Not Barack mania. Michelle Obama mania. Not even first lady (yet!) and this week alone she gets a major spread in the New York Times, special segments on CNN's "American Morning," joins hubby on the cover of US Weekly, and served of as a co-host of "The View." I do not think she is undeserving of the attention. I do think it's interesting to note the kind of interest she is receiving, however. Let me give you a few examples.
1. The infamous "fist bump." Known in the streets as a "pound" or "dap," the greeting she gave her husband the night he clinched the nomination has been scoured, analyzed, and dissected from about 8 million perspectives. Really? I mean, it's a greeting. People (black people, yes, but all sorts of all other people too) do this every day. With gas at over $4 per gallon, we need to reshift our focus, people!
2. The crazy YouTube clips. Like about "whitey" (child, please!) and "The Michelle Obama Song" by The Hardly Boyz http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvsk01dQZj0. "Pull my lever"? Sigh.
Regarding the recent onslaught of corny special interest Michelle Obama pieces, CNN's Lola Ogunnaike writes "So here she is, a Princeton graduate and an accomplished executive, talking about trips to Target, Sudoku, bad hair days and dance recitals. Subtext: I'm just another bargain-hunting soccer mom, who just happens to be married to the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee." I appreciate the whole idea of trying to make her down-to-earth, but here's my theory: I don't think the First Lady (and certainly not the president) should be "just like me." What a farce! It's a huge responsibility that is in no way "average." The president and his/her partner should ideally be extraordinary folk. Not so lofty or "elitist" that they cannot relate to the masses, but really exceptionally educated, capable, poised, and so on.
I guess I should be thankful the interest this week is on her pearls and purple shift rather than on how supposedly unpatriotic she is. Indeed, look at what we are up against.
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3 comments:
On somewhat of a light note, I kind of like the "Pull my lever" song. I have to agree with the majority of what you said, and that most of it isn't new to us. How many times did you see or hear about Hillary Clinton's hair when she was First Lady?
Granted there are some people out there who take their opinions and jokes to the extremes, but isn't that the right we have, and something that makes this country worth living in (perhaps leaving the button example to the dogs though)?
One thing that did hit me, and I will offer you my dissenting opinion, is the fact that you wouldn't want the President to be just like ourselves. Well, in many respects they never are (nor are most politicians), but it is important for us to be able to see eye to eye with those who are representing us, otherwise we see them simply as elitists and nothing more. So making Michelle Obama a "soccer mom" may not do her much justice, I think it does instill a picture of what many Americans can truly relate to. And to give as much respect to you as possible, "Dr. M", I think a lot of our Presidents past and I hope to come are a lot closer to being like you than you may realize.
Michelle for Prez!
Eesha for Chief-of-Staff!
Susie for Secretary of State!
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