Barack Obama gave the Queen of England an iPod.  I think the iPod is a terrific gift that was appropriately personalized with music and commemorative video — but some in the mainstream press are ticklish over their feigned outrage at Obama’s “inappropriate” gift giving style.

So now what do you give their octogenarian monarch who, you can safely assume, already has everything she could ever want? An iPod, of course. Engraved, certainly. Personalised, too. But still an iPod. Cue outrage in America (“Confirms Obama hasn’t figured out presidential gift-giving” – NBC; “Well, it’s better than a bunch of DVDs that don’t work” – Christian Science Monitor) and Britain (“She already has one” – the Daily Telegraph; “My Husband and iPod” – The Sun).

Difficult as this is to believe, the Queen already owned an iPod, a 6GB silver model acquired as long ago as 2005 at the suggestion of the ever-hip Prince Andrew. But Obama’s gift was a video iPod, loaded with photos and video from the Queen’s 2007 state visit to the States as well as archive footage from her 1957 trip; plus pics and audio from President Obama’s inauguration, and audio of his speech (as plain Senator Obama) at the 2004 Democratic national convention.

Here’s the music The Windsor Star claims Obama provided.  Clicking on the song link will take you to iTunes:

“Oklahoma!“

“If I Loved You,” Jan Clayton, “Carousel”

“You’ll Never Walk Alone,” Jan Clayton, “Carousel”

“There’s No Business Like Show Business,” Ethel Merman, “Annie Get Your Gun”

“Once in Love with Amy (Where’s Charley?),” Ray Bolger

“Some Enchanted Evening,” “South Pacific”

“Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend,” Carol Channing, “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes”

“Getting to Know You,” Gertrude Lawrence, “The King and I”

“Shall We Dance?” Gertrude Lawrence, “The King and I”

“I Could Have Danced All Night,” Julie Andrews, “My Fair Lady”

“I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face,” Rex Harrison, “My Fair Lady”

“The Party’s Over (Bells Are Ringing),” Judy Holliday

“Maria,” “West Side Story”

“Tonight,” “West Side Story”

“Seventy Six Trombones,” “The Music Man”

“Everything’s Coming up Roses,” Ethel Merman, “Gypsy”

“The Sound of Music“

“Try to Remember,” Jerry Orbach, “The Fantasticks”

“Camelot,” Richard Burton

“If Ever I Would Leave You,” Robert Goulet, “Camelot”

“Hello, Dolly!” Carol Channing

“If I Were a Rich Man,” Zero Mostel, “Fiddler on the Roof”

“People,” Barbra Streisand, “Funny Girl”

“On a Clear Day (You Can See Forever),” John Cullum

“The Impossible Dream,” Richard Kiley, “Man of La Mancha”

“Mame,” Charles Braswell

“Cabaret,” Liza Minnelli

“Aquarius, Ronald Dyson, “Hair’

“Send in the Clowns,” Judy Collins, “A Little Night Music”

“All That Jazz,” Chita Rivera, “Chicago”

“One,” “A Chorus Line”

“Tomorrow,” Andrea McArdle, “Annie”

“Don’t Cry for Me Argentina,” Patti LuPone, “Evita”

“And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going,” Jennifer Hudson, “Dreamgirls”

“Memory,” Elaine Paige, “Cats”

“The Best of Times,” George Hearn, “La Cage Aux Folles”

“I Dreamed a Dream,” “Les Miserables”

“The Music of the Night,” Michael Crawford, “The Phantom of the Opera”

“As If We Never Said Goodbye,” Elaine Paige, “Sunset Blvd.”

“Seasons of Love,” “Rent”

Do you think the Obama iPhone gift to the Queen was appropriate or not?

Is Obama reflecting an internationl touchstone for a deeper gift-giving aesthetic; or is he overthinking again and trying to be too cool for the room?

12 Comments

  1. David Boles – New York City – David Boles was born in Nebraska and holds an MFA from the Oscar Hammerstein II Center for Theatre Studies at Columbia University in the City of New York. He is an author, dramatist, editor, publisher, and teacher who writes across the live stage, print, radio, television, film, and the web. With more than 50 books in print, David continues to write 2MM words a year and has authored over 25K articles. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild, the Authors Guild, and PEN America, and founded The United Stage advocacy platform on the principle that playwrights have a duty to direct their own work. Read the Prairie Voice Archive at Boles.com | Buy his books at David Boles Books Writing & Publishing at BolesBooks.com | Study with Script Professor at ScriptProfessor.com | Touch American Sign Language mastery at Hardcore ASL at HardcoreASL.com | Explore the Human Meme podcast at HumanMeme.com | Train with Boles Bells at BolesBells.com.
    Gordon Davidescu says:

