Donald Trump's Star on Hollywood Boulevard. 34.101595, -118.339602

Wk #10: Saturday 21 October ’17, 15:59:01 PDT

Donald Trump's Star on Hollywood Boulevard. 15:59:01 PDT
Donald Trump’s Star on Hollywood Boulevard. 15:59:01 PDT

This woman came to take a thumbs up selfie with the Trump Star. In taking the picture, she noticed the star was soiled and dirty. So she got out some wipes and cleaned the star.

The moment was small.
And profoundly moving.

Donald Trump's Star on Hollywood Boulevard. 34.101595, -118.339602
Donald Trump’s Star on Hollywood Boulevard. 16:00:33 PDT

Women’s Work

You don’t need a deep linguistic analysis on why it is Women’s Work. You only need to notice that, most often, it is women who do it.

In the year 33 Mary of Bethany wept. Her tears fell on Christ’s feet. And she washed his feet with perfume and dried them with her hair.

A-thousand-nine-hundred-and-forty years later, Mierle Laderman Ukeles washed the steps of the Wadsworth Atheneum, an art museum in Hartford, Connecticut. And another forty-four years after that, I watched a woman on her knees cleaning the sidewalk. Washing the 45th president-of-the-United-States’ Star on Hollywood Boulevard.

painting of a dinner illustrating Mary of Bethany washing Christ's feet. "Mary Magdalen anointing Christ’s feet," Artist Unknown, National Library of Wales / Wikipedia
Mary [Magdalen (some accounts have confused Mary of Bethany, with Mary Magdalen)] washing Christ’s feet with perfume and drying them with her hair
Mierle Laderman Ukeles washing the steps of an art museum
Mierle Laderman Ukeles, 1973. Image: The Cut

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