The Washington Post today published an article by a reporter who is not a member of the editorial staff suggesting in no uncertain terms that those who criticize First Lady Michelle Obama for holding too much weight in her derriere are racist.
While opening her article by reporting an obviously insulting remark by a high school football coach, reporter Krissah Thompson goes on to write statements and include quotes indicating a general racist intent on the part of those who find Michelle to be overweight if they believe she has excess weight in her posterior.
From the article:
But what is it with Michelle Obama’s critics and the fixation with her derriere?
“We have a history in this country of white people not showing adequate respect for and devaluing the bodies of black women, and this most definitely falls in line with that,” says Ayana Byrd, the co-editor of the anthology “Naked: Black Women Bare All About Their Skin, Hair, Hips, Lips and Other Parts . . . ”
The first lady’s critics “are reacting to the culture in which they’ve grown up or they are using it as a code to racialize Michelle Obama and remind people that she’s black,” says Andra Gillespie, an associate professor of political science at Emory University.
In her own analysis, Thompson, who covers race issues for the post, links comments about Michelle’s posterior to slavery.
The focus on this first lady’s posterior has historical antecedents. It reaches back to the imagery of Hottentot Venus, a woman from what is now South Africa whose naked body and pronounced posterior were paraded in shows throughout 19th-century Europe. On to the selling and trading of black women’s bodies through slavery.
Without question, some mentions of Michelle’s posterior are animated by racism and racial stereotyping. But the article suggests that any reference to the size of a portion of Mrs. Obama’s anatomy is racist.
The article includes no quotes or commentary that might provide balance by raising the topic of whether it is fair to discuss the first lady’s own weight as she leads a campaign to reduce the amount of fat kids are carrying around.
The piece also indicates a political bias in favor of the first lady and her agenda, calling a criticism of her Let’s Move program “the latest public rant” against low calorie lunches in schools that features “the usual protest against the federal government meddling in local business.”
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The president and his policies are fair game for criticism. The 1st Lady’s policies are fair game too. If she were obese, which she IS NOT, then even more criticism for her policies would be warranted. Anyone with any fitness knowledge or experience can take one look at the 1st Lady and know she takes care of herself and exercises. Its fair to call critics of her physique stupid and cruel hearted, but is is just as wrong and stupid for the hypersensitive to call any critic of the 1st Lady or the president a racist.
Michelle Obama tones her arms but forgets about the bottom half of her body.
What is so wrong with being a Racist…There are fare worse things one could be, for example…A rapist, A murderer, A pedophile, A liar, A cheat, A fool ect. So what is the big deal about people calling others a Racist….Please tell me….It is not a crime nor a mortal sin.
Actually it is a sin. In Acts chapter 11 or 12 . God turned Arrons Wife white with leprosy when she was talkin junk about Moses wife which was an Ethiopian, I may have the story screwed up but it is something like that. It makes me forever more angry to hear someone accused of being a racist when they criticize a black person.
So, if her behind was white, would it still be large – duh? Let’s pretend that George Bush became a smoker and Laura got fat and were pushing their anti-bad health habit agenda on the American public. What do you think the liberal media would have to say about that . . . right! And would anybody be calling them racist?
Exactly, it’s the hypocrisy !
The way Obama was smacking his gum at the Inaugural parade viewing seat, I think he’s still smoking.
Republicans want to act like juveniles and then complain that they are just misunderstood. The people who don’t vote for Republicans see you as racists and this childish insult war does not help your case. Whine all you want. You weren’t able to unseat an incumbent president presiding over 8% unemployment and the popularly held image of Republicans being racist, homophobic, misogynists is the biggest reason why. Keep it up. The dust bin of history awaits you.
Barackoclaus, leader of the cult of personality, and state-run media like WAPOS are the main reasons why he won re-election. The yoke of slavery to the state awaits you.
Keep telling yourself that and keep losing elections.
I am not a racist and I am sick and tired of being called a racist by the same people who are supporting the limitation of how we speak, what we eat, how we think. The current administration has far more in common with the rise of Facism in the 1920′s and ’30s than any Republican I know and you are a willing participant.
How is your speech being limited? How is your thought being limited?
