Michelle Obama: Democrats Roll Out the OS X Leopard of First Ladies
Last night I thought sleepily: If Michelle Obama is going to speak to the women of America, she better darn well do it before 10 pm [ET]. As 10 p.m. came and went, I grappled for the remote and was about to turn off the television when her bio video began to air. Okay, maybe I could last a few more minutes, see the top of the speech, get the feel of it, and go to sleep -- because really, how interesting ever are these canned, cynical speeches by candidates wives? (The eccentric Teresa Heinz Kerry aside: I thought our country missed out on a highly entertaining First Lady by rejecting her husband).
But from the moment Michelle Obama began to speak, I realized we were witnessing something historic -- and unrelated to the fact she is an African American. Michelle Obama is the first woman to embrace/embody a post-feminist view of a presidential spouse.
Think of it this way: When was the last time a nominee's wife stepped forward to assert her children and her marriage were more important and satisfying to her than her career? Indeed, to speak of the necessity of putting her career aside for her husband's political ambition--and to do so without a whiff of resentment? Heck, when was the last time you saw a candidate's wife- -any politician's wife! -- proclaim her love for her husband without that husband having been caught cheating on her first? And to do all this without driving the media into a hissy fit: "OMG she's setting women's rights back a generation!"
For neither is Michelle Obama some retro caricature of a "desperate housewife." How could she be, with her pumped figure, her confident, outspoken manner, and the way she sometimes looks, when goaded, like she's chewing on marbles? This is not a woman to be messed with. This is not a woman who feels inferior to her husband. This is not a woman without ambition or dreams. But she seems to possess the modern understanding that women's ambitions and dreams aren't always realized on a straight trajectory; that marriage and family are as much a part of those ambitions and dreams as a promotion or job title; and that when a husband succeeds politically, it does not negate her importance but amplifies it.
It was refreshing, too, to see a woman on the convention's stage wearing a soft, sexy dress. This is more post-feminism. Call it the "Sex and the City" effect. I've been struck by how many young career women today eschew the boxy suits and sensible heels of their female bosses for fitted dresses, high heels, and low necklines. There seems to be no contradiction in their minds that they can be effective at what they do in their public lives, but still be feminine and unabashedly open about attracting male attention.
Thus one of the most striking aspects of Michelle Obama is seemingly the most superficial: the sundresses she's worn throughout the campaign. I was simply transfixed by the sight of her in that girlish, black-and-white number she wore on "The View" -- girlish except for the powerful, trim triceps poking through the armholes. It was like looking at a lioness wearing something Paris Hilton would put on her chihuahua.
We hear often of women shattering glass ceilings, but Michelle Obama has shattered a plaster mold: the mold that casts all female public figures -- and potential First Ladies -- into either/or figures. You are EITHER an independent career woman in your own right (Hillary Clinton) OR a traditionally minded woman in the background of an ambitious man, the shadow in pearls (Cindy McCain; Laura Bush). You are NOT this hot, buff mother at a lectern moving a crowd to tears with your force and passion.
I'm not trying to idealize Michelle Obama. The speech was carefully crafted. It of course had a political agenda. And as with any political family, we have no idea what goes on in the Obama household or private life. We have no idea what she's really thinking when she closes her eyes at night.
Still, it's the public image that interests me. And Michelle Obama has just upgraded that image into one we GenExers can identify with and admire.
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Michelle was the epidemy of what a modern First Lady should be. She is very smart, strong, loving, charming, respectful, well educated and sincere. I can just see her now holding meetings with other first ladies around the world and giving lectures to all types of young women about pursuing their dreams without loosing who they are. The perfect role model if you will. You cant ask for a better person to represent the US as the modern First Lady!
Post-feminist is right. Feminism is in the past. What women went through to get her in her position have been forgotten, and - worse - portrayed as freaks. And Obama coming on the big screen afterwards and talking about asking Michelle out on a date? This guy is so sexist he doesn't even know the meaning of t6he wor5d.
