First Lady Got Back

Dec 01, 2008

I read an op-ed in the Chicago Sun-Times a few days ago and that was the title. It originally ran on Salon.com and was written by Erin Aubry Kaplan, who introduces the piece saying, “I'm a black woman who never thought I'd see a powerful, beautiful female with a body like mine in the White House. Then I saw Michelle Obama -- and her booty!”

Kaplan’s essay isn’t just fluff. It delves into areas such as the fetishization of the African-American woman’s behind throughout history, and the lack of attainable body image ideals for black women in today’s society. Her ultimate point is that Michelle Obama, a beautiful, statuesque woman with curves for days, is ushering in a new beauty norm. She looks nothing like any First Lady before her, and rather similar to many of our black friends, family members and coworkers. Kaplan discusses the frequent comparisons between Obama and Jackie Kennedy and writes, “While I appreciate the spirit, I beg to differ. To put it bluntly, Jackie had no back. Same can be said for gaunt Cindy McCain and the short-lived Republican sexpot Sarah Palin. Jackie was trim and perfect, an inoffensive figure who bucked the curviness of the '50s and put American femininity on the treacherous path of smaller-is-better. Jackie was also a blue blood and a society woman -- an elite! -- so although she set new beauty and fashion paradigms, she also followed old ones.”

Sir Mix-A-Lot references aside, this is an interesting discussion but part of me wonders, is it necessary? The Obamas aren’t even on Pennsylvania Avenue yet but already there are articles springing up about HER BUTT?? Is this necessary?

I don’t deny the importance of the topic in general –hello, I’m a body image writer myself! Discussing ethnic and cultural differences in body acceptance is a fascinating topic. And the fact is, as Kaplan writes, “ordinary black women have waited a long time for this… In a country simultaneously obsessed with consumer excess and weight control, we've been caught in the middle. Throw race into the mix, and we've been downright strangled. The expectations run something like this: It's OK for black women to be heavier than most, but we still have to conform to a universal (that is, white) standard of thinness and shape. This means that, even if you're 120 pounds, your butt better not account for more than 2 percent of that.”

I suppose I just never thought about the fact that Michelle will be representing a brand new physical aesthetic, one that hasn’t been filled in such a manner in…well, ever. The First Lady WILL look different than any other First Lady and many, many young women across the globe will have a new role model to look up to. But not JUST because of her body – because she is strong and accomplished and capable and a straight-shooter.

And yes, I suppose, because she’s got a great boot-ay.

Comments

From: Anonymous
Date: 12/03/2008 - 09:47 pm

O yeah! she's built tall and athletic and in fact no different than a lot of other tall athletic women of any race or ethnicity. When I -N -I saw her on Oprah I gave her 4 thumbs up. [ Ras-steppy]

From: Anonymous
Date: 12/03/2008 - 09:28 pm

I was in Jamaica on Vacation when the O's won the Election.Faithfully I stayed aways from every thing to do with t v, blackberry cell, you name it for 1 month. now am in Toronto.The body image is an issue to all race.Now you'll have a Black sister in the white house,what next the media gonna write about her,Dig up dirt like you'll did to Hillary Clinton. Bad bad bad [-(

From: MersAri
Date: 12/03/2008 - 10:36 am

I actually found the article to be very offensive and fetishistic in the manner the author was supposedly railing against. I for one *don't* think that Michelle's body nearly approaches this (mis)perception that she has a large or prominent posterior. She just doesn't - she's built tall and athletic and in fact no different than a lot of other tall athletic women of any race or ethnicity. When I - and I imagine many people before this article came out - look at her the first thing I see is her height and leaness. I believe Ms. Kaplan may be projecting things about herself onto Mrs. Obama in an effort to create a symbol out of something that is very ordinary. Oprah Winfrey , Janet Jackson, even Halle Berry have been in the public space much longer than Michelle Obama and with bodies that much more appropriately fit the body type Kaplan is insisting is missing from the discourse. I agree Obama is a First Lady unlike any other, but her body is the least of the differences between her and her predecessors. The lack of deference shown to women of sincere accomplishment in this country is profound. We allow a woman with minimal intellectual achievement to run for one of the highest offices in this country but then turn around and distill a very distinguished and accomplished woman down to her ass? Really?

From: kristin
Date: 12/03/2008 - 04:05 am

This is a cool article. Many people are stating the obvious "the emphasis should be on her accomplishments" view, and yes, naturally we should care more about what she does and how she does it, than how she looks. But we just don't live in that kind of a world. I am in Yemen right now, and body image is an issue even for women completely shrouded in black. Welcome to our sex.

So I think it is really cool and affirming for us to notice the potential change in ideology about the way we are supposed to be shaped. Noone has pointed out that she is in no way trying to hide her shape--she is clearly proud of the bootay, and good on her for that. Go girl.

Maybe she is not simply saying it's okay to have back, but that it is okay to feel sexy in the body you have. And that her attitude toward her body is more important than her body itself. Her behaviour is saying--i dont care who you think i am supposed to be--i have to do things my way. Thats how its going to be.

Being comfortable in your own skin is a crazy-huge accomplishment!

"LA face with the oakland bootay"
(Sir Mix-a-Lot)

From: Amy @ gazellesoncrack
Date: 12/02/2008 - 01:53 pm

I agree with those who say the emphasis should be on her accomplishments, not how well she fills out her jeans. I also agree that it's nice to have a strong, accomplished woman in the limelight who is not stick-thin.

I also wish that I had more junk in my trunk. My ass is so flat....sigh....

http://www.gazellesoncrack.com