I would love to see your evidence for these wild claims — I often hear the claims of victimization, like yours, yet upon investigation they are shown to be almost 100% baseless.
and then you go Fascist… oh boy. get a grip and check your temperature, Gary. You’re not well.
This constaint cry of racism to limit any and all criticism of this president is evidence enough of limitting speach. Read 1984, if you know how for an explainasion of how limitting speach is limitting thought. Go further and read ‘The Nazi Seizure of Power’ by William Allen to see how easily a populace can be manipulated. View any of the many videos of school children singing hymn like songs about Obama to see the new Facist youth movement… I am wasting my time, you are just like the millions of Germans and Russians that were simply looking the other way and never realized what the ovens were used for.
Dang, I need a spell checker. I hate it when I think faster than I type.
The poor innocent coach was taken completely out of context. He said she has a phat butt and praised her massive size. I know him personally. He likes big butts and he can not lie. You other brothers can’t deny. He is considering suing everyone. The kid and his legal guardians for violating Alabama wiretapping laws, the school district for using these illegal recordings and using that as evidence for terroristic actions, threats and coercion to forcibly eliminate his Constitutional right to free speech and the paper for associating racist comments with his positive words and defaming him.
For the sake of discussion let’s say someone said the words in the implied context of the Post. Sometimes the truth hurts. Especially if you were to have a big fat butt, a false sense of elevated self-esteem, sell yourself as a role model and preach to others about how they need to change their diets and exercise. Tying that back to racism is a ludicrous stretch. However, it certainly serves the purpose of those trying to divide and conquer the United States of America.
Many groups such as the media, Democrats, Socialists, Communists, terrorists and traitors love to use tactics like political correctness to intimidate people into giving up their Constitutional rights. It is up to you to determine what, if any, role or association any or all of these organizations have in working separately or together to destroy this country. If we allow this slow continual eradication of our unalienable rights the terrorists and traitors of freedom have won.
I’m sure it was and that was probably last fall when the kids were putting out parody videos of being too weak from a restricted diet.
Mrs. Obama is no nutritionist. Fine, have the kids with weight and lazy problems put on special diets at the school and bring back PE and recess. Back in the 60′s there were no “obese” kids unless it was a medical problem. We had PE and a recess everyday. Also the President’s Physical Fitness Challenge. Pull-ups, sit-ups, walk-runs, etc were counted and timed at the beginning of the school year and those kids who made the most progress in the spring, were given medals and certificates signed by the President.
This is about shutting down our GOD-given, inalienable right to free speech.
and in many cases, free eats!
this is so far from shutting down your 1st amendment right, it’s not even funny.
What an utterly irresponsible, clueless, foolish comment for you to make.
You can thank the 1st amendment and Al Gore’s internet for facilitating your ability to be as vocally ignorant as you are.
I just wonder if when the inevitable government crackdown comes on anyone whose BMI puts them in the category of “obese” if the First lady (whomever she is at that time) will have to conform to restrictions set forth by ObamaCare for the “obese”. Normally I would expect the First Lady would be exempt (as all politicians and their families are from the laws they pass) but if the First Lady is pushing healthy choices in eating on kids then she may have to walk the walk.
I put “obese” in quotes because the BMI scale is out of whack—people who appear otherwise healthy can and will be considered “obese” by it.
The question used to be, “Does this DRESS make my butt look big?”
Now the question is, “Does my RACE make my butt look big?”
The answer, of course, is the same as it’s always been, “I’m sorry Michelle, it’s neither your dress nor your race…your butt is just big.”
Krissah tells me all I need to know about this wannabe journalist. She belongs on MessNBC with the other wannabes!
Sounds like The WP is officially turned gay, as in really lame.
I think it’s really sad how much attention this gets and no one seems to give a damn that our government has just o.k.ed targeting us with drones…. I guess that shocks or surprises no one.
“The article includes no quotes or commentary that might provide balance by raising the topic of whether it is fair to discuss the first lady’s own weight as she leads a campaign to reduce the amount of fat kids are carrying around.”
I guess Mrs. O is racist against her own daughter, as she spoke about her being “chubby”.
Can we say “good morning” without it being a code word for racist?
Oh come on now, how can anyone doubt Michelle Obama’s butt is huge when she has so many people hiding behind it!
