Sarah Palin as Eliza Doolittle - a sequel in the making?

The other day I was reading more information on what is now being referred to as "fashiongate" over Sarah PalinSarah Palin's huge $150,000 wardrobe and make-up haul from the RNC. What struck me as interesting was how Palin now appears to be "going rogue" as displayed by this weekend's attempt to explain away the wardrobe issue, while McCain staffers insist she was told to steer clear of the subject.

Suddenly I realized - Palin is Eliza Doolittle, only in living color! The Doolittle character from the sensational film My Fair Lady has many similarities to Palin, especially since her rise to the VP candidate slot within the McCain campaign.

For those not familiar with the film My Fair Lady, here's a summary from the IMDb movie database:

A chance meeting between two noted British linguists, Prof. Henry Higgins and Col. Hugh Pickering, leads to a wager that will test Higgins' skills. After they hear a cockney flower girl caterwaul in the street, Higgins proposes to transform the girl, Eliza Doolittle, into a refined Victorian lady with an aristocratic accent. After some hesitation Eliza agrees to become their test case.

I decided to look more closely to see just how many similarities there were. What I found was entertaining, interesting, and even a bit creepy, as I began to realize that the Doolittle character had taken on a life form through Sarah Palin.

Here are the similarities I found. If I've missed any, please leave a comment and let me know!

1) The movie, My Fair Lady, was released in 1964, the same year Sarah Palin was born.

2) Ms. Doolittle's "pre-make-over" character regularly dropped her G's, as in this little ditty:

Eliza Doolittle: [singing] Lot's of chocolates for me to eat! / Lot's of coal makin' lots of heat / Warm face, warm hands, warm feet / Oh, wouldn't it be lovely?

3) Ms. Doolittle saw herself as a respectable girl, and didn't appreciate others telling her what to do (at least not until she was "assimilated" by Professor Higgins!), as noted in this quote from the film:

Eliza Doolittle: I ain't done nothin' wrong by speaking to the gentleman. I've a right to sell flowers if I keep off the kerb. I'm a respectable girl: so help me, I never spoke to him 'cept so far as to buy a flower off me.

4) Ms. Doolittle and Ms. Palin both required voice lessons; of course Doolittle was taught to add the G's to her speech, as a proper lady would, while Palin learned how to drop them, to appeal to Joe Six-pack.

5) Both Doolittle and Palin were used as an experiment, just to see what would happen. In Doolittle's case, there was a bet riding on her success. Most likely there are similar such bets on Palin's success (or lack thereof).

6) Doolittle was treated to dozens of beautifully fashioned clothes to help her trick others into believing she was of royal blood, or at least of educated stock. Palin was also treated to lavish clothing options, in an effort to convince voters that she was a viable candidate for VP, and, uhm.. a Hockey mom? Of course today we find out that Palin's attempt to prove her "frugalness" backfires as she get's the consignment shop in Anchorage in trouble for copyright infringment.

7) Doolittle had two grown men who enjoyed dressing her up like a doll. Palin has a staff of men and women, who have dressed her up like a Barbie, tried to teach her how to behave and act on the national stage, and to polish her image.

8) Both women studied late into the night in anticipation of an upcoming event.

9) Palin and Doolittle both seem determined to have things their own way, and offer the audience comparable temper tantrums to prove it. Most recently, Palin has decided to look out for herself; staffers have said she told them she is "going rogue", basically doing what she thinks is good for her and the campaign, and not necessarily what staffers suggest.

10) And finally, just like Doolittle, who was not content to go back to the gutter after having seen the "good life", Palin will also likely not go easily into the night, back to Alaska never to be heard from again. After all, once you've seen Paris....

UPDATE: Thanks to Kathy for one I missed!

11) Just as when Doolittle got in trouble at the races when she got away from her "handler", Palin seems to trip over herself getting in trouble when she goes off script...

Although from this assessment, things may look bleak as the thought of yet another national campaign from Sarah Palin appears on the horizon, one must not give up hope that voters will recognize a very significant fact: Both Doolittle, and the Sarah Palin we know, are fictional characters, to be archived and shelved away in the closet, until such time that we need and desire some entertainment in the future. At least we have that.