Quotable Quote of the Month

What does it take for Republicans to take off the flag pin and say, 'I am just too embarrassed to be on this team'?".- Bill Maher

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Weighing In On the Right's Obsession with Michelle Obama's Backside

Ever since Michelle Obama launched her Let's Move! campaign (which attempts to battle childhood obesity), some on the right have predictably criticized the First Lady's eating habits/body weight. The latest to join the attack brigade is Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI). According to a Democratic operative, Sensenbrenner said the following about Michelle Obama:

“she lectures us on eating right while she has a large posterior herself.”

In case you have no idea what Congressman Sensenbrenner looks like, here's a photo of him:


I realize the photo isn't a full body shot, but I doubt he's fielding calls from Playgirl magazine. I mean really... is this guy in any position to talk about someone else's posterior?! According to Sensenbrenner’s press secretary, Sensenbrenner had sent Michelle a personal note and released a statement saying he regretted his “inappropriate comment.”My guess is the only thing he regrets about the comment is that he was busted for making it.

As for "Let's Move!", those on the right calling Michelle Obama a hypocrite because she sometimes eats fatty foods are way off base. The program is about making healthy choices: getting kids to eat better and to become more physically active. Never has she said that kids shouldn't occasionally indulge in their favorite culinary guilty pleasures. Besides, don't these people have better things to do with their time than to nitpick over what Michelle eats?!

It’s been a tradition for the first ladies of the U.S. to take on pet projects/initiatives during their husband’s administrations.  The projects are generally free of controversy; one would have to be out of their mind to find fault with them. For example, one of Laura Bush's pet projects focused on education. The goal was to focus America's attention on recruiting the best talent to the teaching profession and to ensure that kids were ready to read when they enter school. Was this a Communist plot by Laura to indoctrinate young, impressionable minds? Was she trying to tell kids they had to focus all their energies on learning, never to enjoy any recreational time? Hell no on both counts! Laura Bush's efforts regarding our nation's kids were admirable as are Michelle Obama's. This outrage over "Let's Move!" is yet another example of Obama Derangement Syndrome. If Michelle Obama had a suicide prevention initiative, these right-wing clowns would be slitting their wrists out of spite. Hmm... maybe the First Lady should switch initiatives. Just kidding!

To most who are able to view things objectively, Michelle Obama is a beautiful woman who's in terrific shape. Check out those arms! She also was recently part of a group which set a Guinness world record for doing the most jumping jacks in a 24-hour period. Yes, she's got some ass on her. However, I view that as a good thing. I'll bet President Obama likes it too! I can imagine him saying to the First Lady:

"Honey, you can do side bends or sit-ups, but don't you dare lose that boo-tay!!"

It's one thing for out of shape loudmouths like Congressman Sensenbrenner and Rush Limbaugh to criticize Michelle Obama's shape. However, what I find really disappointing is when women get in on the act by  taking cheap shots at the First Lady. Although I'm a man, I can empathize with the issues women face in regards to body image. We get bombarded with unrealistic images of thin celebrities which have some women thinking that if they don't look like Keira Knightley, they need to audition for "The Biggest Loser"! It's sad that there are women who can't put politics aside and get behind Michelle Obama's efforts to combat childhood obesity.

For the female haters who want to talk about Michelle Obama's butt, I have a challenge for you. I want you to put on a bikini, take pictures of yourself from every angle, and post those photos on the Internet. If you can't do that, you need to back the fuck up and show the First Lady some respect! The same goes for the men in the peanut gallery running their mouths about Michelle's butt too!

Update: On 2nd thought, even if the female haters have the guts to put their bikini photos online (which I doubt they will), they still need to back off and show Michelle some respect!

16 comments:

Mary said...

Unfortunately I HAVE seen all of Sensenbrenner, and he is a fat ass in more than just physical ways. The ideal woman for a white male is rail thin, boobs only, no butt...which could explain why I have no use for white males. I have noticed over my 50 years of observing white men, if a woman has a big enough chest and small enough butt, they don't care what the face or personality are like.

I was actually talking about this with my daughter yesterday. In thinking back to all the Presidents wives, at least back to Pat Nixon in my life, the Republicans demanded HANDS OFF on their First Ladies, but unfortunately it wasn't so with the Democrats wives. Roselyn Carter was made fun of for her name...they thought it was too folksy. Then I think we all remember what they did to Hillary! She couldn't breathe without them getting mad about it. So their attackes on Michelle Obama are nothing new. But we have the added bonus of a bunch of WHITE MEN with no clue of a Black Woman body...and I am sure Michelle is just fine with that. ;)
They also love attacking the Democrats children, while Bush's daughters were out partying hard, Amy Carter was UGLY, Chelsea Clinton was UGLY, and the Obama (little girls) daughters are Ghetto Trash.

