[Photo Gallery/character Explorration: MANAGEING Partner]

The time has come to round up submissions to my MANAGEING Partner photo contest. First, though, I must begin with an apology. When mounting this contest, I broke one of my own cardinal rules for dealing with people, in any context: I asked you to do something without having any idea of the work it would entail! I hate it when bosses/family members/friends/significant others do this, so why should anonymous troll-following bloggers? I didn't even do one half-assed image search along the lines I indicated! When I did, I saw how hard a challenge this was. ELLENWatch was way out of line, and repents. Luckily the stakes were quite low, but I can't complain even for a second about not getting more entries. To those who did come through anyway, KUDO'S.

Without further adooo:

From FP Angie

1) This is FP Angie's main submission, at left. Not bad, say I. Though this skews younger and more competent-looking than I might imagine. I assume his wife chose his outfit?

Does he look like he does a lot of ooogeling?












FP Angie also calls our attention to an operation called "My Bald Lawyer"--unfortunately no mustache, as she notes, but worth visiting. My guess is that Manageing & MANAGEING is at least a little different, if not more up-market, because this firm does not do any white collar matters.

From Kanye East

2) Kanye's annotation here: I'd like to submit this photo of Mitt Romney. Before you object--I know, I know. But here's the reason for my submission: it came up when I did a Google image search for "manageing partner bad breathe."

The other reason this takes a place in our gallery is that MP does, at least, have a record of attending Romney fundraisers. Thank's. (Paul Ryan as Nerdy Guy?)

From January

3) January adds to this submission: I think the fact that it is not the head of a real man helps, given the world of unreality we are dealing with here.
Unappealing in just about every way, too. I don't know what more needs to be said! Great find.

Anonymous A

Anonymous B

Anonymous C

4, 5 and 6) Here's what this anonymous submitter--who brings to us each of the three above--says in explanation:

I have a few, but not sure I can upload: I think these show why we have no evidence that Ellen has ever slept with the manageing partner.
PS: I do not wish to win the prize, and if Offered, I will not accept any prize for my entries.
I applaud you for your exellent writing skills, and wish you well with your endeavor's!

Someone had also posted earlier, on the photo contest thread, I can see why Ellen's knees are kept together! I made friendly invitation for this contestant to name herself, but so far she has not. At any rate, this person clearly has the hang of it here. I dare not indulge any greater delusion than that about who this might be. (She "has a few" photos that could have been "uploaded"? Off her own hard drive? Like from last year's office Christmas party? Or the Hamton's?)
All of this said, Ellen has never indicated that MP has weight issues, to my knowledge. Photo B looks far too young. Photo C is perhap's more like it. Thank you, freind.

Courtesy me

7) One of my own humbling attempts. Here he is the critical businessman, perhaps about to tell Ellen she needs more GRAVYTAS. Remember the mustache was always optional!

8) --below--I did a search for "buff bald head." Obviously the young lady on your right cannot be Ellen, for a number of reasons, but maybe one of their paralegals? And no, of course MP is not this attractive.

Courtesy me

9) Finally, I realized it had been a long time since we had a little Tarot lesson on ELLENWatch! One of the ways I practice is to think about what cards go with certain situations or characters I encounter in life, in novels, on TV, and so on, and while I've already decided about Ellen I thought I'd peg MP as well, to round out this group exploration of his character. 

Like The Fool, The Emperor is one of the major arcana. I don't feel this makes for an overstatement of MP's significance since he is clearly the most important figure in her story, with more screen time and attention than anyone else by far. MP's overwhelming power in Ellen's life, I have always felt, is familiar because almost everybody has a boss and/or other source of non-negotiable authority whose whims have much greater effect on one's life than they are supposed to. For example, we love to say "leave work at work," but it's rarely that simple--mentally, psychologically, technologically, relationally, and so on. The facts that MP observes and comments on Ellen's body on very intimate terms, has a decisive hand in her wardrobe selection, tries to make her date his relatives, asserts the last word on all news items and so on...altogether simply constitute an exaggeration of this reality.

The Emperor, to me, has always been distinguished from King cards (of which there are four, one of each suit, just like in the modern playing card deck) because The Emperor rules an empire, not just his rightful kingdom. In other words, he has actively taken over realms of life to which he holds no entitlement. I've never liked this card--I much prefer female counterpart The Empress--and if I had to name one reason, this would be it. The Emperor rules with a stern hand and certainly knows the rules, but he is also prone to be arbitrary, unilateral, and above all intrusive. FOOEY! Ellen lives a life in which MP intrudes almost everywhere. She has no higher loyalty, nor indeed does she seem to know how at this point. She has trouble even thinking outside the empire, about her own career, her own clotheing choices, or even her own body.

How do we reconcile the surly, all-powerful Emperor with the absurdity we know of him via Ellen? The card should be reversed. (Meaning, upside down.) I didn't use that for the pic, and won't go too far into it now, because this isn't a Tarot blog. But I'd feel too lax if I didn't account for the subversion of authority in how Ellen describes authority. Picture this dude made to look, or sound, ridiculous or otherwise vulnerable. MP = Emperor reversed.

Aaaaaaannd...that concludes, at least for now, our MANAGEING PARTNER photo contest and impromptu Tarot meditation! I won't expect you to do this again, reader's, but thanks again so much to those of you who did. As for Part 9, any comments? Is this insane, or is it at all interesting? I have thoughts on Alan that I'd publish if you like.

Freinds on this web sight!

ELLENWatch