Michelle Obama and the Shorts Heard Round the World

[DixieBelle]

There's been a big fuss this week because Michelle Obama wore shorts. She's worn shorts before - to walk the dog, do stuff around the White House. But the photos of her wearing them in that iconic descending-from-Air-Force-One-onto-the-tarmac setting proved too much for the media. Obamas? Check. Summer news doldrums? Check. Controversy? Close enough. It was a story.

And people reacted. The Today Show's poll on whether she should have shown that much thigh got one of the show's biggest responses ever, with 83% pro-shorts. Local papers found "experts" to discuss the implications of the shorts for the Obama White House, international papers analyzed what it said about American culture, the blogosphere took up every angle from what this said about the objectification of women to the taxonomy of the shorts: Hot pants? Cutoffs? Booty Shorts?

Then, just as vehemently, there was a big fuss over the big fuss. Many people were given to observe that there were more important things to talk about. Several commentators pointed out that, in fact, the conflict was fake; nobody had come out, on the record, as being against the shorts.

SNIP

http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20090821/us_time/08599191785800

I literally  when this hit the media. For many reasons but primarily because I think by forcing this narrative, the media is creating a tempest in a teapot to deflect from the serious issues and the somehow send the message that the ones upset about this (OMG CONSERVATIVES FOR SURE!!!!!!) that their credibility is somehow damaged. I may be reading too much into it, but that's my $ .02.

For the record, I really don't give a fig about her wardrobe. One only need look at the history of First Ladies to see how she stacks up.

[Celtic Rose]

I personally think that the picture of her at the link is anything but flattering, but the shorts are hardly scandalous 

[NHSparky]

Lemme guess...worn with $650 sneakers that look like crap as well, no doubt.

[DumbAss Tanker]

Neutral about the shorts, the top doesn't look too good on her, but BFD.  I look like shit when I'm traveling too, it's just a lot more comfy that way.

[Flame]

Oh, please...like anyone cares about the damn shorts!  It's the cost of the vacation that has me grumbling.

[Eupher]

Oh, please...like anyone cares about the damn shorts!  It's the cost of the vacation that has me grumbling.

This whole thing smacks of the media trying to portray Michelle as a black Jackie-O. Talking about shorts now was the same as talking about Jackie's hats back in the day.

Jackie had more class in her baby toe than Michelle has in her entire body.

[NHSparky]

black Jackie-O.

Blackie-O?

[Eupher]

Blackie-O?

that'll work.   

[Wineslob]

Blackie-O?

LOLZ, I needed a spork alert. That bitch is fugly.

[DumbAss Tanker]

LOLZ, I needed a spork alert. That bitch is fugly.

I wouldn't go that far, but I personally don't find her attractive.  Seven or eight months shipwrecked on an island with nothing but her and wild animals, and I'd probably see things differently.  To the limited extent her personality was allowed to display itself in person or via anecdotes during the campaign, though, I would have to say that IT is fugly.

[Schadenfreude]

My God! Would someone teach that woman how to stand and walk? There, that's my catty remark for the day!

[Schadenfreude]

Laughing about Blackie-O... where is that damn hi5 button?

[GOBUCKS]

Isn't it wonderful to see Air Force One going ghetto?

[AllosaursRus]

Oh, please...like anyone cares about the damn shorts!  It's the cost of the vacation that has me grumbling.

It's the vacation itself that pisses me off! I can't afford one right now thanx to his holiness! You would think with the economy in the toilet, perhaps he ought to be doing something else!

It's high time he starts taking responsibility about what is happening to our country, rather than just sluffing it off to Bush! This is your can of worms dipshit, deal with it! Or did we elect the wrong asshat for the job?

I'll bet on the latter!

[thundley4]

My God! Would someone teach that woman how to stand and walk? There, that's my catty remark for the day!

Is it just me, or does she like like a guy a Halloween dressed like a woman and trying to walk in heels for the first time?

