Michelle doesn’t need a makeover

Michelle and Barack ObamaGina McCauley of the fabulous blog What About Our Daughters, has a great post on Comment is Free about the way the US media has leapt on Michelle Obama demanding a makeover.

Gina puts it really well:

Michelle Obama doesn’t need a makeover. She was a classy, eloquent spokesperson for her husband’s candidacy. What needs making over are the puny little minds of the editorial decision-makers in this country who once again are forcing an accomplished professional spouse of a man seeking high office to contort herself to fit into their tiny little archaic boxes.

She deals really well with the furore over Michelle apparently being “unpatriotic”:

The truth is that any woman who would submit her children to the circus-like gauntlet that has become the presidential nomination process in this country, has a deep unwavering love for her country. Only a woman who loved her country would be willing to sacrifice so much and endure the negative stereotyping, spurious rumours and the incessant chatter from prognostitutes psychoanalysing her decision to go sleeveless and wear the colour purple.

Great stuff. And given the volume of bullshit being directed at Michelle Obama in the media, sorely needed.

Photo by Wa-J, shared under a Creative Commons license

Your Comments

JENNIFER DREW said:

Gina McCauley was right to challenge the media's claim that Michelle Obama needs a 'makeover.' Oh yes, and is it because Ms. Obama is a strong woman and one who refuses to turn herself into a submissive, silent wife. The media is once again engaged in a vicious, vindictive woman-hating campaign. We must challenge this woman-hatred because the aim of such misogyny is to silence women's voices. I note McCain has not been informed he needs a 'makeover.' But then McCain portrays himself as a 'real man,' one who is dominant and strong. Of course these characteristics are masculine and hence this this why Ms. Obama is being told to change her ways.

Oh how the media hates strong, intelligence, powerful women who are not men's minions.

Posted on 23 June 2008 at 11:02 PM

Redheadinred said:

I like Michelle Obama. She's the one potential 'first lady' who doesn't make me want to curl up and die. It's usually expected that a leader's wife will stand there like a prop, gazing at her husband and nodding her head. Michelle and Barack actually seem like a team.

Posted on 24 June 2008 at 10:30 PM

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