Michelle in the Media

Michelle in the Media
Any woman strong enough to stick by their husband’s side throughout a presidential campaign deserves respect. However, Michelle Obama is an exemplary role model in many other obvious ways. Having graduated from Princeton cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts it amazes me that all I hear about in the news regarding this First Lady are her outfit choices. Furthering her education, Michelle went on to finish Harvard Law School allowing her to be only the third First Lady with a postgraduate degree. Being a woman with hopes of becoming a lawyer, I truly feel Michelle Obama’s academic and career accomplishments gave me the respect I have for her as opposed to her daring, sleeveless choices. I feel that the underlying sexist undertones of American society are stripping Michelle Obama of the appreciation she deserves. Further, she should not have to be portrayed as intellectually inferior to avoid intimidating the public. Here, Michelle Obama is being penalized for her abilities. On a larger scale, it seems as if the media is serving as an oppressor to all black women allowing “the oppressors [to] maintain their position and evade responsibility for their own actions” (Lorde, 115).
Featuring Michelle Obama on countless magazine covers is no doubt an honor, but the featured articles and chosen pictures embrace this “institutionalized rejection of difference” (Lorde, 15) as pointed out by Audre Lorde. On the cover of Vogue magazine, Michelle Obama sits beautifully in a magenta sleeveless dress. Intrigued by the caption “THE FIRST LADY THE WORLD HAS BEEN WAITING FOR” I eagerly buy my copy. After having read the article I found myself disgusted at the aspects of Michelle’s life selected for the piece. Her Jason Wu designed dress is discussed in detail, as are her plans to be a better mom and housewife for the Whitehouse, but her plans for the future are briskly addressed. This is rejecting Michelle’s academic accomplishments and position of power because the United States is not yet ready to believe that black women are capable of succeeding just as white or black men are. Why can we not be motivated by others success? Why is this racism, “the belief in the inherent superiority of one race over all others and thereby the right to dominance” (Lorde, 115) what sells magazines?
What I wish I would have found inside of this article, or any article within a magazine targeted for young and impressionable women, would address Michelle’s journey. Understanding her past is key because “too often, we pour the energy needed for recognizing and exploring difference into pretending those differences are insurmountable barriers, or that they do not exist at all” (Lorde, 115). Thus, most people would rather remain ignorant of Michelle’s past struggles due to race, gender, class, etc as opposed to gaining a deeper understanding. She is not part of this “mythical norm” which “is usually defined as white, thin, male, young, heterosexual, christian, and financially secure,” (Lorde, 116) and I feel that women could learn so much from her if these healthy deviations were examined and discussed.
Overall, we need to learn from each other. We do not have to be the same, we simply have to appreciate where everyone has been and gain as many perspectives as possible. More shared knowledge promotes understanding and will aid in our course of positive social change. But we cannot keep focusing on Michelle’s material beauty, because “it is not our differences which separate women, but our reluctance to recognize those differences and to deal effectively with the distortions which have resulted from the ignoring and misnaming of those differences.” (Lorde, 122). I am aware that Vogue is a fashion magazine, and that the article was obligated to address something pertaining to its origin. My issue comes from the recurring theme of Michelle’s stereotypically “womanly” assets always being emphasized, from her clothing to her housekeeping techniques, when this woman is smarter than well over half of our population.