I’m trying to find Waldo and between the Obama’s ears and rears I can’t see a damn thing!!!
Yeah…just like Chris Christie ?
Nice try, but at this point the only one hiding behind Christie is Obama, or at least he was till he got what he needed.
Perhaps it’s the “big” diversion to hide the fact that the CBO just announced 7,000,000 people are going to lose their health insurance under Obamacare and the adoption of amnesty of 11,000,000 illegals will cost America another $2,000,000,000,000.
I guess that remark makes me racist too. So be it.
Butt, it’s the”bush’s” fault! And…..you said?
Politics today are the “Politics of Division.” It’s us-against-them, again and again and again.
I was raised by two racist parents, mother worse than father, both bad. I saw through most of their (frequent) narrow-minded insults, like kyke, spic and nigger, to become an even-handed adult.
But now, as the Balkanization of America becomes de rigueur, I am coming to understand them and I am feeling more like them, not less. I am not happy, at age 70, about what I am being forced to acknowledge.
You’re not forced to acknowledge anything. You may, by your own free will, choose to embrace the POV’s of your parents. You wouldn’t be the first (racist) to do so.
Here is the recording and transcript of what started this all:
http://timesdaily.com/stories/Teacher-linked-to-gay-slurs-at-school,201960?content_source=&category_id=29&search_filter=&event_mode=&event_ts_from=&list_type=most_viewed&order_by=&order_sort=&content_class=&sub_type=stories&town_id=
The man was angry at the 600 calorie lunches that MO forced in schools.
That’s all.
I think the WaPo missed the point of MO telling us what to eat and how to move while eating whatever the hell she wants, being airbrushed, photoshopped and stuffing herself in too tight/too cleavagey clothes with spanx underneath. Nevermind the suspected, nips, tucks, botox, professional make-up artists and personal trainers. Yeah, I’d like all that too :D
Let’s Move and NoKidsFatBehinds(tm) were designed as an excuse to get her around the country to vacation, campaign and fundraise at our expense. Yep, she’s living La Vida Oprah on our dime! (btw, would Oprah hire Obama to run her corporation?) /rant
Just don’t get me started on her Support the Troops cover. :D
your hate for the first family has clouded your judgement.
projecting, hard-core, jealousy.
believe all the innuendo from the distortionists on the far-right.
embody the anger. lose yourself to the talking-points.
you’re already there.
Your love for the first family has clouded yours.
Well, her husband is the biggest butt I know of….
Why is it racists to point out a woman who is healthy, presumably eats all the same foods she prescribes for everyone else, exercises, etc., that she indeed does have an abnormally large butt?
Get over it Michelle. If you were white and slim with a big butt you’d still be made fun of.
Oh poor baby no quotes or comment. Just like a CNN crew.
cry me a river.
This is the first time I heard that stating someone has a big posterior is racist? It is said about people of all races, if the shoe fits….
Blah blah blah racism blah blah blah
*Yawn*
Anyway, I’m in Boston, one of the thinest cities in America, and we have Mayor Menino who looks like an old Chris Christie, huge gut, anyway, he has an initiative to ‘get boston moving’ to lose weight.
As if some tub of lard has anything to contribute on matters of proper eating. Every time these power mad lunatics in office have a problem they need everyone else to be forced to contribute money so they can start a new government program to stop their pet vice.
Frankly it is unamerican.
ah, the old race card. the last arrow when your quiver is empty.
just don’t look up or down, Dean.
Because you know, then you might see the arrows.
unless, you prefer ignorance.
If telling the truth is racist then count me in. Moochelle pretends to be something she is not. She is obese and wants everyone else to just stop eating and get thin while she laughs at all of us while she stuffs her mouth with unhealthy meals.
Two words for you Moochelle: Scre* you!
If you’re a fat, you’re fat! Regardless of your skin color. She is chunky. The reason people call her fat is she should look in the mirror before telling me how to eat! Perhaps if het husband wan’t spending so much money and running up the debt, I could afford to eat more fresh produce!
Michelle looks like a man. Barack is gay.
I guess we should just say ‘You can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig.’ They can’t complain about that since they used it on a Republican woman.
After all she is a monkey.