    It wasn’t the ipod itself that made it a good gift. It was the song selection. 🙂

  2. David Boles – New York City – David Boles was born in Nebraska and holds an MFA from the Oscar Hammerstein II Center for Theatre Studies at Columbia University in the City of New York. He is an author, dramatist, editor, publisher, and teacher who writes across the live stage, print, radio, television, film, and the web. With more than 50 books in print, David continues to write 2MM words a year and has authored over 25K articles. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild, the Authors Guild, and PEN America, and founded The United Stage advocacy platform on the principle that playwrights have a duty to direct their own work. Read the Prairie Voice Archive at Boles.com | Buy his books at David Boles Books Writing & Publishing at BolesBooks.com | Study with Script Professor at ScriptProfessor.com | Touch American Sign Language mastery at Hardcore ASL at HardcoreASL.com | Explore the Human Meme podcast at HumanMeme.com | Train with Boles Bells at BolesBells.com.
    David W. Boles says:

    That’s right, Gordon! There was some sort of careful thinking about picking the right songs. I think that alone shows it was a deeply personal choice for HRH.

  4. David Boles – New York City – David Boles was born in Nebraska and holds an MFA from the Oscar Hammerstein II Center for Theatre Studies at Columbia University in the City of New York. He is an author, dramatist, editor, publisher, and teacher who writes across the live stage, print, radio, television, film, and the web. With more than 50 books in print, David continues to write 2MM words a year and has authored over 25K articles. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild, the Authors Guild, and PEN America, and founded The United Stage advocacy platform on the principle that playwrights have a duty to direct their own work. Read the Prairie Voice Archive at Boles.com | Buy his books at David Boles Books Writing & Publishing at BolesBooks.com | Study with Script Professor at ScriptProfessor.com | Touch American Sign Language mastery at Hardcore ASL at HardcoreASL.com | Explore the Human Meme podcast at HumanMeme.com | Train with Boles Bells at BolesBells.com.
    David W. Boles says:

    Nancy —
    I guess some people don’t think an iPod is an elegant enough of a gift for the Queen.

  5. Hey, this is the year 2009! An ipod is the gift that says “you care enough to send the very best” … smiling.
    Who wouldn’t enjoy a genre compiled primarily of “Broadway” hits? At least Obama reflected his “good taste” in “music” and in “gifting” in accordance to our times.

  6. David Boles – New York City – David Boles was born in Nebraska and holds an MFA from the Oscar Hammerstein II Center for Theatre Studies at Columbia University in the City of New York. He is an author, dramatist, editor, publisher, and teacher who writes across the live stage, print, radio, television, film, and the web. With more than 50 books in print, David continues to write 2MM words a year and has authored over 25K articles. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild, the Authors Guild, and PEN America, and founded The United Stage advocacy platform on the principle that playwrights have a duty to direct their own work. Read the Prairie Voice Archive at Boles.com | Buy his books at David Boles Books Writing & Publishing at BolesBooks.com | Study with Script Professor at ScriptProfessor.com | Touch American Sign Language mastery at Hardcore ASL at HardcoreASL.com | Explore the Human Meme podcast at HumanMeme.com | Train with Boles Bells at BolesBells.com.
    David W. Boles says:

    I love the songs on the iPod, Heartmelody69. He absolutely picked some real musical gems when melody and a strong chorus mattered.

  7. Not only are the songs objectively wonderful, I’ve been reading that the Queen and Prince Philip courted to Rodgers and Hammerstein music when they were young, so the music would be especially significant to her.
    The people fussing about the iPod also haven’t been mentioning the rare signed Rodgers and Hammerstein sheet music Obama gave her, as well.

  8. David Boles – New York City – David Boles was born in Nebraska and holds an MFA from the Oscar Hammerstein II Center for Theatre Studies at Columbia University in the City of New York. He is an author, dramatist, editor, publisher, and teacher who writes across the live stage, print, radio, television, film, and the web. With more than 50 books in print, David continues to write 2MM words a year and has authored over 25K articles. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild, the Authors Guild, and PEN America, and founded The United Stage advocacy platform on the principle that playwrights have a duty to direct their own work. Read the Prairie Voice Archive at Boles.com | Buy his books at David Boles Books Writing & Publishing at BolesBooks.com | Study with Script Professor at ScriptProfessor.com | Touch American Sign Language mastery at Hardcore ASL at HardcoreASL.com | Explore the Human Meme podcast at HumanMeme.com | Train with Boles Bells at BolesBells.com.
    David W. Boles says:

    That’s right, Rikibeth, the songbook was signed by Richard Rodgers in, I believe, in 1954 and was gifted to the Obamas for the Queen by his daughter Mary. Now that’s the personal touch!