I, for one, would have made Sensenbrener come to the White House and look me in the eye and tell me he was sorry. I would have made sure there were plenty of photographers around to take plenty of shots, both front and BACK. then I would have sent out a press release with all the pictures. Let's see whole really is a fat ass!

Judi said...

Malcolm, I could get on my soap box about this topic! You covered it well, though. Love your new blog design.

Mary said...

Yeah, dmarks you are right, it was a very silly, sexist, stereotypical/generalization...but it wasn't racist. It is a cultural difference, not a racial difference.
Ya know what, you are right about Sarah too, it is amazing how I keep forgetting about her. She was treated poorly, but she does a whole hunk of attacking, so if you dish you have to take. I would find it highly unlikely that Michelle Obama even knew who WI Rep. Sensenbrenner was. She is just trying to do something good for our children, and for that she gets attacked? But that is in no way sexist, or a silly stereotypical/generalization.

Malcolm said...

Sheri said (via Facebook): People suck. And obviously they have nothing real to say if this is what they're worried about.

Kathy said (via Facebook): She looks gorgeous and eeeevrybody knows it! Old dude needs to rethink what matters in life and stop the hate.

Pamela Zydel said...

Malcolm: I'm a woman, and...

wait for it...

a CONSERVATIVE!

I know, I'm on a Liberal blog...run for the hills! ;-)

I’ve only criticize the First Lady's choice of clothing, such as her Inaugural Gown, but that's because I'm a fashion nut and I TRULY believed she could've picked a better dress. She's stunning and sometimes her choice in clothes just drives me bat crazy!

Other than that, I think she is a lovely woman who genuinely cares for her family, especially her children. I think her "Let's Move" campaign is a great idea, just don't "force" it on anyone. And from what I understand, there are NO laws accompanying it. She's offering suggestions! Just as Mrs. Bush did with reading!

Good grief, can we find these horribly unhappy people lives?

Side note, but very important--Happy New Year, Malcolm!

Malcolm said...

Mary: The anti-Obama crowd have shown they have their own set of rules. When they start criticizing Michelle Obama for something as benign as her "Let's Move" campaign, you can tell they've got nothing. Can you imagine what they'd do to her if it was discovered she had a drinking problem like the late Betty Ford? How about if it turned out that she was the cause of a car accident that killed someone like Laura Bush?

I forgot that you are from WI so you know all about Sensenbrenner.
I love your idea of making him come to the White House to apologize in person with cameras rolling. If that ever happened, it would have the Obama haters boiling mad! Serves them right.

Judi: Your kind words about this post and the new blog design are much appreciated!

dmarks: Thanks! As you alluded to, the Sarah Palin bashing got out of hand at times, but didn't reach the level of vitriol directed at Michelle Obama. I think a lot of the Palin bashing was due to the manner in which she went after people. Just to be clear, that's not an excuse; it's just an explanation.

Pamela: You're a female and a conservative?! I don't allow your kind over here! Of course I'm kidding. As you probably know, I like hearing from people who's political views differ from mine.

I think your criticism of Michelle Obama from a fashion perspective is fair. I didn't think her inauguration gown was that bad though. Then again, women's fashion isn't even close to being my area of expertise.

Also, credit to you for being objective and praising her as well. The people who engage in these nasty, personal attacks against Michelle Obama must be some of the most miserable people imaginable. They probably used to pull the wings off of flies when they were kids. For all we know, they might still do. :-)

Happy New Year to you as well!

Leftist,Liberal, and Progressive said...

dmarks said...
"There's a little parallel to the left's hatred of Sarah Palin which included bashing her for looking too good and wearing boots. But just a little. That stuff's gone. and the Michelle bashing is far worse"

dmarks, you and I usually agree with each-other, however this is not one of those times.
You said that "Michelle bashing is far worse".
I never thought I’d be defending Sarah Palin, but I must say how I feel about this.
Is calling someone a Fat Ass worse that saying that your Daughters baby was your Husband's?
Is calling someone a Fat Ass worse that saying that Gabrielle Giffords‘s shooting was Sarah Palin’s fault?
Is calling someone a Fat Ass worse that saying that your Daughters is screwing a Baseball player?
Look, I don’t agree with what that jerk said about the First lady, not at all, but the thing that were said about Sarah Palin were far more disgusting. But unfortunately, our media lest certain things slip by, and allows saying vile things when that are about the opposing party. . Especially when they have disgusting things to say about Sarah Palin or her family.
Like when Tucker Carlson tell. a story on national TV about a convicted rapist like Mike Tyson because he called Sarah Palin a “wombshifter” whatever that means!
If we all think that Sarah Palin was not a threat to us or to President Obama, then why all of those rabid attacks against her and her family? Bottom line, how can you say that calling someone’s large posterior is far worse than what they have said about Sarah Palin? Sorry dmarks but I just don’t see it that way.
Look all presidents wives are in a Fishbowl that's the way it is, and they just have to live with it.
I think we've got a lot more important things to worry bout in this country than the first ladies large posterior.

