This is not news: The sleeveless first lady
Mikey 27 comments
I have a couple of questions about this story. ABC News (USA) is reporting that Michelle Obama's official First Lady photo is 'causing an uproar', because she chose to wear a sleeveless dress which exposed her arms.
Personally I don't see any issue, but I'm talking as a man who lives in this century (and as a man not in Saudi Arabia). The last time I checked America has far more serious problems that warrant front page attention.
On top of that, I find it appalling that any media organisation would drag the First Lady - a Harvard Law graduate with significant contributions to the community and the education system - to the same level as Paris Hilton fashion faux pa story.
So my questions are: Who are these people in an uproar, and where to they park their time machines?
This is not news.
andrew
Wednesday 4th March 2009 | 01:51 PMthen i guess the american economy is doing rather well then if this is all they have to report.....
Pete
Wednesday 4th March 2009 | 03:33 PMShe's hot. Love the athletic bod on her
Joe Marco
Wednesday 4th March 2009 | 03:53 PMWelcome to the distracted states of America. I can't stand those god damn morning 'news' shows, especially "Good Morning America". While suckers are losing jobs left and right, and while Rome is burning, these idiots, these morons, these sorry excuses of sacks of flesh have to report on The First Lady's fashion....wow. No wonder the rest of the world thinks we are stupid.
'Oh m god becky! did you see that dress?"
"Wow, she's so lame..soo out of season...so last year..."
as opposed to
"Dude, it's freezing in here, didn't you pay the bill?"
"Nah man, got laid off..."
"I got an idea...let's burn a banker."
...in response to this comment by Joe Marco. I will bring the rope and the gasoline.
I don't care if the first lady pulls an Emperor's New Clothes routine and dances through the streets naked. She is not the President and does not mean a damn thing to me. What does mean something to me is the fact that I have been out of work for a year and a half and the competition for work grows larger everyday as more and more people are losing their jobs.
Let me be incredibly blunt about this kind of news reporting. The news agencies in the United States are largely full of the biggest f*cktards on the planet and are the most useless people that are in dire need of a firing squad. They serve no useful purpose and a news report such this only gives me validation in feeling this way.
Kissthis
Wednesday 4th March 2009 | 05:12 PM...in response to this comment by Joe Marco. Jeeze Joe, why don't you tell us how you really feel?! :) I can appreciate your point of view, however, I feel you fail to understand the significance of the issue. It's not really about fashion, but rather, Professionalism and Image.
As a man, you may not be subject to the same dress code taboos as professional women. But every professional environment I've worked in strictly forbade sleeveless apparel, as it projects a less formal image and can be perceived as "sexy", which could lead to an invitation for sexual harassment. The consensus is, the more we show the less credible we appear. Also, there are other countries which might take offense to Michelle's attire for a portrait that will be displayed on a world stage.
My point is, this is more than just a fashion "faux pas". It's not that it's more important than the issues you elucidated, but it will rock the boat, so to speak, in the political arena. Politics are a BITCH (no pun intended).
Personally, I think she looks HOT, but a First Lady is expected to project a more modest image, at least in terms of our history.
Laiste
Wednesday 4th March 2009 | 05:21 PM...in response to this comment by Kissthis. There is no such thing as "an invitation for sexual harrassment". What a ridiculous statement to make.
Mikey is right- this isn't worthy of a news story. Or a debate.
Anders
Wednesday 4th March 2009 | 07:03 PM...in response to this comment by Kissthis. "Personally, I think she looks HOT"
You and me both. I reckon they're the sexiest arms I've seen.
Jim
Wednesday 4th March 2009 | 11:11 PM90% of the time I watch the "news" and think to myself, "who the !^(# is this? And why do I care." What's worse is try living in a "sports town." The week the BART officer shot a man in the back, and rioting was going on over on the West Coast, we didn't know about it. Instead 25 minutes of the half hour was about the new football coach. I'm glad I have an internet connection to find out what's happening in the world.
BTW, Kal El should totally be a legit CAPTCHA for Superman :P
The Computer Whisperer
Thursday 5th March 2009 | 05:51 AMDoes anyone remember when a lady newsreader in the USA refused to read the opening story because it was about Britney Spears, she got quite angry and irate about it... you're right... it's not news, it's entertainment news.
...in response to this comment by Jim. Good catch. "kal-el" and "kal el" now work for Superman.
