There is no denying that this feels retrograde for a woman of Obama's intellect and background.
Ella's absurdly thin waist is scantly more anatomically plausible when placed on an actual human body, while her quest for a form of liberation defined by marriage to a wealthy, powerful stranger feels retrograde even by Disney standards.
And increasingly, the urge to demonise the colour pink feels as retrograde as a parent insisting upon it – one pushing, one pulling, both arrive at the same stereotype.
In this light, Facebook and Apple's attempts to build Gehry or spaceship-like office buildings feels oddly retrograde.
This year's red carpet feels like a retrograde move for the women of Hollywood, even by Oscar standards.
Mr. Letts's depiction of this budding cross-racial, cross-generational friendship feels a little retrograde, as both Arthur and Franco reveal dimensions that confound each other but help ease the awkwardness between them.
An attempt by the show to go older and more traditional, with Billy Crystal in 2012, felt staid and retrograde, a misguided quest for past glory.
Even if you feel that it would be retrograde for these stories to be drenched in sherbets, musks and ambers, you have to wonder what happened to the courtyards and souks and fountains in which they happen: they are the visual equivalent of the narrative's serpentine path.
As Mercury retrograde approaches, I feel a bit like Paul Revere, the famous American patriot, who on his midnight ride, (supposedly) warned everyone, "The British are coming!" Now, let me say, just as dramatically, "Mercury retrograde is coming from September 17 to October 9".
(Note: Venus retrograde is not the time for a makeover, so if you want to try something new, book your appointment before July 25!) During Venus retrograde, you may not feel so seductive, and your self-esteem may even take a hit, but this is an indispensable chance to review your love life and financial situation.