Shaw Kenawe said...

Mrs. Obama is a gracious, intelligent, and elegant FLOTUS.

A very small group of nasty folks get a thrill out of demeaning her. Perhaps their lives are so empty and miserable, they need to attack someone, out of spite, whose life is better and more exciting.

Who knows why.

The comparison to Palin doesn't work.

Palin pitted Americans against Americans with her claiming, in rural Virginia and other rural areas of the country, that those areas were the "real America."

Rather arrogant and divisive of her, I think. Who appointed her the arbiter of who's a "real American" and who isn't.

Imagine if Mrs. Obama were visiting, say, New York City and told a crowd that "this is the real America!"

People like Palin would be howling about that for years on end.

All first ladies have a special cause, and I think Mrs. Obama's is very important, since there is a serious obesity problem in this country.

Laura Bush, BTW, was also a gracious, lovely and warm First Lady. I thought she did a great job.

Andy Wenner · said...

If she had just kept her big mouth shut and done the typical First Lady gig she'd be okay. But noooooooh - she has to leave her mark on the body politic - a nasty, stinking brown stain on America's undershorts.

Malcolm said...

Top Cat: Thanks for visiting. Let me add to the solid points made by Shaw and dmarks in response to your comments. Your comparison of Sarah Palin to Michelle Obama doesn't work for other reasons too. For one thing, you referenced a joke David Letterman made about one of Sarah Palin's daughters and Alex Rodriguez. A joke that he apologized for profusely.

In addition to being ripped for her so-called weight problem and nutritional habits, some on the right have constantly questioned Michelle's patriotism. They even went so far as to play the role of lip reader and accuse her of making a disparaging mark about the flag at a ceremony honoring victims of the 9/11 terrorism attacks.

Since you included comments made about Sarah's family in your comparison, let me point out that the right's hands aren't clean when it comes to First Daughters Malia and Sasha. In addition to Glenn "leave the families alone" Beck doing a segment on his radio show in which he mocked Malia, others in the anti-Obama camp have called the first daughters such derogatory names as "Slasher" and "Malaria". Very funny.

If you defend the criticism leveled at Michelle Obama by playing the "fishbowl" card, why not do the same for Sarah Palin? I realize that Sarah isn't the First Lady. However, she is a public figure. Just to be clear, I think some of the Palin criticism was out of bounds and her being a public figure doesn't make it right. I'm just asking for a little consistency on your behalf.

Andy: Only those suffering from "Obama Derangement Syndrome" would consider Michelle Obama's "Let's Move!" initiative atypical. Even if Michelle had taken on a so-called "typical" First Lady gig, people of your ilk would have found a way to twist it into something sinister. Thanks for stopping by!

Leftist,Liberal, and Progressive said...

Thank you for the welcome
Malcolm .
You posted the following.

"Top Cat: Thanks for visiting. Let me add to the solid points made by Shaw and dmarks in response to your comments. Your comparison of Sarah Palin to Michelle Obama doesn't work for other reasons too. For one thing, you referenced a joke David Letterman made about one of Sarah Palin's daughters and Alex Rodriguez. A joke that he apologized for profusely."

May I disagree by saying that .

The presenter for CBS admitted his remarks about the Alaska Governor's family were in bad taste on his programme The Late Show.

See the quotes below.
"Letterman issued what amounts to a non-apology by saying he meant the older daughter, but that really isn’t much of an improvement. He’s only shifting the same insulting comments to the 18-year-old. Letterman also never apologized about the ’slutty’ remark."
http://thenationalscene.com/ed-shultz-palin-political-slime-liberals-defend-david-letterman/

Amidst a media shitstorm, David Letterman officially apologized/caved to Sarah Palin

http://www.thesuperficial.com/david_letterman_apologizes_to-06-2009

Apology or not, the joke was in very poor taste.

Thanks again for the welcome

Malcolm said...

Top Cat: For someone who said they never thought they'd be defending Sarah Palin, you're doing a pretty good impersonation of a Palinite.

