David Brooks Fears First Lady's Biceps

by Taylor Marsh

Alert the media! Michelle Obama is showing arm. Because a dress up to her neck isn't covering enough, at least according to the quivering Mr. Brooks.

Maureen Dowd decided to lift Washington's shirt on this one yesterday. There was Clinton cleavage-gate, now we've got Michelle Obama's biceps stirring the fears of Washingtonians. Of course, all of this comes to us compliments of Washington's gossip columnist Maureen Dowd, who decided to dish about a cab ride she took with her New York Times colleague David Brooks. However, unlike Dowd's never ending Clinton hatred, she evidently finds Michelle Obama the strongest person in town, by virtue of "Thunder and Lightning," as Brooks calls the First Lady's biceps:

In the taxi, when I asked David Brooks about her amazing arms, he indicated it was time for her to cover up. "She's made her point," he said. "Now she should put away Thunder and Lightning."

I'd seen the plaint echoed elsewhere. "Someone should tell Michelle to mix up her wardrobe and cover up from time to time," Sandra McElwaine wrote last week on The Daily Beast.

Washington is a place where people have always been suspect of style and overt sexuality. Too much preening signals that you're not up late studying cap-and-trade agreements. [...]

Time for her to cover up, clucks Brooks.

If this doesn't say it all about the spineless upper echelons of the traditional media. First you've got Brooks offended because the First Lady has sculpted biceps where he doesn't. Secondly, you've got Maureen Dowd writing a column on it, though she does give Mrs. Obama her due, while not missing the opportunity to whack Hillary Clinton yet again.

Brooks babbles on, the fear of Mrs. Obama's biceps dancing across his brain. Something about it must take him back to high school.

He said the policy crowd here would consider the dress ostentatious. "Washington is sensually avoidant. The wonks here like brains. She should not be known for her physical presence, for one body part." David brought up the Obamas' obsession with their workouts. "Sometimes I think half the reason Obama ran for president is so Michelle would have a platform to show off her biceps."

Women's prowess of mind has been emasculating the pyramids of power in this country for decades. Now it seems Michelle Obama has tipped the scale with her new weapons, Thunder and Lightning, putting the physical fear of retaliation at the right-wing weaklings' doorstep, while revealing a consummate conservative horror. The trepidation they have with all things sexual when it comes to women. Men are to be macho, testosterone pumping kings, while women should know their place as these perverts to personal privacy tell women what to do with our bodies, as well as what's appropriate to wear especially when our bodies are stronger than theirs, and even if we're covered to the neck.

Brooks' Talibanic protestations are symbolic of all things amiss with Republicans who refuse to come into the 20th century.

Somewhere I think I hear Camille Paglia laughing, as she wrote the book on sexual persona a long time ago.

The male ego is a sexual persona (the Latin word for mask)-one of many personae adopted at different times and for different reasons by different people-that reduplicates itself in phallic monuments and skyscrapers (stairways to the sky, the sun, to Heaven), in religious doctrines that designate women as the servants of men, in plays were "shrews" are to be tamed. By controlling "their women," men are attempting to control "nature," the ultimate representation of POWER. But deep down they know that, like their own penises that shrivel into a flaccid strands of flesh once orgasm has been achieved, their own power is fleeting. So they fight and fight the unwinnable war-and Western Culture is the dazzling carnage their havoc has wreaked.

Neither David Brooks or Rush Limbaugh, the Republicans' current king of conservatism, could take on Michelle Obama in any manner of voice, spirit or physical persona. That first ladies are to be seen, not heard, and certainly never feared, is the never ending message from these men. Hillary Clinton broke the mold on the role and it looks like Michelle Obama is going to take it the rest of the way. That she's doing it in grand style while leaving cowering, wimpy conservatives in her wake is just a bonus.

Comments

[mamadeus]

If you got it-flaunt it. She wears it well, too bad so many of her critics do not!

[siney]

nice column, ms. marsh...

ahhh, camille paglia! wish we heard more from her...

[FogCityJohn]

Personally, I think this should be a non-story. I also thought the kerfuffle over Hillary Clinton's cleavage was a non-story. I mean, women have breasts. Having breasts often leads to having cleavage. Hillary Clinton is a woman. Therefore Hillary Clinton has breasts, and she is thus also at great risk of having cleavage. So why should anyone express shock when, because approximately 2 cm of cleavage are revealed, we acquire photographic evidence of that which we already know to to be the case, i.e., that Hillary Clinton has breasts? Is that really so astonishing?

And, yeah, Michelle Obama has arms. In the course of any given day, I probably see hundreds of arms in various states of dress and undress. Yet I manage to go on about my business without giving it much thought because, well, you know, most people have arms. I even have a couple myself. They're sort of a natural part of the human condition. So why don't we all just get over ourselves and stop pretending that our oh-so-delicate sensibilities are offended by something as an attractive woman with . . . gasp! . . . arms?

[madatnewsmedia]

You rock!

