VANITY FAIR HAS come under criticism in the past week for a video in which it lists six New Year’s resolutions for Hillary Clinton – one of which was to take up knitting.
The video suggests that Clinton, who has held positions as the First Lady, Secretary of State, and of course, the Democratic presidential nominee for the 2016 election, should take a step back from politics after losing the 2016 election to Donald Trump.
Instead, it suggests that she should take more photos in the woods, because “how else are you going to meet unsuspecting hikers?” and take up a new hobby in the New Year – like “volunteer work, knitting, or improv comedy…”.
… literally anything that will keep you from running again.
People on Twitter reacted angrily to the video, which was published on 23 December, commenting on how inappropriate the video was: Vanity Fair staff members holding champagne glasses “lecturing” Clinton on her life’s work.
Democratic strategist and former aide to Clinton and John Kerry, Peter Daou, also came out to defend Clinton.
The video was compiled by Vanity Fair’s politics and business vertical The Hive.
Four days after the video was published, a spokesperson for the magazine Beth Kseniak said that the video was “an attempt at humour and we regret [it]”. She said it had “missed the mark”.
But the staff member who says the line about knitting in the video, Maya Kosoff, has claimed that the video had been taken out of context, and that they had made similar New Year’s resolution videos for a number of politicians.
“I don’t appreciate being taken out of context to make me seem super sexist,” she said on Twitter.
This wasn’t a Hillary hit piece either, for what it’s worth! We made silly New Year’s resolutions for a bunch of politicians.
A further twist to the plot was added today, when Donald Trump weighed in on the debate.
Before tweeting claims that China is sending oil into North Korea, and that US sales are at record levels, he sent out a tweet claiming Vanity Fair “looks like its on its last legs”.
Vanity Fair, which looks like it is on its last legs, is bending over backwards in apologising for the minor hit they took at Crooked [Hillary].
“Anna Wintour, who was all set to be Ambassador to Court of St James’s and a big fundraiser for CH, is beside herself in grief and begging for forgiveness!”
Anna Wintour is the editor-in-chief of Vogue.
It’s not the first time Trump has tweeted negative comments about VF: shortly after he was elected in November last year, Trump tweeted out at the magazine following a negative review of Trump Grill:
Has anyone looked at the really poor numbers of Vanity Fair Magazine. Way down, big trouble, dead! Graydon Carter, no talent, will be out!
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