Michelle Obama is a much more impressive role-model for 21stC women than Hillary Clinton ever hoped to be. Michelle's much more accomplished, on her own, at her age, professionally, than Hillary was. She's smarter than Hillary, and she's clearly a better, less maniacally ambitious human being than Hillary. Above all, she's not a Clinton narcissist. it's clear that she has, indeed, lived the solid, humble, just middle-class values she shares with her husband. And their family life makes the Clintons' look like the reductio ad absurdum of Boomer narcissism and selfish entitlement it so clearly has been. Michelle completely upstaged Hillary as a role model for OS X era women of the world.
I would have put it a little differently, but, yeah. She rocked it. She's herself, is the thing. Not lost in her marriage, not lost to her career, and an individual with her children, but who loves her children, and her husband, deeply. They have actual family values, the Obamas. Not the so-called Family Values party.
Why do we feel the need to label this as "post-feminist"? To me, it's an insult to all the trails blazed by powerful women who went before us-- and all of us, including Michell Obama, have reaped the benefits. I've never understood why "feminist" is a dirty word. Because that's exactly what Michelle is: smart, educated, and equally competent among the three cores of life: family, job and community.
That's all feminists ever wanted: for women to fulfill whatever dreams they hoped pursue and to be taken seriously by their peers, no matter which avenue they chose. Before we deem the feminist era over, I suggest the author take a look at the statistics. Despite having proportionately more college attendance and graduation rates, women are still disproportionately underpaid for the same work, and underrepresented in leadership roles.
When those issues are addressed and when this country makes it easier for women of ANY economic bracket to pursue both career and family, e.g. subsidized child care (a la France/Sweden), and paid maternity leave for up to a year (Canada and others), then the idea of "post-feminism" is patently ridiculous.
I agree. A better term would be "third-wave feminist."
If the old feminists merely want respect, they ought not to have tried to delegitimatize the winning candidate-- the one who followed the rules-- in favor of the losing one who didn't. When all feminists asked for was fair play, I was proud to be one of them. I no longer am. The behavior of Hillary Clinton and her supporters has set girls' playground rights back decades.....what little boys will want girls to join their games, if they perceive girls as the ones who will whine and try to change the rules when the game is almost over. And then run to the teacher and blame somebody else when they lose?
The post-feminists have the right idea...to work constructively towards the changes that will give women equality. The behavior of the old feminists merely justifies the way women have been treated in the past by confirming the worst stereotypes about erratic behavior, sore-losers, and refusal to take responsbility for one's own failures. We used to be blamed for behavior that I almost never saw among women. Until now.
So Hilary Clinton = all feminists? And because you disagree with her you disagree with all?
Enjoyed your comment.
I feel the same way about the "post racial" label. Personally, I think it's because America as a whole is embarrassed by their treatment of Blacks, women and other ethnics minority and try to "pretend" it's behind them.
Women coming full circle. Why do you put one on a pedestal and yet another you so readily put down. The whole idea of femminism is the personal freedom of a woman to choose. I think Mrs. Obama would immediately consider her work a choice and that her mom who stayed home as extremely valuable.
Women strugle with this choice everyday, and it is very difficult to really win. Good jobs are extremely demanding, while staying home can leave you climbing up walls. I think Mrs. Obama's getting this and all the women living this is what is truely post feminist.
In another beautiful piece this is what another wonderful woman has to say, "a new dynamic is at work." in another context of course, but the points dovetail.
My Mom is a social activist on women's rights and a very ardent supporter of Hillary Clinton. After hearing Michelle Obama's speech she was so moved and had no doubts that Michelle can make an impact on today's women just as much or even more than Hillary can. She wants Barack in the Whitehouse more than ever now.
"Post feminist" is just about the stupidest term there is.
