Reading the Pictures: Malia, Peace Signs and Bottom Feeders (Political as Well as Journalistic)

I hope you'll permit me a little finger wagging in tracking how things like this get started.

First, shame on the Daily Mail for posting images of Malia Obama on Thursday claiming that her wearing this t-shirt (and then, one other with a peace sign) while her Dad was negotiating arms control with the Russians meant she was somehow fronting for the anti-nuke movement and the CND. (Other sites, such as Newsday, also took a cut.) The girl is growing up under intense public scrutiny. The best advice to the media in this case is, either keep it to the fashion section, or move on.

Second, double shame on the Vancouver Sun for elevating the photo along with mindless racist utterances about Malia at the paleo-site, the Free Republic, into something resembling a legitimate story.

Third, shame on Mediaite, a slick new online media gossip rag for packaging the Freeper trash, the VS story, and the otherwise earth-shattering news of the election of a new hate-loving head of The Young Republicans to further escalate the Malia/Freeper "story."

Fourth, shame on more supposedly respectable journos/tweeters like Matt Cooper and David Shuster for further fueling this nonsense, with Shuster doing three tweets on it today (1, 2, 3) , the last one a promise/threat to elevate the story to the network tomorrow. (Yeah, the Freepers are loving that.)

But overall, someone please save us from a conflict-hungry and gossip-starved media forced to enter this week with no Michael Jackson to pick over and faced with the not-so-juicy prospects of a slam-dunk Sotomayor confirmation. It is arid conditions like these that draw professionals and bottom-feeders alike to elevate their ideological, relevancy and deadline needs at the expense of young girls.

For more visual politics, visit BAGnewsNotes.com (and follow us on Twitter).

(h/t: KH)

(image: Remo Casilli/Reuters. caption: U.S. President Barack Obama's eldest daughter Malia, 11, leaves the Giolitti gelato (ice cream) parlour in central Rome July 8, 2009. Leaders of G8 and G5 countries are attending a summit in the city of L'Aquila July 8-10.)

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Comments

[scootergirl03301]

Goodness leave the kid alone. It's like the 40th aniversary of Woodstock. There are peace symbols all over the place and people wearing horrible nasty looking clothes. It's summer time and the girl is wearing shorts and t-shirt. I'm just happy she's wearing clothes.

[ruralwannabe]

At the risk of turning into my mother, Malia ought to be educated to know what pushes buttons and as a child in the POLITICAL spotlight, she ought to receive advice about this. If she truly understands the risks and chooses to wear a peace sign larger than her head, she should be allowed to do so, but I am very skeptical that a young girl has enough experience to understand. She should be advised against such POLITICALl­y-interpre­ted display because it puts her directly in the line of fire of the worst kinds of people on this earth - opportunistic pigs with an axe to grind and money to be made on grinding it.

Yes it is a fashion statement, not a political symbol, but not everyone knows that! And they will use that to their advantage, and to Malia's disadvantage.

[FloridaJudy]

Good grief! They sell T-shirts and jewelry featuring peace signs at *Walmart*! The symbol obviously doesn't have the same meaning today that it did back in the sixties, when it was considered a radical anti-war statement. The Walton family isn't exactly known for pushing Progressive policies.

As long as the Obama daughters aren't wearing stuff that is overly revealing or features rude statements, let them dress as they please. Compared to what I see some kids wearing they're the souls of respectability. They're little girls. If they want to dress up as hippies - or princesses, or pirates - let them. It's tough enough growing up in the public eye without people who should have better things to do criticizing their every move.

[weishi]

It will be interesting to see how the Grand Oppression Party handles this. To be associated with such racism and hatred can not sit well with more moderates or the leadership. It is amusing that the right wing media seems to have no idea how harmful they are to their own cause.

[squarebird]

Um, weishi, are you saying that if I and others posted a bunch of hateful nonsense here that would make Huffington Post a hate site, and the contributors and readers such as yourself haters? and racists? These were POSTS to the Free Republic site that could have been made by anyone - indeed most letters to the editor are written by those who disagree with the contents or philosophy of a publication. The 'rightwing' media did not write any of those things. It was posters and trolls.

So, explain your logic. How is it that the GOP is associated with racism and hatred?

[weishi]

It's the 'perception' that those who associate themselves with a group, speak for the group, or at the least, reflect the general position of the group. I was not suggesting that those posts represent the mainstream views of the GOP nor the Free Republic, only that there may develope a perceived association between them.

The propensity for quick judgments and simplistic correlations by the average population is enormous. The perception of 'what is' drives their actions and attitudes with far more force than the rational truth. Both the media and the 'political machine' have come to rely on this social quirk. Hence, the sound bite, mud slinging and 'rant radio'.