Kissthis
Thursday 5th March 2009 | 12:31 PM...in response to this comment by Laiste. Shame on you Laiste! For a 30 year old, you're either extremely naive or voluntarily ignorant. We are ALL responsible for the image we project. Obviously perceptions exist that can be misconstrued in an undesired manner. That doesn't make it right, but to deny the existence of a reality that has evidenced itself throughout human history is, like I stated earlier, extremely naive or voluntarily ignorant.
And whether or not you and Mikey deem it newsworthy is irrelevant, it's obviously newsworthy or it wouldn't be a topic of discussion. : )
Laiste
Thursday 5th March 2009 | 04:47 PM...in response to this comment by Kissthis. No matter what image one projects there is still no such thing as an invitation to sexual harassment. I'm not denying sexual harassment exists, just that anyone can do something to invite it, such as choice of clothing.
mini-mel
Thursday 5th March 2009 | 05:53 PMshe better not be wearing a hem-line above her knee.. can you imagine how horrified we would be then? janet jacksons boosie would be nothing compared to what michelle obama is doing..
such scandel
Kissthis
Thursday 5th March 2009 | 08:30 PMLOL...Laist, you crack me up! So I guess all the strippers in the strip clubs are just dressing for success! : )
Jim
Friday 6th March 2009 | 02:14 AM...in response to this comment by Kissthis. There's nothing wrong with the way strippers dress for work. I personally like it :P
Laiste
Friday 6th March 2009 | 06:00 AM...in response to this comment by Kissthis. You're comparing the way most people dress on an everyday basis with strippers???
If sexual harassment is anyones fault it certainly isn't the fault of the person recieving it. Only the person commiting it is at fault and responsible for it. If you can't see that then theres nothing else I can say and I'll leave you to your own point of view on this.
Jake Farr-Wharton
Friday 6th March 2009 | 09:29 AMI find it hillarious that Michelle Obama was front page for showing arms the day that her husband authorised USD$60 billion, then a further USD$30 billion for AIG.
What the Fudge is going on there...
Furthermore, how is this photo of her not the personification of modesty and elligance? This dress is gorgeous. It fills her figure, complements her skin and hair tone and shows of her feminine arms.
Laiste, you are absolutely correct, regardless of what one wears (excluding lingere`) in public, the only person responsible for sexual harrasment is the person performing the harrasment.
Kissthis
Friday 6th March 2009 | 10:11 AM...in response to this comment by Laiste. I see we've had a total miscommunication here. I never said sexual harassment was the victim's fault. I merely stated sleeveless apparel was forbidden in a professional environment because it CAN BE PERCEIVED as "sexy", which can lead to sexual harassment. Men are visual creatures, and as such, they are stimulated by how a woman looks. Just look at the comments regarding this topic.
My point is, the way we dress ourselves bears a certain amount of personal responsibility, because what we wear projects an image and affects they way people perceive us.The reason Michelle O'Bama's manner of dress is such an issue, is because she is in the political spotlight, and everything she does, or wears, will be subject to scrutiny by the press. It's a type of celebrity, but more critical because she is the wife/First Lady of the President, our country's leader, and the world is making judgments. : )
Laiste
Friday 6th March 2009 | 10:29 AM...in response to this comment by Kissthis. I'm gobsmacked! Being sexy doesn't lead to sexual harassment. Give men more credit for being intelligent thinking people rather then mindless 'creatures' who are slaves to visual stimulation. Every person, regardless of gender, has control over what they say and do in whichever enviroment they find themselves, be it the political areana or the comments of a blog. Perhaps you are the one with naive or ignorant views about what exactly sexual harassment is. It certainly isn't about sex- its about domination, power and control.
I understand your point. Yes, we are responsible for our own personal image, but nobody has control over how other people respond to such an image. Michelle Obama presents an image of a strong woman who is comfortable with herself and her position. People who look at that image and who see her as a sexual object have obviously missed the point.
Kissthis
Friday 6th March 2009 | 10:45 AMLet me makes this simple for you to understand. If you wanted to entice your husband into a evening of romance, would you wear a bulky robe and bunny slippers, or a revealing negligee'? Granny panties or a thong? Seriously, I don't understand why you've got your panties in a wad.
For an article you found frivolous to begin with, you sure are investing a lot of energy. : )
Jim
Friday 6th March 2009 | 10:56 AM...in response to this comment by Kissthis. If my wife is feeling frisky, all she needs to do is make a nice meal. Boom! I'm ready to go! As far as clothing, why bother? Skip to the good stuff already.
