Michelle Obama: The Perfect Role Model for Third World Women?

[ironsides]

Curiosity, if you look at the Feminist movement, the same thing is evident. I don’t know how old you are, but I remember the Feminists of the 60s, when the movement started.

The movement started by Feminists burning their bra. Many of them went braless; many of them didn’t shave their armpits, legs etc. They wanted to get society’s attention; they wanted to bring the injustices perpetrated against women to world’s attention.

They were not pleasant women, they were militants. I cannot see Feminist pioneers like Gloria Steinem or Betty Freidan being elected to the post of dog catcher. They were just too militant, too unpleasant for that.

However, Gloria Steinem and Betty Freidan paved the way for Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton. They would not have been where they are without the struggle, the sacrifices by Steinem and Freidan.

Before Feminism, the normal lot of an intelligent, outgoing, resourceful woman was perfectly personified by Lucy (in ‘I Love Lucy’). Lucy was an intelligent, outgoing, articulate. smart, resourceful woman. Yet her entire life was devoted to trying to get onto Rickie’s show.

I remember one Hollywood director commenting that Lucy was not a Feminist, but she was the reason why Feminism was necessary.

For Feminism to succeed, it needed Steinem, Freidan, Pelosi and Hillary Clinton. Same as for blacks to succeed, it needed Jackson, Sharpton and Obama.

Why do you keep bringing up these nighmarish pictures of what feminists needed and somehow have now as roll models. Women in high places does not automatically make them a roll model.

"Before Feminism, the normal lot of an intelligent, outgoing, resourceful woman was perfectly personified by Lucy (in ‘I Love Lucy’). Lucy was an intelligent, outgoing, articulate. smart, resourceful woman. Yet her entire life was devoted to trying to get onto Rickie’s show."


Today, we have Hillary supposedly a normal, intelligent, outgoing, resourceful woman perfectly personified by becoming a NY senator. Hillary is an intelligent, outgoing, smart, resourceful woman. Yet her entire life was devoted to trying to get onto Bill's show.

Not much difference. Blacks never needed a fool like Al Sharpton in their corner, he is only in it for the money. What chuch is that again he is a reverand at.

 

[SirJosephPorter]

Today, we have Hillary supposedly a normal, intelligent, outgoing, resourceful woman perfectly personified by becoming a NY senator. Hillary is an intelligent, outgoing, smart, resourceful woman. Yet her entire life was devoted to trying to get onto Bill's show.

Wrong, ironsides. Sure, Hillary got a hearing because she was Bill’s wife, that is how she got her prominence, her name recognition. However, she did NOT become a Senator because she was Bill’s wife; she became Senator because she was a shrewd, astute politician.

Similarly, Obama did not pick her to be Secretary of state because she was Bill’s wife; he picked her because he thought she had all the qualities necessary to become a good secretary of State. It is true that a woman may sometimes get a foot in the door because she is somebody’s wife or daughter. However, unless she is capable, accomplished politician in her own right, she will soon fade into obscurity.

I remember right after Jimmy carter was elected the President, his brother, Billy Carter (remember the Billy beer?) ran for mayor of Plains, Georgia (a small hamlet). It was on national news. But he did not get elected for the post of mayor. He got a hearing because he was President’s brother. But he got booted out because he wasn’t any good.

So just because a women gets her start because she was the wife or the daughter of somebody (indeed, there are so many examples, Mrs. Gandhi, PM of India, Mrs. Akino, PM of Philippines etc.) does not mean that she is not any good in her won right.

 

[lone wolf]

You sound like you fear strong women.

 

[YukonJack]

By definition, "FEMINIST" should be someone who stands up for a fellow woman, when attacked/savaged by anyone, regardless of political or idealogical persuation.

One qualification required, though: you must be pro-abortionist, otherwise, being a woman or not, you belong under the bus.

Just witness the savagery Sarah Palin and more recently, Miss California have been subjected to.

Is it any wonder feminist are considered feminazis?

 

[SirJosephPorter]

Michelle shows up at a food bank support thing sporting $540.00 shoes.

Yep, lots of savoir faire.

Just like Captain Morgan's mother.



Damn it, Walter, you beat me to it !!!!

I don’t see the problem here. So should she have taken off her 540$ shoes in the car (or limousine), put on some old, cheap shoes and then gone into the food bank? What would be the point of that?

And conservatives would have criticized her for that anyway, with conservatives she cannot win no matter what she does.

What does the fact that she can afford 540 $ shoes have to do with the fact that she cares for the poor? The two are not mutually exclusive.

I personally think Obama haters are grasping at straws. My advice to them is, be patient, I am sure there will be plenty to criticize about in future. The honeymoon cannot last forever (although to you Obama haters 100 days with Obama in power may seem like forever).

 

[karrie]

'Dark as they come'. Ugh SJP. That has got to be one of the more revolting things someone's written on here in a while. First of all, as far as skin color goes, Michelle Obama's still pretty light. If you take a drive around my neighbourhood, down to the local park to where the Nigerian women, the Haitian women, and the Ethiopian women gather with their friends for coffee, you'd see that Michelle Obama is pretty freaking pale in comparison. Frankly, she's downright white compared to some of them.

Second of all, the fact that her skin colour is in the minority in her country, does not give her any affinity with the sort of life, the sort of struggle, the sort of horrors that women in third worlds see. Frankly, she ought to view THOSE women as incredible role models. They weren't born into countries of privilege. They weren't born into countries where even our poor have shelter and access to health care. They weren't born into middle class families. What has she really done other than win the lottery of life circumstance, to make her worthy of being a role model? Skin color doesn't cut it.

