In 2018, Melania Trump was caught on tape venting about public opinion, the immigration crisis, and Christmas. She said, “I’m working … my ass off on the Christmas stuff, that you know, who gives a fuck about the Christmas stuff and decorations? But I need to do it, right?”

Her obligatory Christmas display was blood red, Later, she wore an “I really don’t care jacket” from Zara. With a face engineered by Manhattan’s best surgeons, squeezed into pencil skirts and Manolo Blahniks, Melania doesn’t appear to care about a whole lot. Domesticity, Washington DC, MAGA family values, and any public policies can all go to hell. She tolerates her husband’s late-in-life career but finds this president stuff annoying, particularly when prodded to play the traditional wife. 

While all the men in my substack feed are writing as usual about politics or education policy or something important, the women are quiet this week. They are busy getting ready for Christmas and Hannukah. They are fluffing pillows in the guest room. They are handing out Dunkin Donuts gift cards to school bus drivers and boxes of cookies for teachers; Aunt Jean in Florida got a box of oranges. Menus, shopping lists, stockings, chocolates, cards, travel plans — the whole season is a massive amount of work. 

Some women approach the holiday season like Melania Trump and others like Martha Stewart. Neither option is truly attainable.

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