Imogen Lloyd Webber & Bernard Talk Revolutions, Red Dresses, and Royals

It was unfair, and perhaps inhumane, that Imogen Lloyd Imogen’s first ever appearance on Imus in the Morning would be preceded by Imus insisting he was not angry about the music Lou had played out of commercial, despite hollering about it. He just looked angry.
 
And just in case this much wasn’t already clear, Imus instructed Imogen, an author and political commentator, to treat her appearance this morning much like she would a trip to the old folks’ home to visit her grandmother. But somebody had already tipped her off.
 
“I was on ‘Cavuto’ last night,” Imogen said. “He warned me against you. He said I should be afraid. Very afraid.”
 
She had not been warned, however, about Bernard, with whom she would spar this morning on issues as divergent as the Middle East, breastfeeding, and the upcoming royal nuptials in England.
 
On the recent turmoil in Egypt and now in Libya, Imogen, who is British, commended the U.S. government’s controlled response. “It’s important to stay back a little bit,” she said. “Passive is active on many levels, otherwise the regime starts painting anti-Americanism, starts blaming foreigners. Fundamentally, you can’t impose revolution. A people have to choose revolution, and that’s why it went wrong in Iraq and Afghanistan.”
 
The United States walks a fine line, in her view, between remaining true to its core democratic values and propping up dictators that serve its interests, as Hosni Mubarak did in Egypt. “You can’t impose a political system on another people, especially a tribal people,” Imogen said, adding, “At the end of the day, there wasn’t that much anti-Americanism in Egypt, which means Obama has actually done something right there.”
 
Bernard, obviously, disputed this notion. “That doesn’t mean there’s not anti-Americanism in the hearts of the Egyptian people,” he said. In fact, he’s sure there is, given that the U.S. propped up a dictator there for 30 years on the grounds that maintained peace with Israel. “I say support the dictator over the American-hating democracy…stick with the devil we know.”
 
To Imogen’s point that the Egyptian people should be able to choose their own government, Bernard shot back, “Let’s say the people wanted to elect a Nazi government—should we support that?”
 
Imogen insisted the U.S. support human rights above all, but stressed the importance of letting people decide what they want their country to be. “Fundamentally, revolution will always come,” she said. “It’s just when.” 
 
More important than silly little uprisings is the pressing issue of Michelle Obama wearing a red dress by the late British designer Alexander McQueen to a state dinner last month instead of one by an American designer. Bernard and Imogen agreed that this was a ridiculous reason to attack poor Michelle, who can’t seem to do anything right lately, even on women’s issues.
 
“She should butt out” of promoting breastfeeding, in Imogen’s opinion, because “mothers have a hard enough time feeling inadequate.” Bernard suggested Michelle also lay off the anti-obesity campaign and focus instead on something more distressing, like horrific rap lyrics about tying women up and setting them on fire.
 
Yet it seems like that might be the sort of thing Bernard would do to the royal family in England. “It’s nice escapism,” he admitted. “But the whole idea of royalty is an anachronism, and it’s offensive.”
 
Bernard took particular issue with the crazy amount of money being spent on the April wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, but Imogen highlighted her royal family’s value.
 
“They are great for tourism,” she said, and pointed out that the cost per taxpayer, per year to support the royal family’s lifestyle is less than one pound. “The alternative would be a President Blair, or a President Thatcher politicizing the process. It’s great that we have someone above all that.”
 
Besides, at least Imogen’s fellow “selfish, spoiled Europeans,” as Bernard called them, are capable of actually reducing their deficits, unlike, say, people in Wisconsin and Ohio, and nearly every other American state.
 
Having made it to the end of the segment alive, Imogen faced just one more question: What’s the over-under on when Charlie Sheen kicks it?
 
“He’ll probably outlive us all,” she quickly replied.
 
Sounds like someone else we know.
 
-Julie Kanfer