to not understand why young girls are told to aspire to be like michelle obama

[HRHShoesytwoesy]

have I missed something? if so what?

Why not? better than a big brother sleb

There is (I sincerely hope!) a massive difference between what the press "say" and what people "think". :(

I don't think anything of Carla Bruni (except wishing she would own up about IVF). Should I?

Cherie Booth's judgement is suspect. After all, look who she married.

It is a shame that Michelle, after all her personal triumphs, is now relegated to role of Wife. Perhaps her time will come in the future - like Mrs Bill Hilary Clinton

She is wonderful - I have a major girl crush on her.

She makes smart look cool.

Michelle Obama is great, but she is still MOST famous for being someone's wife, rather than for what she has achieved in her own right.

She has come from very humble beginings to become a sucessful ambitious independent woman. She hasnt needed to sleep with footballers/go on crappy reaality tv shows/get her norks out to become sucessful. She is EXACTLY the kind of role model young girls (or boys!) need.

Wow, she's a real gift for speaking and motivating.

if you haven't seen the original lecture it had a huge effect on my kids. Homework is no longer an issue in our house. They just do it.

I've always wondered why Cherie Blair got such a bad press as well - but the thing that makes me laugh is that she obviously loses no sleep over what the papers say about her - clever woman.

I would be very happy for my dd to grow up like either Cherie Blair or Michelle Obama.

On a slightly different note, just based on the way these things go I am sure there will be a time when the press/media/public turn against MO but I hope and believe that she will carry on doing the things that she knows are right.

TOWIE = The Only Way Is Essex

and the london lecture www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2011/may/26/michelle-obama-london-schoolgirls-video

Ah, thanks expat it would seem my knowledge of UK current culture is already slipping!

She may be a very high achiever from a poor background, but the only reason she was there in London is that she's married to the President.

Great that she's telling girls to aspire and to work hard at school but...

Am watching now - thanks for the link. It is an inspirational speech. But I wonder what effect it would have on the girls who don't have these wonderful role models which she had, all these strong women. Part of her success she puts down to the support network she had - she was able to work so hard at school because her family thought it was important. Sadly in this country there are many who think that education is a waste of time and have no expectations of their women and girls - if you were a girl who was struggling against that attitude, then even applying yourself in school must be an almost insurmountable difficulty. Hopefully they didn't think "Well that's alright for people who have a hardworking dad - I don't."

Just musings really

Good lord! Why not? I think she's pretty amazing.

I think if it has an effect on just one person it is better than nothing. She could just sit in the background in a nice dress, she chose not to.

But what? So she wanted to get married and have a family? Oh, well there goes her fem cred. Never mind Princeton and Harvard and her having a career entirely in her own right.

It isn't actually wrong to be married to a successful man. Perhaps he is successful because he has a go-getter as a wife.

Being married to Obama doesn't negate her other successes, being happily married and raising her children well doesn't negate her other successes, she can do both.

Clinton was made famous by being married to someone as well, I am pretty sure she isn't trading on that anymore.

And I don't think her 'fame' has got anything to do with using her as a role model. I wouldn't encourage anyone to aspire to be famous - I would encourage them to aim high and work hard and acheive their goals.

She reminds me so much of that quote (Jim Carey?). "Behind every successful man there's a woman rolling here eyes."

I don't think for one solitary second she thinks she plays second fiddle to BO just because he's Mr President.

here her. Obviously!

Because she's very accomplished in her own right. The fact that she's married to the president does define her durrent role, yes, but it is incidental to her own achievements.

Which is more than can be said for Kate 'never had a proper job in her life' Middleton.

I think fame has quite a lot to do with being held up as a role model, if she wasn't famous no-one would know about her, hence no-one would be saying she would make a great role model.

My life is pretty excellent, but no-one says 'You should grow up to be like Morloth, she has her shit together' because no-one knows who I am.

Look, I know what I am trying to say, but I have had a glass of wine and my fingers are not putting the right words in the right order!

in addition to her own CV, as first lady she is doing plenty of fantastic things on children's health, etc.
let's not dismiss first ladies - look at Hilary Clinton. Love her or loathe her, she is a very impressive and capable woman who didn't stay long in her husband's shadow.