[Rebecca Hurst]

I posted this issue to a discussion board I use for a class I teach: Women, Minorities and the Poor. I think the issue hits all topics; race, gender and social class. I read a lot of articles and blogs about this and I have to admit that as an older, unfit woman, I blanche a bit when I see Michelle Obama in the pink dress on the cover of People. As I analyze my response, I can see how positional it is - I am not fit, no longer youngish, certainly not powerful or beautiful. Definately four down on her. So I take another look, trying to see beyond my own discomfort with myself. What I see is a lovely, physically fit, confident, powerful woman, who looks like she is smart and isn't going to take a lot of crap about who she has to be in order to fit into her social role. What I see is a role model we can all afford to emulate.
Collectively I see one more set of barriers breached. A woman can be powerful, a mother, a wife, an attorney, a first "lady" and still be sexual. Powerful! Yes! Frightening? To some.

[benne]

Come on, Rebecca? You're not "powerful or beautiful"?! I think you need to do more to expand our definition of beauty and power so it includes someone as clearly articulate -- and powerful in her articulateness -- as you are. We need to expand beyond Michelle Obama, and we need to redefine beauty and power to mean more than simply commodification. I do worry that Michelle is popular with some because she can sell -- dresses, belts, etc. I want to hear more about her opinions, her achievements, and her actions, but then those can sell nothing.

[madatnewsmedia]

I would like to hear more of her opinion, achievements and actions, but the media isn't focusing on her brains; they'd rather dog her about something that means nothing to our lives, the economoy or nothing else! PATHETIC

[Cach]

Perhaps women would actually feel more powerful if they stopped constantly scrambling around looking for things to empower them. One lame joke in a shared cab ride with a gossip columnist does not a misogynist make. But I see misandry is alive and well.

[SocioPhobe]

Perhaps it would be useful for Michelle's detractors to look at her bare arms like this: the First Lady is using her lack of sleeves to show her daughters (and mine, and millions of others') that there are numerous benefits to a healthy lifestyle and excercise regimen. Not only does she feel healthier physically and mentally, have a better self-image and enough energy for her busy life than she would if she didn't excercise, she is also doing her part to keep health care costs down through preventive maintenance or wellness or whatever you want to call it .Ii think in that respect both the Pres and First Lady are putting their money where their mouth is. You want people to live healthier lives and you're in a position to set an example - then do it ! And they do.

[wayoutleft]

as expected, the good-looking politicians are the best and the ugly ones are the worst. good-looking people are usually healthier. brooks may have been a little tongue-in-cheek, though- at least from his perspective.
the funniest perspective on female body parts lately belongs to the mark cherry crew at desperate housewives.
paraphrasing-
edie: my breasts are pert and firm! don't tell me you haven't noticed!
handyman eli scruggs: you mean you've named them!

[simcha]

I read the Dowd column in the NYTimes yesterday, and had a similar reaction to Taylor Marsh. (Well, sans the Camile Paglia reference).

Dowd used Brooks as her proxy; to criticize Michelle Obama, whom I'm sure she's been dying to diss herself, but figures that it is too early in the political game. Voila! David Brooks to the rescue.

Then she makes sure to praise Michelle, just so everyone knows that she's not one of 'those'. You know; those Obama haters.

[truthyguy]

Nothing has changed for Brooks. He was afraid of girls when he was in elementary school, and he is still afraid. You can't blame him though. When you keep getting beat up . . . .

[madatnewsmedia]

You are too funny!!!

[texanna]

Taylor you've gotten to the heart of the problem! Brooks et al know that Michelle could, if she were so inclined, kick their a$$%# and that is a very scary idea to them. Fortunately, Ms. Obama is not inclined to wage a Xena crusade on anybody and she doesn't seem to be bothered by all the dithering.

[nunzia]

Ms. March - you always nail it.

This is, indeed, the perfect illustration of inside-the-beltway disconnect.
Dowd is so OVER.
This is what she writes a column about, a whole column about a silly wimpy remark made to her
in private during a cab ride by that waste-of-time David Brooks.

[cloudminder]

maureen dowd's pasty skin tone and bizarre red hair are offensive to me

also the lack of bone structure in maureen's face

and david duke brooks should do something about his receding hair line

these are the important stories to cover

[trisha08]

It's time for her to cover up?

Women everywhere should be offended at his comment. Do conservatives want women to cover their heads and faces when in public? Next, they will be ranting that Michelle had the nerve to look a man in the eyes when her eyes should be looking at the floor.

This whole discussion is sick, sick, sick.

[TheBlackCat]

Agreed, I don't like where they've been going with this. Remember when Condi wore those knee high leather boots and they thought they were too racy? Ugh.

[pangurban]

Guess that suit he wears is hiding 'bingo wings'

[ohioan73]

Ha! Its funny to see girly men squirm with intimidation in the presence of a strong female. If I was Michelle, I'd invite the press to see me lifting weights. I bet you'd never see another product being unauthorized with her kids names attached. LOL!

[oregonbird]

A woman who can obviously defend herself, and others. A conservative's natural enemy. Oh, who are we kidding? This is all about the inferior male, and his fear of being seen as physically worthless. That he makes a fuss, and thereby points out his own lack of a healthy ego -- women have been laughing at such idiocity for centuries. Which explains all the laws that put us into a defensive position. (It also explains yet another reason President Obama got our vote.)

Besides, while I'll admit that Michelle's arms are impressive, and her legs ditto, I'd hardly call either her most notable feature. Of course, in DC, fear of actual sensuality won't allow anyone to even mention that magnificent booty!

Wear the red dress again! The one you visited the White House in, first time. It makes me jealous!

[madatnewsmedia]

You rock!!