The naked truth about Dick Cheney's sunglasses

The power of suggestion combined with the power of the Internet is an awesome phenomenon to behold, as illustrated most vividly over the last couple of days by the saga of the reflection in Dick Cheney's sunglasses.

The Ticket, foolishly preoccupied with other matters, comes late to this, but as virtually every Web-surfer knows, a photo that had been posted on the White House Web of the vice president fly-fishing on the Snake River in Idaho, apparently a few years ago, has become a sensation. And it's not because we've become a nation of avid anglers.

No, the reason is that a blog posting earlier this week postulated that upon intense inspection, the reflection in Cheney's trademark sunglasses revealed (pardon us) a NAKED LADY. And that was all it took to generate an extraordinary buzz.

As of a few minutes ago, a Google search of "Dick Cheney" and "sunglasses" came back with more than 87,000 hits. The 100,000 mark is sure to be breached soon.

Times reporter James Hohmann this afternoon tracked down Cheney spokeswoman Lea Anne McBride, traveling with the vice president on fundraising stops he's making in Colorado and California. She reiterated what other White House staffers have had to spend time explaining -- upon close examination, it's clear the reflection simply caught the vice president in the act of casting a rod.

"He’s fly fishing," she said, understandably a bit exasperated. "That’s what he’s doing."

And no, she added, there were no naked ladies in the vicinity.

Readers, as always, are invited to comment -- give us your reflections on the reflection.

-- Don Frederick

Photo: David Bohrer / The White House via Associated Press

Comments

[a o^o i]

I saw in this picture an arm holding an fishing rod throwing a line, I shall check with my optometrist to also check my eyes. I aren't see no naked woman, I m an normal healthy man.
a o^o i @pg 12apr08

[Phil]

Cheney's credibility would go UP if the reflection in fact included a nude girl. Please, give us a VP who has enough fun to have some naked women around.

[francis]

"I think the photo has been altered because in the background of cheney there is green (forest or trees) whatever but in the sunglasses it shows blue/ocean-like background...total fake"

Nice catch. You really nailed him. The only way he could have greenery behind him and water in front of him would be if he could somehow... seek out a kind of... what would you cal it.... um....

SHORELINE???

[captainkona]

"It's clearly just a hand gripping something."

Think how lucky we'd all be if it was gripping his chest in pain.

[trshaw]

If thats a naked woman..that probably isn't a fishing pole he's holding!

[Crispin Glover's Maid]

Hey Rick;
Cheney may be a money grubbing war criminal, but he does know how to fish. His rod hand is in the correct position for his gear - above the reel holding the line.

[Voysingme]

A perfect example of the Democratic MEDIA being desperate for NEWS. Unfortunately this is NOT news at ALL. You have to roll your eyes up in your head to envision a naked woman out of what is clearly a HUMAN ARM and HAND holding a fishinh pole.

Use your imagination really, realy hard and you MIGHT just see AN ALIEN female with a shriveled up torso and a PENCIL for a head.

The democrats are reaching for anything they can get now. Like I said DESPERATE democratic media. How utterly childish. hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaaaaaaa) !!!!!

[pete]

both images on the sunglasses dont match , look at the thumb position and pay close attention to the the bend in his thumb , not even.

[Gary]

This is about one of the most worthless stories on the planet right now...thanks for wasting 3 minutes of my life I will never get back.

[David]

It looks like Monica Louwenski to me!

[Doesitreallymatter]

The picture is doctored to make it look more like his hand. However, the hand position is changed, you can tell by the shadows and the markings on the pole relative to the bars on the the edge of the boat, much less the wrinkles on his hand...would have been nice if they he had a brighter smile

[Raffi Aidiniantz]

If there was a naked lady in Dick Cheney's boat, I'd say he made quite a catch, considering his obtuse conservative, snarly demeanor. I despise him and his conservative, Christian-fundamentalist, fascist, oil-corporation-loving regeime, as does virtually every other person nowadays.

Why can't we return to the 60's and all be liberal? Yeah, baby! Where's the fun gone? Let's bring it back! Vote Obama! Let's go back to being American again! The land of the free! The land where it's possible to live a happy, liberal life! End the conservative staleness! Down with asphyxiating conservatism! Let's make the next generation a people-generation, not a corporate, authoritarian, rule-loving generation! We're tired of that! Yeah! Fun times ahead for me and my kids! Happy times ahead for all of us!

[Stacie]

From David:

"HEY, sometimes a bare hand DOES resemble a naked lady."

Posted by: David | April 11, 2008 at 04:32 PM

Best comment ever!

And to the people not as familiar with photo editing software are I am, NOTHING you see may be true. It may or may not be, but you absolutely can not rely on visual evidence anymore. It's a fun diversion, nothing more.

[Rick Morefield]

I don't see a naked lady and I have a vivid imagination.
I can't even tell if it is a fishing rod in his hand.
If he's fishing and he has a naked female buddy I wish
he would take me with him. I don't like to fish but I do
like naked ladies for buddies.

[John]

Is that a zit on his nose reflected in his right lens, or do I see a nipple?

[Daniel]

Wow. I distrust the Vice President just as much as the next guy, but come on. Can't the man get his fly fishing on? He's not shooting anyone in the face for god's sake.

[Hey!]

Democratic media? Democrat media perhaps, but who said the Democrats are democratic?

[Richard]

SHE is NOT Naked - she is a decent woman !

[Terao]

By just enlarging a part that appears to be nipples, you can easily find the part was pasted with a small rectangular image. This is a very primitive way to make a fake. I would say it is not a professional work.

[vhc61]

Okay...all the comments got me curious. I enlarged it several hundred times. As a photographer I can see what is going on, and it is interesting, at least from a photography standpoint. There is the reflection of someone in HIS right hand lens (on your left), to the left of the reflection of his arm and the fishing rod. She is speaking (mouth open) and is wearing an outfit made with a striped plaid, that is reflected to the outside of her body on either side, but not on the face, due to the position of the curve of the lens in relation to her. A very neat picture; she is definitely dressed in what appears to be at least a mid thigh, and long sleeved outfit, talking while he fishes. No big deal...a great shot if the photographer had gotten her reflection a little clearer. Whoever she is, she should get a 20x30 enlargement and frame it as art...

[hesingswithfrogs]

Nobody has said what part of his sunglasses that they're looking in. In Cheney's right lense (my left) I don't see anything. BUT, in at the bottom right quadrant of Cheney's left lense (my right) I see a naked woman just under the arm holding the fishing pole. Anybody else see that?

[lexicon]

It's clearly a baby's arm holding an apple.

So, the question arises, who is THAT?

[joe]

I believe he spared his rod and toiled too shallow. :)

[Patricia Paredes]

GO Cheney GO!
xo
You are a good sport!

[JC]

Dick Cheney hasn't been that close to a naked woman in 40 years.