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To not get the big deal about Michelle Obama?

363 replies

wellhellothereall · 12/02/2019 07:04

She married a bloke who became president...so why is she so revered, because she married well? I just don't get it.

OP posts:
Auntiepatricia · 12/02/2019 09:38

She is every bit as entitled to her role as First Lady as her husband is to the presidency. She didn’t get it because of him. They got the White House together. So any game that has come from her First Lady status is self earned. Not on the back of her husband.

Halloumimuffin · 12/02/2019 09:39

What a disgustingly sexist thread to start.

She was and is hugely successful in her own right, does amazing work, and yes, she married well (because Barack seems like a catch who adores her, not because he became president)

You have no idea what might have happened if she hadn't married Barack. Would anyone know who Melinda Gates was if she hadn't married her husband? She was also a huge success in her own right, but was far eclipsed by him. Does that negate all of the work of her foundation just because she isn't enough of a celebrity?

You can't admire someone you haven't heard of. We have heard of her, and people then admire her. Plenty of famous people aren't admired.

But yes let's idolise Anna Wintour for her exploitation of models and staff, elitism, promotion of fur. I prefer people who got where they are without trampling on others to do it.

AliyyaJann · 12/02/2019 09:41

She's an inspirational woman and a great role model. I hope my DD as a black woman, looks up to her.

Who was it that said NO one likes a successful black woman?

Handbag101 · 12/02/2019 09:43

She's fantastic.

Meralia · 12/02/2019 09:45

Michelle Obama is an amazing woman, who has achieved so much in her own right. She really is inspirational.

Sheelala · 12/02/2019 09:46

People on this site are unbelievable. It's surely possible to acknowledge that Michelle Obama is a both a great role model AND someone who we only know about because of who she is married to ?

As for the claim that his wife is to thank for the skills that helped propel Barack to the white house....well imagine that said the other way round.

CookingGood · 12/02/2019 09:47

@grumiosmum I have, and as I said, I’m a fan of hers, and agree she played a huge part in his success, but the fact that I got to read her book, and that it was even published in the first place, is because of her status as Obama’s wife. Would any of us even know who she was if it wasn’t for him and his being a candidate? Her successes would have gone unnoticed, like the majority of influential women, especially black women, and that’s not right.

JacquesHammer · 12/02/2019 09:48

Why are you trying to stigmatise discussion about Michelle Obama that isn't gushing and fawning over her

There are all manner of levels between utter ignorance as in the OP and "gushing and fawning".

Downtroddenhousingass · 12/02/2019 09:50

Obama got a noble peace prise a few months after coming into power! Rather than after a successful presidensy that made a big change. Obama care is nothing like the NHS and has screwed over lots of middle class people with their premiums.

Lots of posative racism with the Obamas and I don't see how it's helpful to concentrate on their skin tone so much

JacquesHammer · 12/02/2019 09:50

As for the claim that his wife is to thank for the skills that helped propel Barack to the white house....well imagine that said the other way round

Have you read Barack Obama's books? He pretty much credits Michelle for his rise to the White House.

teaandgingercake · 12/02/2019 09:52

I have loads of admiration for her but i abhor the racist accusations that come up every time there’s any implied criticism of someone who’s black. To accuse someone of racism without knowing if they are or not, is ignorant and insulting.

Margaret Thatcher was probably one of the most disliked women of the 20th century, the vitriol against her was relentless. If she had been black it would have been just the same, her colour would have been irrelevant, but i bet there’d still have been the predictable “it’s because she’s black” type comments thrown in every now and again.

Any form of racism is disgusting,, but people really need to get a grip and stop looking for it when it isn’t there, people in the public eye should be able to be spoke regardless and the colour of their skin should be irrelevant. I should imagine many times the only people who even THINK about their colour is the one shouting “racist”, which to me is racism in itself.

ID81241 · 12/02/2019 09:52

I think the OP must be a troll - no one can be that stupid.

Maybe we would never have heard of Michelle if Barack had never become President - but that would have been our loss, because her achievements aren't lesser just because the platform isn't there. There are several women I admire and find inspirational in my industry who will never have the platform of Sheryl Sandberg/ Michelle Obama - this doesn't undermine their achievements, and I can quietly take inspiration from them whenever I am lucky enough to cross paths with them.

Is Sandberg only impressive because she joined Facebook? Are the female directors at the many Fintech startups less impressive than Sandberg just because they work at companies less interesting to the mass media/public than Facebook? Because by your idiot logic OP, your answers to these questions would be Yes.

I can't believe I wasted time responding to this...it's not cute or clever to be so wilfully ignorant and attack the achievements of other women.

Sheelala · 12/02/2019 09:53

Have you read Barack Obama's books? He pretty much credits Michelle for his rise to the White House.

I'm pretty sure that Michelle Obama herself would laugh at you were you to suggest that her husband's oratorical skills were down to her. This is a joke, imagine suggesting a successful woman generally had her husband to thank for her success.

ID81241 · 12/02/2019 09:57

Margaret Thatcher was probably one of the most disliked women of the 20th century, the vitriol against her was relentless.

