ASK THE BIRD: Did RFK really suggest using rubbing alcohol as a deodorant?
Got a question about life, the universe or current events? Ask Miss Mingo. She's got answers. She writes every Saturday for Tropic Press.
Editor’s Note: We take a break from hard news every Saturday morning to let Hermina Hermelinda Obregon, a.k.a. Miss Mingo, share her insights with readers. She’s a recovering newspaper reporter living in a bungalow off Duval Street in Key West. At least that’s what her official biography says, if you can believe that. She answers the pressing questions of the day about life, the news, and the best happy hour prices.
DEAR MISS MINGO:
A friend of mine says she viewed a social media “influencer” claim that (Health and Human Services Secretary) Robert F. Kennedy uses rubbing alcohol to deodorize his foul smelling body parts. Is this true?
Amused in Alachua County
Dear Amused:
Is it true that some clickbait nitwit on social media might have said this? I don’t know, but it wouldn’t surprise me. The garbage floating around online is appalling.
As to the underlying question, did RFK make any such statement? Best I can tell, no.
It is true that he confessed to being a heroin addict for 14 years. He has also said he’s not afraid of germs after snorting cocaine off toilet seats. It’s also factual that he drove around with a dead bear in his trunk and that he collects beached whale heads. Yes, he suffers from cognitive issues because of a worm in his brain, and he’s a famous anti-science vaccine skeptic. But there is no evidence that he rubs alcohol under his arms or in his nether regions to deodorize.
It is possible that with all the cutting and pasting and AI-generated graphics swirling around on the internet that this has become conflated with another frequent Do-It-Yourself hack suggesting rubbing alcohol is a great way to kill odor-causing bacteria. And it is.
But then you walk around smelling like an infirmary, so I guess it’s a choice.
DEAR MISS MINGO:
Thank you for printing the letter below. Your gentle approach is much appreciated.
Regarding the often unsung women in government I can think of two words that accurately describe what has made improvements in government and of which we need more: Black Women. They seem to be consistently honest and fierce while maintaining control and good manners.
It’s time that the geldings in government are put out to pasture. They’re too lazy for racing and have nothing worthwhile to pass on by stud.
Hope you caught your boat and the vacay is a goodie. And don’t write any number combinations in the sand with shells!! ;-)
Bruce Cornely, G’ville Fl
Dear Bruce:
You are referring, of course, to a previous column in which the Ball Seed Co. was referenced and in which I noted that:
“…there are plenty of women out there with guts enough to stand up to Trump, including the last Democratic presidential nominee.” The full column can be found here.
I would certainly agree with the overarching notion that we need more people in government—women or men, Black or white, whomever—who are willing to speak out against injustice and corruption. And I agree that too many career politicians—of both parties—are hanging on long past their expiration dates.
Women hold 28 percent of the seats in Congress, obviously far less than their proportion of the population. Since you mention Black women specifically, there are only 29, or 5.4 percent of all congressional members.
I did a little research, and I feel compelled to note that while we might agree those numbers need improvement, they have, in fact, grown over time.
For instance, in the 106th Congress—the last of the 20th century—there were 65 women who were voting members in the House and Senate. Today there are 151—110 are Democrats, 41 are Republicans.
As for my vacay, I honestly didn’t even think to arrange on the beach:
What a lost opportunity! Then again, we have plenty of sand and seashells here in Key West, so it’s never too late for a little shoreline freedom of expression.
Thanks for writing. It’s good to be back.
Got a question for Miss Mingo? About life, the news, or multi-dimensional realities? Write to her at MissMingo@Tropic.Press.
Want to know more about Miss Mingo? How she got her start? And whether she really lives with two cats—Deadline and Dateline—and a pet iguana named Skippy? You can find her official biography, such as it is, here. If you’re bar hopping on Duval Street in Key West and spot an intriguing woman in a pink hat that you suspect might be Miss Mingo, you can always offer to buy her a Cuba Libre. Will it actually be her? Is there an actual her? Life’s a mystery.