Laiste
Friday 6th March 2009 | 10:59 AM...in response to this comment by Kissthis. I wouldn't be with someone who only found my "packaging" sexy, rather then who I am. And you are right, I've spent way too much time and energy trying to make a point that you simply don't want to understand . So I'll leave you to your point of view.
Kissthis
Friday 6th March 2009 | 11:08 AMLOL, Oh I understand your point. It's just not based in reality. Or perhaps it's just a matter of your life experiences being vastly different than mine. In either case, I don't care for the presumptuous tone of your communications. : )
Joe Marco
Friday 6th March 2009 | 12:15 PMLadies! Ladies! it's just a dress on some lame ass news show...can't we all just get along? Sisterhood remember?
LONG LIVE PRESIDENT OBAMA!
Friday 3rd April 2009 | 10:28 AMLONG LIVE PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA!
Speaking of Barack Obama:
Barack Obama is a racial-minority individual and does not like racism:
And Michelle Obama is a racial-minority individual and does not like racism:
WORLDWIDE PROLIFERATION OF INFORMATION RELATING TO SCANDALS:
(I) I do solemnly swear by Almighty God that George W. Bush committed hate crimes of epic proportions and with the stench of terrorism which I am not at liberty to mention. Many people know what Bush did. And many people will know what Bush dideven until the end of the world. Bush was absolute evil. Bush is now like a fugitive from justice. Bush is a psychological prisoner. Bush often worries. In any case, Bush will go down in history in infamy.
(II) It is opined that Bill Clinton committed terrifying, racist, hate crimes during his presidency, and I am not free to say anything further about it. Numbers 32:23: Be sure your sins will find you out.
(III) What if basically all racial-minority people would subscribe to the interpretations that George Herbert Walker Bush committed monstrous, racist, hate crimes while he was the President of the United States? It will eventually come out: it is only a matter of time.
(IV) I know it may be hard to believe. However, Ronald Wilson Reagan committed horrible, racist, hate crimes during his presidency.
- A.W.
(I can type 90 words per minute, and there are thousands of copies on the Internet (by March 29, 2009) indicating the contents of (I), (II), (III), and (IV). And there are thousands of copies in very many countries around the world.)
BAD NEWS FROM THE UNITED STATES: ON THE HATE CRIMES AND ETERNAL INFAMIES OF GEORGE W. BUSH, BILL CLINTON, GEORGE H.W. BUSH, AND RONALD REAGAN BLOG OF ANDREW WANG
badnewsfromtheunitedstates.blogspot.com
_______________
If only there could be a ban against invention that bottled up memory like scent & it never faded & it never got stale. Off the top of my head, it came from my Lower Merion High School yearbook.
...in response to this comment by Joe Marco. Well put Joe, sorry it took me over a year to get around to saying something. And who is this Kissthis person? Her photo links back to the index page, she must have lost interest, as I dont see her around anymore.
You're right Mike, this is not news, yet this type of pseudo news permeates the news-o-sphere, or should I say non-news -o-sphere.
As I said in several articles I have written within: If you would like your opinion made for you, just stay tuned to the television. Joe, you put it so correctly when you said: "While suckers are losing jobs left and right, and while Rome is burning, these idiots, these morons, these sorry excuses of sacks of flesh have to report on The First Lady's fashion....wow. No wonder the rest of the world thinks we are stupid."
I truly believe that the Corpro-Facist government here in the states has a council that plans how to present the "news" and world condition so as to distract the masses from the real issues at hand.
There was recently an article written on just exactly this issue, in part is says:
"The United States, locked in the kind of twilight disconnect that grips dying empires, is a country entranced by illusions. It spends its emotional and intellectual energy on the trivial and the absurd. It is captivated by the hollow stagecraft of celebrity culture as the walls crumble. This celebrity culture giddily licenses a dark voyeurism into other peoples humiliation, pain, weakness and betrayal. Day after day, one lurid saga after another, whether it is Michael Jackson, Britney Spears or John Edwards, enthralls the country
despite bank collapses, wars, mounting poverty or the criminality of its financial class."
Here's the link to the full read. It's quite recent: https://www.adbusters.org/magazine/90/hedges-american-psychosis.html
JFC...Michelle Obama's dress...
f-
Bob
Wednesday 4th March 2009 | 01:49 PMI think she is a very good looking woman. She has great shoulders so why not show them. Good greef the things that America have problems with.....