
Creepy. I’ve never been to the WH, and never will while they’re living there, but are there usually an entire hallway full of trees for Christmas? My small Christmas tree on a table gives me more holiday spirit than a hall full of blood red trees
Usually not. I’ve been to the White House at Christmas three times. Once during the Bush Sr. years, once during the Clinton presidency and most recently in 2011. It is a really awesome thing to see, especially the first time when I was a kid. In 2011 there were all these decorations of Bo Obama and a chocolate White House. That hallway just had wreaths in the windows.
I think they look like the decorations that would be in a hallway to an emergency exit, like sort of an after thought and plain-looking. Make no mistake, I HATE this administration, and would never go to the WH while Trump is still in office. But, I don’t really think the decorations are that bad. I think the red trees are a bit odd, but like, if there were various colors (not just red trees, but maybe some green ones or pink ones or blue or whatever), or maybe something else on the walls or the floors, then I think this would look better, but I don’t think they are absolutely terrible.
Genuinely terrifying. Set of a horror film.
Maybe they’re meant to represent all of Trump’s buddy Jeffrey Epstein’s teenaged victims?
Interesting you mention Epstein. A new trial is coming up on Dec. 4 (or 5th). There’s evidence one of Dump’s pending cabinet picks, who was the Florida AG at the time (and who gave Epstein that sweetheart of a light sentence, where even during that year “in” prison, he had “work release” and other shizz going that meant he was hardly IN prison), took bribes to do so. So now it’s going back to court, and there’s talk of evidence about Dump, Clinton, Pedo Prince Andy, and others coming out.
Hmmm… Maybe all the Dump on M&H, and W&K stories in the UK were going to deflect for Pedo Andy??
We live in 21st century and children are kept in cages.
Murder Alley, The Homicide Hallway, Corridor of Doom. I wouldn’t walk down it alone at night. Every time someone starts down it the theme from Jaws should play.
Or Halloween’s theme or Jason’s sound cue.
And at the end of the hallway the sounds from the shower scene in Psycho.
Loathe her and her fast-tracked-to-immigration carpetbagger parents. Don’t get why she is cut so much slack.
Lol they were not fast tracked. Parents are special category and it takes only 6-12 months to get grren card for parents., for ordinary citizens too. After that it takes 5 years to citizenship for all. Why throw lspeculation out there as fact and to dislike based on that?
Because while that’s all fine and good for Trump’s relations by marriage, he wants to block nearly everyone else from doing the same. He calls it chain migration and he wants to stop it – after her parents squeaked in if course.
Hate her. Like the trees. It’s my fav color red.
Why does she have a coat on and why is she holding red leather gloves? Dashing out, but first stopping to fondle a hideous ornament? Also, the Be Best ornaments are too much given her husband’s language and behavior.
@skipper No problem I knew what you were saying. I just resent like hell that OUR house is being defaced in trump tacky. I’m just surprised it hasn’t been goldleafed yet. They make the Dynasty crowd look elegant.
https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/03/trump-style-dictator-autocrats-design-214877
https://www.curbly.com/m/trump-is-a-living-mcmansion
(Reply to skipper at #7)
Interesting article on the signature dictator style. Ooh, just read the second link. Fun!
Jerusha, sorry for the late reply! I just saw your comment. I laughed out loud about your gold comment. So true!
my tree simply will not be complete without a nonsensical BE BEST ornament!
When did the Be Best campaign become about countering opioid addiction? I thought it was always about cyber-bullying?
Opiod addiction is a huge problem. Why would she double up campaigns instead of creating a brand new one dedicated to opioid? So weird and LAZY. SMH
Hmmm. Is it bad taste? Or is it sophisticated European taste beyond our understanding? Or is it just a long hallway of FU?
Kaiser – I loved your reference to Vlad the Impaler!!! That cracked me up. 🙂
To Jerusha,
The psychology of the dictators decor is intriguing. Thanks for educating me on the topic.
these comments are pure entertainment.
i can’t believe she was a “model”. She’s so stiff and waxy looking. The gloves and coat while indoors … and those tacky ornaments. Fun to laugh at!
Melania’s taste is all in her mouth.
Nancy Reagan looooved the color red, too. Somehow, the White House never looked this garish and cheap. But “garish and cheap” is what they should put on anything relating to Trump.
She really IS the perfect Mrs. Fascist Dictator, isn’t she? Up there with Michelle Duvalier.
The red trees would look really pretty with white and green lights. SOMETHING other than just plain… I dunno, I don’t hate them. At least it’s something unique. Trying to stay positive here! 🙂
Can’t say anything positive about the “Be Best” ornaments though. They look like someone wrote the words on with a Sharpie. Very fug.
What did people expect from someone who could only come up with “Be Best” as a slogan?
Didn’t she have a nightmare arrangement last year? Like it resembled the Iron Throne?
Still waiting for Putin to pop out.🎅
The trees look like red “Cousin Its”! Waiting for them to start walking around talking gibberish.
Prediction…her decor next year (if her hubby and most of his kids haven’t been thrown out by then) will be blue. Last year was white, this year was red, next year would be blue. That would actually be pretty. But I would rather the fascists be given the boot than see the blue decorations next year!
I’ve refrained from commenting mostly today, because it’s my birthday and I’m doing stuff guys. Not exciting stuff, but it’s okay. Basically, it was hard to focus on other things, except what I hope will turn out to be my present from Mueller and his team. However, I have been reading some things, like the Duchess of Cambridge (tired? low on black don’t crack genes? mother of three?) – in the video, before it goes to her chest, I have to say her dimples in action are quite cute. Resting somber face photos are rarely anyone’s friend. But, the comments I read most were the dogs and those who have to get surgery, or not, because they eat things they shouldn’t. Apologies in advance, but after reading that and coming to this piece, my first thought was: “these look like trees dogs ate and they came out the other end, then trophy wife thought ‘how chic’ and put them up everywhere.”
They look like furry Christmas tree costumes like any minute the people inside them will throw their arms out and start dancing.
I think the trees even would have looked beautiful had the carpet been white or they had placed something over the green carpet to make it look like a winter wonderland. The trees themselves are gorgeous, but in a small hallway like that?