  9. David Boles – New York City – David Boles was born in Nebraska and holds an MFA from the Oscar Hammerstein II Center for Theatre Studies at Columbia University in the City of New York. He is an author, dramatist, editor, publisher, and teacher who writes across the live stage, print, radio, television, film, and the web. With more than 50 books in print, David continues to write 2MM words a year and has authored over 25K articles. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild, the Authors Guild, and PEN America, and founded The United Stage advocacy platform on the principle that playwrights have a duty to direct their own work. Read the Prairie Voice Archive at Boles.com | Buy his books at David Boles Books Writing & Publishing at BolesBooks.com | Study with Script Professor at ScriptProfessor.com | Touch American Sign Language mastery at Hardcore ASL at HardcoreASL.com | Explore the Human Meme podcast at HumanMeme.com | Train with Boles Bells at BolesBells.com.
    Kathakali Chatterjee says:

    Hi David,
    I think the media always twists a story to make it more interesting…
    I find the gift absolutely perfect and genuine and I love it – hats off!

  10. David Boles – New York City – David Boles was born in Nebraska and holds an MFA from the Oscar Hammerstein II Center for Theatre Studies at Columbia University in the City of New York. He is an author, dramatist, editor, publisher, and teacher who writes across the live stage, print, radio, television, film, and the web. With more than 50 books in print, David continues to write 2MM words a year and has authored over 25K articles. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild, the Authors Guild, and PEN America, and founded The United Stage advocacy platform on the principle that playwrights have a duty to direct their own work. Read the Prairie Voice Archive at Boles.com | Buy his books at David Boles Books Writing & Publishing at BolesBooks.com | Study with Script Professor at ScriptProfessor.com | Touch American Sign Language mastery at Hardcore ASL at HardcoreASL.com | Explore the Human Meme podcast at HumanMeme.com | Train with Boles Bells at BolesBells.com.
    David W. Boles says:

    Why do you think the media turned so fast against Obama, Katha, when they were so in love with him two months ago?

  11. David Boles – New York City – David Boles was born in Nebraska and holds an MFA from the Oscar Hammerstein II Center for Theatre Studies at Columbia University in the City of New York. He is an author, dramatist, editor, publisher, and teacher who writes across the live stage, print, radio, television, film, and the web. With more than 50 books in print, David continues to write 2MM words a year and has authored over 25K articles. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild, the Authors Guild, and PEN America, and founded The United Stage advocacy platform on the principle that playwrights have a duty to direct their own work. Read the Prairie Voice Archive at Boles.com | Buy his books at David Boles Books Writing & Publishing at BolesBooks.com | Study with Script Professor at ScriptProfessor.com | Touch American Sign Language mastery at Hardcore ASL at HardcoreASL.com | Explore the Human Meme podcast at HumanMeme.com | Train with Boles Bells at BolesBells.com.
    Kathakali Chatterjee says:

    Hi David,
    The mainstream media is always a fence sitter flip-case, you never know when they are going to turn against whom and why – it’s besically what they think can be news worthy.

  12. David Boles – New York City – David Boles was born in Nebraska and holds an MFA from the Oscar Hammerstein II Center for Theatre Studies at Columbia University in the City of New York. He is an author, dramatist, editor, publisher, and teacher who writes across the live stage, print, radio, television, film, and the web. With more than 50 books in print, David continues to write 2MM words a year and has authored over 25K articles. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild, the Authors Guild, and PEN America, and founded The United Stage advocacy platform on the principle that playwrights have a duty to direct their own work. Read the Prairie Voice Archive at Boles.com | Buy his books at David Boles Books Writing & Publishing at BolesBooks.com | Study with Script Professor at ScriptProfessor.com | Touch American Sign Language mastery at Hardcore ASL at HardcoreASL.com | Explore the Human Meme podcast at HumanMeme.com | Train with Boles Bells at BolesBells.com.
    David W. Boles says:

    Right, Katha! The MSM disgust me. Bloggers are really doing their job now, and that’s a good thing. Bush lived in that silent transition of power between the major media and the lone voice. No future president will ever be so lucky again.

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