Many of We The People are more than fed up with the Administration and the MSM always using Race as their lame excuse for anyone who disagrees with them. Put a sock in it because We Know Longer Care what you think. Issues on Race whether perceived or otherwise we know long care about. If I responded to you clowns just by giving my name you want to label me a racist. The truth is the real racists in this country are in the Obama Administration, from the President on down, and the useless MSM. Next time call someone that really cares.
The vast majority of comments here reflect a willful ignorance of context and of the popularized right-wing culture, which mocks the Obamas for anything, whether the criticisms are valid or not.
Identifying some of the motivations for the unprecedented mockery is not an assault on your rights, it’s simply calling you out for what you’re engaging in — racially-tinged insults. Yes, it’s apparent in the comments from the right-wing’s most beloved media icons, down to the peon on the street, who simply parrots talking-points without understanding them.
You can feel defensive that you’re identified as a racist when you embrace racist talking points — it’s your right. But the racism is not borne of a Democrat’s imagination, it’s borne of the reality in today’s right-wing. An eagerness to return to the days of the old south: racist, divided, and proud of it.
We should all see this endorsement of ignorance as a way of life, as a threat to American success, unfortunately the right-wing insists on defining its future by it’s ugly past. An epiphany is in order, TPers, right-wingers, NRA apologists. Please wake up so this country can once again lead the world in more than simply wars fought and ignorant, privileged adults produced.
Yet, you’d rather focus on Michelle’s butt. Keep it super classy, down to the last spittle on your pie-covered boots.
I think it is the left that needs a wake up call. We could focus on Michelle Obama’s hind quarters, but I’d rather focus on her husband and the abysmal job he’s done with the economy, protecting American’s rights and his sick foreign affairs performance. Yes, ignore the drone attacks, the kill lists, the loss of due process for Americans labled as terrorists under a frightneingly broad and nebulous set of guidelines. Ignore that if the unemployment numbers were measured in the same way as they were in the Great Depression the rate would be 27% and exceeds that of the depression. Ignore that the Administration is sending F-16 fighter planes and M1 Abrams tanks to a government that’s currently cracking down on it’s people with violence unheard of under the last government and who’s leader has stated that Jews must be killed and are decendants of swine. Ignore his coverup in Benghazi that makes the Watergate coverup look like jaywalking by comparrison. Just go out there, throw the race card around, use random morons from the internet as the basis for your assesment on the Conservative worldview and distract distract distract. That’s all the Washington Post article was about anyways.
Thank you, Paul. Your comment is the most succinct, well-written synopsis of America’s current state of affairs I’ve seen. Frighteningly accurate unfortunately.
If our “racist” remarks bother you so much, why read them? Perusing our witty comments must terribly stressful to a koolaid swilling lefty such as yourself. Perhaps you could find a nice OWS protest to join?
You have the gall to tell us to keep it classy after the hateful and nasty things your messiah has been saying about us for the past four years? You socialist democrats are big fat hypocrites, no matter your body size.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2010/08/18/obama_gop_sipping_on_slurpees_driving_economy_into_ditch.html
Michelle Obama brought this on herself. She has lectured everyone from school children to the military on eating better, but her chief excersise has been do as I say, not as I do with her calorie packed White House parties and official events. Had she not been as aggressive, to be blunt, insulting, to so many Americans there would be no glaring hypocrisy for people to point out as Mrs. Obama’s figure fluctuates.
This is not a problem with racism. This is a problem with political eliteism.
she big and ugly…she really looks like a man ..sorry but she is
Posted this to The Washington Post:
Pravnicka
4:21 PM CST
Mrs. Obama is quite admirable, especially in her desire to stop schools overloading children with extra calories.
However, I have listened to Rush Limbaugh on occasion, and must correct what hopefully is a “mistake” on the part of the Washington Post.
What Limbaugh says is Michelle My Belle Obama. I won’t even type what Ms. Thompson wrote. As someone who sits on the fence, and gets slammed by both sides upon occasion, I appreciate truth and accuracy, and am horrified to think Mrs. Obama would be subjected to having to actually, possibly read such a vicious statement as that written by Ms. Thompson. Ms. Thompson owes an apology to our First Lady.
P.S. Who profits from all those vending machines in schools? Not too many years ago, there were none. We ate in the cafeteria, and drank water for thirst.