[Schadenfreude]

Is it just me, or does she like like a guy a Halloween dressed like a woman and trying to walk in heels for the first time?

Nope! That's a perfect description. 

[thundley4]

She is far from being a "graceful", both physically and in her demeanor.

[Wineslob]

I wouldn't go that far, but I personally don't find her attractive.  Seven or eight months shipwrecked on an island with nothing but her and wild animals, and I'd probably see things differently.  To the limited extent her personality was allowed to display itself in person or via anecdotes during the campaign, though, I would have to say that IT is fugly.

What kind of wild animals?   

Seriously, I really, really think she is butt-f*ckin ugly.

[debk]

I could give a rat's tushie whether or not the woman wears shorts or not. I do, and I'm older than she is....so what?

What I question the most is....Obama just had to do town hall meetings near the Grand Canyon, Old Faithful, and the Colorado River.....and his wife and daughters went along for the "ride"...so that they could do white water rafting, watch Old Faithful spew, and do whatever it is they did at the Grand Canyon?

Not only were Secret Service, et al....trailing around Obama...at their usual cost of thousands of dollars.....but another whole group were trailing around the wife and kidlets. Even if wife and kidlets PAID for their own activities (the rafting trip)...they sure as hell didn't pick up the transportation, food and housing ticket for their security and extra people with them.

I'm surprised he didn't schedule a town hall in Orlando so the wife and kidlets could go to DisneyWorld. Hmmm...be kinda hard to hid the "costs" on that trip....

[DumbAss Tanker]

What kind of wild animals?   

Unfriendly ones that bite, scratch, and/or run too fast to, ummm, never mind...

 :innocent:

[DixieBelle]

^that bothers me too. Of course they are entitled to take a vacation and they are also entitled to the full protection allowed by law. There really is no other way for them to travel. The same would hold true no matter who was in office. But like you said deb, who paid for the expenses?

The part that really irks me (okay two parts) is that had this been the McCain family (or Bush for that matter) the media would have wanted them frog marched for daring to take a vacation during these hard economic times. The double standard sickens me. The other thing that bothers me is that Air Force One is essentially the White House when POTUS is on board. A little tact and decorum is in order. I don't recall ever seeing previous First Ladies desending the staircase of Air Force One in anything other than their best wardrobe. But again, it just goes to show where she ranks in the hall of First Ladies.

[debk]

^that bothers me too. Of course they are entitled to take a vacation and they are also entitled to the full protection allowed by law. There really is no other way for them to travel. The same would hold true no matter who was in office. But like you said deb, who paid for the expenses?

The part that really irks me (okay two parts) is that had this been the McCain family (or Bush for that matter) the media would have wanted them frog marched for daring to take a vacation during these hard economic times. The double standard sickens me. The other thing that bothers me is that Air Force One is essentially the White House when POTUS is on board. A little tact and decorum is in order. I don't recall ever seeing previous First Ladies desending the staircase of Air Force One in anything other than their best wardrobe. But again, it just goes to show where she ranks in the hall of First Ladies.

I watched a TV program on Air Force One when this last one was being built...along with everything else...the President has beautiful "quarters" on board. I seem to remember, that not only was there a room for the President and First Lady with full bath, but also a separate bedroom for the President to "sleep undisturbed".

There is no reason...none...that she could not have showered and changed into something a bit more "First Lady-like"...before landing and being photographed. Except that she saw no need to do so.

She was in a sundress yesterday.....

[thundley4]

She was in a sundress yesterday.....

Thank you for not posting the picture. 

[DixieBelle]

Exactly Deb!!! Run around in your sweats on the plane (allowing no photos to be taken that will be published in the media) and then change into something appropriate and befitting the office of POTUS.

[AllosaursRus]

Bam Bam & Michelle have absolutely no respect for the office. They think they were meant to sleep in the WH. It is their right! The last thing on their minds is giving the office any respect! We're supposed to WORSHIP them!