How Michelle Obama Remains In Full Control Of Building Her Image

New York Times:

Vogue magazine, the fashion world's chronicler of first ladies, bedecked Hillary Rodham Clinton in black velvet and Laura Bush in blue silk. But not Michelle Obama. She insisted on choosing her own dress (a sleeveless, magenta silk number) and using her own hair and makeup stylists for the glossy photograph splashed across Vogue's March cover.

This was nothing new for Mrs. Obama, who has pointedly controlled her look on the covers of People, Essence, More and O, Oprah Winfrey's magazine.

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[AmericanWarrior]

My first lady.

[whiteoakindian]

Ahhhh, therein lies the problem!

[Aabby]

what problem? If there is a problem, it might just be you.

[PoliticalAmazon]

Everyone is entitled to an opinion, even if it disagrees with yours. Personal attacks are a sign of a weak poster.

[marcygirl]

Thanks INDIEMINDED for providing that link to Mr. Pitts' article. It's so, so true!

[indieminded]

Leonard Pitts wrote a great editorial recently titled "Michele Obama hasn't changed; we have" Here is a link:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2009007975_opinc09pitts.html

I think Mr. Pitts hits the nail on the head here. It is not Michelle Obama who has changed. The media was complicit in the negative spin that was launched on the right. So, now they want to spin the fact that the image that they helped paint of her during the campaign was not flat-out wrong, but now she has somehow crafted a carefully launched PR attempt to change her image.

So cynical and so wrong.

[PoliticalAmazon]

Mr. Pitts is full of scrunchy little junior miss sweaters.

What has changed is MO's ability to dress herself in something that doesn't evoke pity an/or laughter.

Before eleciton night, she was jaw-dropping sharply dressed. Something switched, and it started with that red-black explosion disaster she wore on election night.

And to blame the media is weak. The media actually has been EXTREMELY pro-MO and have gone out of their way to not criticize her for her poor choices.

Sooner or later, MO and her fawning supporters are going to run out of weak excuses for why she cannot put together on a consistent basis suitable ensembles for a FLOTUS. Then what will you do?

[NCYvonne]

Hey, dummmass, Pitts is talking about Michelle's persona/pe­rsonality. How the media portrayed her as an angry black woman who h@ted her country and white people.

The article has nothing to do with her clothes, genius. See, unlike you, some people realize clothes don't make a person.

[traveler501]

what an interesting, complex woman...I'­d love to know what she is thinking when she does that tightening thing with her lips (as in this photo)...s­eems sort of sad, but determined, maybe a little hope in that long gaze to the horizon. she looks like someone who believes in something uplifting, maybe a better vision of the future...I wonder what she sees? ( or maybe she had a retainer as a child and it is all projection on my part LOL)

[Lahonda]

Michelle Obama makes us all glow with pride. She is a caring person, who's making every effort to help and lead this country, just by being a great parent and wife. ...and then you get to the executive talent in her. She shows so much understanding of how the system works. That long campaign trail looks like it taught everyone a lot.

[roninroshi]

Best "First Lady" ever...

[Chubbster]

Michele doesn't need something as phony as a synthetic built image.

[mrskorn]

That's exactly what she is doing...bu­ilding her image as the everyday common woman, yet she has power and money.

[Sabreen60]

The point just sailed right over your head. There are many affluent women who work and raise children, volunteer and sit on executive boards. Mrs. 0ba-ma was not born with a silver spoon in her mouth. She worked for what she achieved. Now as first lady she is showing women that she understands what we are dealing with because she also has to multitask, albeit on a much more demanding level. Just because her family income has increased mainly because of the sale of her husband's book doesn't mean she has forgotten from whence she comes. Every article I have read that interviewed her friends, family members and former colleagues say the same thing - Mrs. Oba-ma is down to earth. There is nothing pretentious about her. She dresses the way she wants to dress and she's not interested in wearing clothes that cost thousands of dollars. It other words she's not trying to build an image. What you see is what you get.

[PoliticalAmazon]

Just because she doesn't have a pubicity rep doesn't mean she is not synthetically building her image.

[ElsaIndy]

Exactly. The whole point of the article was that it was she, MO, who was in control of her image.

[1088]

No wonder the President always have a smile on his face. Our First Lady is sexy and hot!!

[takeyourballandgohome]

She is one tough cookie. She better be careful to not be overexposed which she's on the verge of being. She is thoughtful, stylish, attractive, the whole package, but a woman does not get to be where she is w/o direct focus on the prize, leaving anything in the way along the sidelines.

[AKAchip]

Are you a woman??? Or are you just being negative for the he.ll of it? Many women have had important careers and have accomplished great things and still remained grounded and empathetic, caring people.

[MideastDove]

???
Everything is part of a "grand plan" , eh?

[jaielaw]

Exactly what is the "prize" in this case?

[ProudlyConservative42]

Goodness, I could just eat her up!!

[tel8034]

"Only 10 months ago, Mrs. Obama was described as an angry black woman by some conservatives and as a liability to her husband. Now, she is widely admired for her warmth, and her vibrant and accessible manner, and her race seems almost an afterthought to many Americans. She has the highest favorability ratings of any incoming first lady since 1980, and is even more popular than the president.­"

Yes we do remember FAUX NEWS, CNN, and Cindy McCain 10 months ago ..........­... They made bashing First Lady Michelle Obama a 24/7 hobby.....­........ But despite all of the bashing (a lot of which was racist), her approval ratings are running around 76%.......­. Even republicans love the First Lady.

Had McCain won the election (shudder, shudder, shudder), where would Cindy "Ice Queen" McCain's ratings have been 100 days in? ..........­........ How would Cindy have been received in the UK and Europe? ..........­..... Would Cindy have made the White House the "People's House" ?

WHEW ......... We sure dodged a bullet ......... Could you imagine both Cindy and Sarah in the White House? ..........­... I take that back......­...... It's too scary to even think about.....­.......Per­sih the thought.

[Digeeedad]

"Only 10 months ago, Mrs. Obama was described as an angry black woman by some conservatives and as a liability to her husband".

One of the cpnservative leaders who got that "ANGRY BLACK WOMAN" label firmly entrenched in the right wing conservative base was Sean Hannity. On his radio program, the day after Michelle Obama's moving and eloquent speech before the DNC, where she talked of their family values, dreams for their daughters' future and her relationship with her husband, Hannity told his audience:

"Don't you believe it ladies and gentlemen! EVERYTHING that Michelle Obama said was scripted, PURE HOLLYWOOD! Never forget that tis is an ANGRY BLACK WOMAN"!

On Hannity's playground for bigotry and hate, his website forum "Washington Politics" posters there regularly refer to her, the President, and their children in the most despicable terms imaginable! One poll voted her the "UGLIEST" First Lady in our history!

Hannity set the stage for this, and allows vile, disgusting and bigoted posts, as long as they don't criticize himself or Limbaugh!

[BritishColumbian]

Why can't the media ever admit they were wrong in their repeated attempts to crucify this woman? Their attempts to say the First Lady "changed" and "softened" her image are laughable!

Their other problem is they can't pigeon hole her because she is who she is...

[birchtree3]

"To thine own self be true."

[roshni]

I love the photo of the first lady that goes with this article. It is a simple, working photo that shows how strong and beautiful she is.

[InfinteShibumi]

Ditto that!

[truthartbeauty]

she needs to stay in charge. she is doing it just right.