My heart goes out to Mrs. Obama. Please remember, people who resort to personal attacks simply show their lack of education, compassion, self-respect, and class.
She’s ugly as a mud fence with an ass that can shade a crowd of midgets. So there.
Yeah, she’ll keep ya warm in winter, cool in summer, she’s built for comfort, not speed!!!
Its not my fault that I cast a big shadow, its Bushs fault and I spend half of my time on Airforce one going on vacation.
It seems every republican 1st Lady is fair game for the useless left and is that racist?! Just what the heck is it, it’s something, but they’ve all been WHITE, so it’s okay to go after whitey, a requirement!!!
All we hear is how wonderful Michelle is! How beautiful and elegant, those arms, the fawning, the krap! And Omugabe is sooo smart, he’s the best president in history, my patuckus!! The economy is getting ready to tank and puffball interviews with the 1st couple is a useless exercise when the Nation is circling the toilet!!
Screw these people, they’re driving America to ruin!!! Get then out of the White House!!!
There, I said it!!!
Whatchoo mean circling??? We are swirling down the toilet bowl and burrock obama is the Tidy Bowl Man in the rowboat wearing his Rainbow Warrior BSA suit.
When you go about criticizing others and dictating their behavior to them you better be ready to have yourself put under a microscope…
Now, can we get a microscope big enough to fit that giant posterior under it?
I’m not scared… I’ll say it… “That boon has such a huge boootie that Barry must have to have a couple of secret service guys belay him when ever he goes in to try and tap that.”
And when he got in there he found another guy who asked if he had a flashlight? Why do you need a flashlight? I need it to find my keys and if we find’em we can both drive out!!!
What is so wrong with being a Racist? We all hate someone of another race if the truth is told…Most of the aminal world, of which, we belong too is very Racist.
Of course! Anyone who criticizes a black person is s racist. That is why it is impossible for Obama to think that he is incompetent and inept because everyone who point out the facts to substantiate their criticisms are is just being racists. That is the neurotic liberal logic. Big deal. She has a big butt. Most black women do. What’s wrong with that?
She has a big butt. Most black women do. What’s wrong with that?
Nothing. Instead of the old belly bucking they used to have Imelda and Hillary could have a main event Butt Bucking contest on pay for view LOL. Top the recent super bowl viewers in numbers. Really the Leftists need to get a sense of humor they really do.
FU&&%$#$K HER!!
Not with my D1ck Ewwwww
Liberals for decades have said really ugly things about GOP first ladies. Anything said about the current first lady is about 10 percent as nasty as what I have heard here in SF Bay area about Nancy Reagan, B Bush or Laura Bush
I see all the inbreds who have had sex with their parents are in here…you people are from a sub-human species of animal….funny pink pale flat azz people always want to make fun of others because they are mutants and they know it……..
I hate it when people make blatantly bigoted and racist remarks about how I cant say something of provable fact because I appear to be white. The fact Meshell has a really BIG but is a fact so pack up that slavery BS and go elsewhere. She has a big but because she likes to eat a lot and doesnt exercise.
All bow to Her Royal Rumpness
She envisions herself the Queen Of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland.
Mrs. Obama is just big boned due to ancestral slavery.
And that is the biggest ass bone I believe I have ever been publicly subjected too.
And her big slamma jamma has the jawbone of an ass.
Come on this is getting TIRING. Every time something is said about dear leader or Imelda the racist garbage comes out. The fact is she never seems to stop stuffing her face with lobster or whatever food she wants. Omuslim is always stuffing his face with burgers ice cream whatever. And it is a fact that Imelda has a fat butt that is fact not racism. If a white woman has a fat but I say she has a FAT BUTT. She expects our children to eat nuts and twigs while they stuff their faces with rich food and wine. They are Hypocrites and no matter how hard you try to shut people up with the racist label it will not change the facts.
Would everyone just leave the linebacker and her little husband alone???
Funny how people who risk skin cancer to not be pale, get lip injections in order to not have a bird beak and wear padded undies or get famous when one of them grows an azz try to make fun of those who do not have to do none of those things……it is a psychological tactic called projection….take ones lowered self-perception and try to make it be someone else’s….it is sad to be that miserable…but I guess it is poetic justice for the vile and hateful…interesting indeed……..
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