To be fair, she single handedly destroyed the livelihood & industry of thousands of working class families and did nothing to reduce the economic devastation and poverty it brought to those communities. Had a male Prime Minister done the same I think the same level of vitriol would have been received and deserved.

Katterinaballerina · 12/02/2019 10:03

’If she had been black it would have been just the same’

If she had been black she wouldn’t have been elected to lead the Conservative party, let alone as PM.

theworldistoosmall · 12/02/2019 10:03

She was discouraged by teachers to apply to uni, stating that she shouldn't set her sights too high.
In Princeton, she ran a day care centre and after-school tutored. At Harvard, she worked for a legal aid team. She faced a lot of prejudice in Princeton including the parents of her roommate requesting their daughter be moved.
She mentored Barack.
She was on the school board for her kids' school and campaigned for diversity.
She was also a mayor assistant and went on to be executive director for a none profit organisation encouraging young people where she set fundraising records, that couldn't be matched for years after she left.
After that, she went onto create a community service centre for a uni, before moving to a community hospital job. When campaigning started she was working there. Oh, and she earned more than he did by around 100k.

As first lady she visited homeless shelters and food banks. Held things for woman's rights and actively support equal pay for woman. She advocated on behalf of military families which she made her personal mission. She was one of the few people in the administration to do something about obesity. She campaigned for Nigerian school girls who had been kidnapped. She put a veg garden in the Whitehouse, and this was used to feed the family and visitors. She was active with LGBT rights. She visited many schools in the USA, Mexico, Africa, China and UK where students said she was relatable, I heard one of her London school speeches and she was amazing (stayed longer than she was supposed to and re-arranged a meeting). Let's not forget the Saudi visit where she refused to wear a headdress. In Qatar, she joined let girls learn.

She won't run for the presidency because she wants to help as many as possible without bias.

Oh and it's two books she wrote.

Just a few of the things she did even before she married some president. Even now she is still actively campaigning for improvements.

Linguaphile · 12/02/2019 10:06

That's nobel peace prize.

There's no such thing as posative racism, or even positive racism. In the case of the Obamas, their skin colour matters because it means they have had to jump higher and run harder to get where they are.

Sigh. I'm off.

PengAly · 12/02/2019 10:07

but i abhor the racist accusations that come up every time there’s any implied criticism of someone who’s black.

I respect and understand what you are saying. However, the reason behind this is because unfortunately those who are not white will always have the risk of their skin colour being an obstacle. Therefore, it is easy to jump to the conclusion that someone disliking a famous figure could be due to their skin colour as it has and does still happen. I'm not saying this is always what happens, I'm just saying that its possible As a non white woman, it hits closer to home because on many occasions I have been disliked and had other obstacles due to my skin colour. Women as a whole have had many struggles to overcome, add not being white on top of that and it becomes a sensitive topic.

There is also the other angle a PP mentioned that some people don't like MO because she doesn't fit the stereotypical image of a black woman. This may not be the case on this thread but I really do think there are a lot of her haters that think like that. Your point is valid, however without experiencing racism is it difficult to understand that it doesn't always have to be obvious and in your face.

Blinkingblimey · 12/02/2019 10:08

She’s done a hell of a lot more to deserve standing ovations than those producing the majority of useless ‘sleb’ autobiographies.

PengAly · 12/02/2019 10:13

I really want to read her book but am stuck in "Why I'm not longer talking to white people about race" by Reni Eddo-Lodge highly recommend it for anyone who really wants to understand White privilege. Its a difficult read at times but its very educational. Sorry off topic, back to the thread...

catlady3 · 12/02/2019 10:13

Agree with the poster saying Barack married well. She didn't need to marry him, she could have had her pick of anyone, including myself, she's fascinating and accomplished and I'm crushing very hard on her. Please read her book, I'll send you my copy, it'll be my public service. And I bet you that in an infinite number of parallel universes where she happened to not marry Obama, she still wrote a book or three, the topic may be slightly different but rest assured, you would have heard about her.

theworldistoosmall · 12/02/2019 10:14

Oh I forgot to mention as a school girl she did 3 hour round trips to get to school on public transport where she faced lots of discrimination. Some parents here complain about the 20-minute car ride their children make lol. And all of her grandparents were slaves.

Rainbunny · 12/02/2019 10:16

Well all you've done OP is demonstrate your ignorance about her. She is an incredibly impressive woman and I personally think (his presidency notwithstanding) that she has been more accomplished in her achievements throughout her career than her husband (who is no slouch either of course!).

JacquesHammer · 12/02/2019 10:17

I'm pretty sure that Michelle Obama herself would laugh at you were you to suggest that her husband's oratorical skills were down to her. This is a joke, imagine suggesting a successful woman generally had her husband to thank for her success

It's not my claim.

HTH

arsefeatures · 12/02/2019 10:18

You may of course C&P as much as you want from his own, or someone else's adoring website.

Fact is - he was every bit the warmonger that his predecessor was, but with a pleasing baritone.

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