I liked Mrs. Obama's speech. I'm not so sure that this piece does it justice. No writer should be allowed to toss around the term "post-feminist" without defining it first. Is it "post" in the sense of "well, we won all of the important battles that feminism waged" or is it "post" in terms of "thanks to feminism Mrs. Obama could give the speech that she gave last night? From the context of this article, it looks like the first sense of "post"--as in feminism is now a quaint and outdated political movement best retired to history because now women can do whatever they want. It would be a mistake to perpetuate that myth. Women still make much less for the same work as men do, are likely to be overlooked for promotions for having children, more likely to be poor, and are more likely to be the victims of rape and sexual harassment. Just because white upper-middle class women can go to college and get a good job does not mean that we are "post" feminism in the sense that the author is suggesting. Lastly, enough with the caricatures of feminism as some asexual, business suit sporting movement--there have been many interpretations of feminism--why choose just one in order to undermine the whole enterprise? C-
Yes, a post-feminist woman has a more balanced view of life. She doesn't feel intimidated if she stays home to look after her family and raise her children to be good manner. She is not so ambitious to just fight to get promotion to be equal to men.
And the best part is her ability to make those choices for herself! :-)
This is a crappy article, judging women on the rags they wear and the height of their heels. Gosh, I thought we were a little farther along than that, but NO. Still, Ms. Obama was absolutely stunning last night, and I'm a Hillary supporter. She just blew me away, and I didn't expect that at all. Starting with her baby pictures and shots of her as a small girl, I was just transfixed, she was so real, so strong, so passionate, I just had tears rolling down my face. And Barack was so cool, I loved it when he said "Now you know why I kept asking her out, even when she kept saying NO." Their two daughters are so beautiful, too. But it was the substance, not the beauty, that kept hitting home. I was very aware of the difference between black America and white America, and how tremendous the accomplishments have been for both Michele and Barack, they are both living testimonials to hard work, intelligence, and the promise of this country. Now - if they could just get their supporters to stop bashing Hillary and her supporters. WE ARE NOT THE ENEMY ! I actually heard Obama supporters - on AIR AMERICA no less - charging Hillary with advocating Barack's assassination just the other night - outrageous. Everytime we come near the Obama camp, you kick us in the teeth again. It's hard to feel at home in this party.
Of course, ALL Hillary supporters are not the "enemy," but the more ...errr..."flexible" ones are keeping a low profile. Where is THEIR organization? Where are their commercials in support of Obama? We know that the recalcitrant ones are the small minority, but they are also the LOUD minority. And they are offering their services to McCain and he is picking up on her campaign themes of racism and bogus branding of Obama as an "elitist." Of course, Clinton must have known that this would happen when she touted as McCain as a better candidate than Obama. Now McCain is running a commercial in which she comes right out and says this.
Oh and you forgot to mention, This woman is a good lawyer and smart too.
I CRY SO HARD WHEN TEDDY WAS ON HE LOOKED GREAT BLESS HIS HEART. I SAY A PRAY FOR HIM SINCE HE TOOK SICK . WHAT A LION HOW WONDERFUL WAS HE. MICHELLE OBAMA MADE ME SO PROUD TO BE A WOMAN AND BLACK BUT AN AMERICAN. SHE IS EVERY THING THAT BARACK SAID SHE WAS . THEY MADE ME CRY WHAT A FAMILY HE IS BLESSED WITH A WONDERFUL WIFE AND THOSE BEAUITFUL AND CLEVER LITTLE GIRLS ONE LOOKS LIKE MICHELLE AND HER BROTHER THE LITTLE ONE IS SO GREAT AND NATURAL MY GOD SHE SO LOOKS JUST LIKE BARACK.WE MUST HAVE THESE LITTLE ONES IN THE WHITE HOUSE THEY WOULD BRING SO MUCH LIFE THEY WOULD BRIGHT THE PLACE UP. MICHELLE WAS CLASSY AND TALL THAT DRESS WAS SEXY AND COLORFUL.
Fantastic blog. I totally agree. I watched her speech last night with my partner and told him this was extraordinary--he's british and didn't know what a groundbreaking speech this was. I teach women's rights and feminism and I was so impressed by the message Michelle embodies. Way to go Michelle and thank you to you Danielle for your very perceptive article.
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