My post was more a social commentary than a political statement. But just for grins, ask one of the those posters if they're a Democrat.

[PaiaGirl]

Malia is old enough to begin expressing her own thoughts and political positions. Right on for the President to allow her to be herself.

[cycodad]

These racist bigots should learn some sense but then that is why they are like they are. This young beautiful child,Malia Obama,is wearing a peace shirt because this is what the world needs. If they start now at her age or younger,perhaps,we can end some of this war mess. So I say to MALIA.....YOU GO SWEETHEART. Stand with your father for PEACE. These racist bigots might call her....ghetto street trash....but I am sure she will only answer to...INTEL­LIGENCE,BE­AUTIFUL, AND HONOR. All of which she is and will be. May the CREATOR smile and bless this young and lovely CHILD.

[southernsepia]

Shame on them but not on you?

I don't see the comparison between the Daily Mail claiming she was digging out a symbol used by a leftist group and the others who pointed out the obvious absurdity of that claim.

As for the freepers, sunlight is the best disinfectant.

[estproph]

I agree. I can see the other points in the article, but the interview of the Head Freeper by Shuster made it very clear to anyone who hadn't seen the site just how vile, mean, and childish those people are.

[isis]

She looks so beautiful. Peace is a wonderful thing. And who is that hot guy?

[ParacelsusTheophrastus]

I have family members who live in Texas and are very conservative and their teenagers have all sorts of peace sign stuff. What's wrong with peace? Everybody wants it except the war profiteers.

[Naplesboi]

Come on people, peace signs have made a comeback and been is style for the past several months. I heard some horrific hate speech (racially tainted) read over the radio yesterday. It was read directly from online blogs posted by extreme right wing bigots...the extreme right is really scary...

[squarebird]

So, if I copied those posts 'read directly from online blogs' to this blog, does that make you a racist? Even though you know how posting works (and I bet that you yourself was one of the posters on Free Republic site), you still do not understand the difference between what is published by a site and the comment section. You, Naplesboi, do not represent Huffington Post any more than I do. You are not paid and do not have a byline. Not only that, but a free press consciously publishes ideas that are contrary to the principles of its publishers.

[cmfshort]

My 12 year old granddaughter came for a visit, wearing a peace sign t-shirt and earrrings - all the rage right now she informed me. Now I'm looking for my old peace sign earrings for her to wear. Please people - it's fashion, not politics!

[1088]

All that racial slurs are not about her T shirt, is because she's black! Don't you get it?

[votedpresent]

Get over the race card.

[amistad]

As soon as you get come out of your delusional stupor...

[tran58quil]

Thank you for saying what so desperately needs to be said. Its time the media is taken to task for perpetuating lies and sensationalizing at the expense of its readers.

[SecretSister]

I think that I will buy a peace sign t-shirt and wear it, too.

I think that if a few hundred people bought the same tee and wore it at the next tea party, then maybe the protestors would get a clue.

[MissMooninBrooklyn]

It's frustrating when people bring up David Letterman's comments about Willow Palin (a joke intended for Bristol) as if a misguided attempt at humor is an excuse to heap racist epithets on a child. I found David lame as hell for making a joke at the expense of her children, and I am NOT in any way a fan of Sarah Palin's.

But I think that we, in the attempt to scramble over to our "sides", forget to look at the intent in these statements and where they are coming from. Again, David Letterman was trying to make a joke and it was a big ole swing and miss.

But calling a child "ghetto street trash"? I fail to see the humor in that and I don't believe that the original poster was intending to be funny or ironic. It seems like every bit of news concerning the Obamas brings out the ugliest part of the Conservative Right. Like this comment from: http://www.politicsdaily.com/2009/07/13/hate-speech-finds-a-home-on-the-web/3#comments --

"Its time for all REAL AMERICANS to stand up and be counted as in LET THE REVOLUTION BEGIN!! THAT is the ONLY WAY for the USA to get out of this black man's mess. Obama has done so much damage in just a short amount of time. SO I SAY, LET US TAKE BACK THE USA, LET THE REVOLUTION BEGIN!!"

Hate like this is dangerous for all Americans.

[KimNewYork]

Reading quotes like that make me shudder. Ackh... The extreme right IS very scary... why are they so hateful??

[cinnamonbrown]

Because their no longer revelant. I consider them terrorist myself. .

[squarebird]

Sorry, but it is EXACTLY the same. Is there even a remote possiblity that this give you a glimmer of empathy for Willow and her mother?