Poodle (insult)

In politics, "poodle" is a political pejorative or insult used to describe a politician who obediently or passively follows the lead of others.[1] It is considered to be equivalent to lackey.[2] Usage of the term is thought to relate to the passive and obedient nature of the dog breed.

History of the term

The term was used as a label to criticise British Prime Ministers who are perceived to be too close to the United States.[3] During the 2000s, it was used against Tony Blair with regard to his close relationship with George W. Bush and the involvement of the United Kingdom in the Iraq War. The singer George Michael used it in his song "Shoot the Dog" in July 2002, the video of which showed Blair as the "poodle" on the lawn of the White House.[4]

Romanian-Israeli politician Colette Avital unsuccessfully tried to have the term's use banned from the Knesset in June 2001.[5]

After 2018 Russia–United States summit, American president Donald Trump was widely described in media as a "poodle" of Russian president Vladimir Putin[6] [7]

See also

• Political insult
• Sycophancy

References

1. "Tony Blair: The US poodle?". bbc.co.uk. 31 January 2003. Retrieved 17 May 2007.
2. "Poodle". etymonline.com. 2 July 2007. Retrieved 2 July 2007.
3. "Blair battles "poodle" jibes". BBC News. 3 February 2003. Retrieved 17 May 2007.
4. "Michael denies attack on Bush". BBC News. 5 July 2002. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
5. "Israeli lawmaker wants to ban 68 insults in parliament". seattletimes.nwsource.com. 22 July 2001. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
6. 'Putin's poodle': newspapers declare Trump a traitor after Helsinki summit, The Guardian, by Alison Rourke, 2018
7. Trump is coming off as Putin’s poodle, but that actually undermines Russia’s main goal by Brookings Institution, by Jeremy Shapiro, 2018