In regards to the "knocked up" joke, Letterman not only apologized to Sarah Palin and her family, but he also admitted the joke was coarse and indefensible. I'm not sure what else you expect him to do.

Based on what I and others have said here, do you now believe the criticism hurled at Michelle Obama isn't restricted to her figure?

Leftist,Liberal, and Progressive said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Leftist,Liberal, and Progressive said...

Defending Sarah Palin? Oh come on now perhaps I am. If I am it's not because I'm a Sarah Palin lover or even a fan, but then again, I'm not a fan of Michelle Obama either. But it's because of the hypocrisy of this entire post.
I'm not particularly a fan of either one of them.
As a capitalist, I don’t have a problem with people who want to spend whatever they please to, but not as Michelle Obama does, she spends the taxpayers money as it it were water and no one on the left says a word about it, especially the media.
Michelle Obama wears two thousand dollar pair of sneakers on her taxpayer paid Hawaiian vacation. and the media not reports this, but they love her for it and sites like Media Matters defend her for it, they think she’s a fashionista . And yet they attacked Sarah Palin for her makeup and wardrobe. I could care less how much she pays for her clothes, if indeed she pays anything for them herself. Look, I can find a lot of things to complain about the Obamas, arguing about the size of Michell's large posterior gossip is not one of them. I don't do personal attacks on the physical appearance of First Ladies, and I don't think that what was done to Sarah Palin was warranted either. And by the way, has the Obama girls ever received any negative press or the jokes about them as the Palin children have? Like a late show comedian joking about her being raped by a baseball player? Do you recall when Bill Maher made that remark to Bristol Palin: “Just Admit It, You Were Horny”
I don't recall Bill Mahar or David Letterman or anyone else joking about the sexual activities of the Obama girls,
No, nor should they be..
However, I will criticize her her lavish spending. And please don’t call me prejudice. I’m trying my best to be impartial, and not judgmental.

Leftist,Liberal, and Progressive said...

Malcolm said...

Top Cat: For someone who said they never thought they'd be defending Sarah Palin, you're doing a pretty good impersonation of a Palinite.

In regards to the "knocked up" joke, Letterman not only apologized to Sarah Palin and her family, but he also admitted the joke was coarse and indefensible. I'm not sure what else you expect him to do.


I would have expected him not have said it in the first place.
The trouble with that apologizing BS is, they apologize when the heat gets to hot and their job and reputation is on the line. It's called saving your ass.

Malcolm said...

Top Cat: In regards to you defending Palin, there’s no “perhaps” to it. This post has nothing to do with her. Unless you’re a Palin supporter, I’m not sure why you’ve been going on and on about how her and her family have been bashed.

Your claim that this post is hypocritical makes no sense. You seem to be implying that I’m a hypocrite because I wrote about the mistreatment of Michelle Obama, but not about the mistreatment of Sarah Palin. If that is what you’re implying, you need to learn the meaning of the word “hypocrisy”. If this isn’t what you’re implying, please explain how this post is hypocritical.

You stated that “Michelle Obama wears two thousand dollar pair of sneakers on her taxpayer paid Hawaiian vacation.” Can you provide a credible link which backs up your claim that Michelle ever wore sneakers that expensive?

“And by the way, has the Obama girls ever received any negative press or the jokes about them as the Palin children have?”

I gave you two examples in my previous comment. Here they are again, with links this time:

http://www.the-two-malcontents.com/index.php?s=Malaria&submit=Search

I realize this is just the work of some lowly, no-named bloggers. However, this is criticism and it’s indefensible.

Glenn Beck mocking then 11 year old Malia Obama:

http://mediamatters.org/blog/201005280025

“The trouble with that apologizing BS is, they apologize when the heat gets to hot and their job and reputation is on the line. It's called saving your ass.”

David Letterman is human and humans make mistakes. I think he apologized because it was the right thing to do. Despite the apology, I doubt there’s anything he can do in your mind to make up for it. As for his reputation, the people who despised him for making the joke likely still feel the same way. Also, there’s no evidence his job was on the line for making the Palin jokes. I know there were Palin supporters who wanted him fired. However, we have no idea if CBS threatened to take disciplinary action against him.

For the record, Beck did apologize for mocking Malia Obama. Was his apology a bunch of BS just to save his ass and reputation too?!

By the way, it took you two posts to submit your last comments. Yet, you still didn’t answer the question I posed to you in my previous comment. Let’s try again:

Based on what I and others have said here, do you now believe the criticism hurled at Michelle Obama isn't restricted to her figure?

Also, the phrase is “couldn’t care less”, not “could care less”. That is unless, you do care somewhat.