Michelle Obama may be a great person, but, her life story, her climb, is nothing compared to what the women in the third world face, and I suspect that telling them they ought to admire her for being a lucky rich lady who looks somewhat the same skin tone as them, would be more than a bit insulting.

 

[SirJosephPorter]

Michelle Obama may be a great person, but, her life story, her climb, is nothing compared to what the women in the third world face, and I suspect that telling them they ought to admire her for being a lucky rich lady who looks somewhat the same skin tone as them, would be more than a bit insulting.

Karrie, nobody is telling them to admire Michelle, if CNN story is to be believed, they admire Michelle on their own. If you haven’t read the article, I suggest you read it (I posted the link in the thread).

'Dark as they come'. Ugh SJP. That has got to be one of the more revolting things someone's written on here in a while.

There is nothing revolting about it, that is what CNN said (CNN said that Michelle is dark skinned), I only paraphrased what CNN said (I said that Michelle is as dark skinned as they come). If you have a problem with what CNN said, take it up with CNN. Personally I don’t see anything wrong with it.

If you take a drive around my neighbourhood, down to the local park to where the Nigerian women, the Haitian women, and the Ethiopian women gather with their friends for coffee, you'd see that Michelle Obama is pretty freaking pale in comparison. Frankly, she's downright white compared to some of them.

The point is that she is dark enough so that the third world women identify with her (this according to the CNN story).

Second of all, the fact that her skin colour is in the minority in her country, does not give her any affinity with the sort of life, the sort of struggle, the sort of horrors that women in third worlds see.

That is really not for you or I to decide. The third world women do feel an affinity towards her, according to CNN. Part of the reason why they feel that affinity is that she happens to be dark skinned.

What has she really done other than win the lottery of life circumstance, to make her worthy of being a role model? Skin color doesn't cut it.

Much as you may not like it, skin colour definitely cuts it. There is no evidence to suggest that third world women identified with Laura Bush, or that they would have identified with Hillary Clinton. Much as you may not like it, skin color does matter sometimes. The main reason third world women feel an affinity towards Michelle is her skin color.

So it is not really up to you or I to decide these things. Only third world women can decide how they feel towards Michelle. And if the CNN article is to be believed, third world women do identify with her, and one of the reasons is that she is dark skinned, she looks like them.

 

[karrie]

There is nothing revolting about it, that is what CNN said (CNN said that Michelle is dark skinned), I only paraphrased what CNN said (I said that Michelle is as dark skinned as they come). If you have a problem with what CNN said, take it up with CNN. Personally I don’t see anything wrong with it.

CNN said she was dark skinned, not 'dark as THEY come'. there is a difference. A big one actually.

 

[YukonJack]

"Much as you may not like it, skin colour definitely cuts it. There is no evidence to suggest that third world women identified with Laura Bush, or that they would have identified with Hillary Clinton. Much as you may not like it, skin color does matter sometimes. The main reason third world women feel an affinity towards Michelle is her skin color."

Who in the Hell would or should give a good G-Ddamn about the Third world?

They are the Third World, because that's all they are capable of being. The White World should leave them alone, totally, because no matter what, all the White World ever gets from the freeloading louts of Africa is abuse and ingratitude.

After more than 40 years they still bitch about the colonial powers. They still blame the white man for their impotence. They indulge, just for laughs, horrible genocides, for which of course, they blame the white man. They still have famine after famine, reying on the White man to save them from starvation.

They DO NOT NEED a role model from America. They need a bit of self-discipline.

 

[ironsides]

Today, we have Hillary supposedly a normal, intelligent, outgoing, resourceful woman perfectly personified by becoming a NY senator. Hillary is an intelligent, outgoing, smart, resourceful woman. Yet her entire life was devoted to trying to get onto Bill's show.

Wrong, ironsides. Sure, Hillary got a hearing because she was Bill’s wife, that is how she got her prominence, her name recognition. However, she did NOT become a Senator because she was Bill’s wife; she became Senator because she was a shrewd, astute politician.

Similarly, Obama did not pick her to be Secretary of state because she was Bill’s wife; he picked her because he thought she had all the qualities necessary to become a good secretary of State. It is true that a woman may sometimes get a foot in the door because she is somebody’s wife or daughter. However, unless she is capable, accomplished politician in her own right, she will soon fade into obscurity.

I remember right after Jimmy carter was elected the President, his brother, Billy Carter (remember the Billy beer?) ran for mayor of Plains, Georgia (a small hamlet). It was on national news. But he did not get elected for the post of mayor. He got a hearing because he was President’s brother. But he got booted out because he wasn’t any good.

So just because a women gets her start because she was the wife or the daughter of somebody (indeed, there are so many examples, Mrs. Gandhi, PM of India, Mrs. Akino, PM of Philippines etc.) does not mean that she is not any good in her won right.

No, I don't think New York would even have considered her if she wasn't Bill's wife. Without her husband, she would have had no claim to fame. She did nothing for NY, but did build up her public relations within the party. I do not believe that H. Clinton, N. Pelosi are good in their own right.(Pelosi because she is a ultra Left wing liberal and of course evil :evil: ) I still have a can of Billy beer hanging around, I wouldn't go that far as to compare Billy and Hillary, Billy was the town drunk.

 

[darkbeaver]

Frankly SJP it is patently rediculous to place such stock in a CNN story as it is to suggest the wealthy and powerfull are roll models for anyone or anything including dogs. The truth is that the class is rapidly approaching its end, where its only practicle use will be rediscovered, only in that way will they inspire the poor. You must think the third world populated by fools same as in the west. It is funny to think that some day in the future you and I may be recipients of aid shipped to the burned out shell of North America from the former third world countries to the new desolate wastelands. The sun will set on our perverted culture, but not near soon enough.;-)

 

[dumpthemonarchy]

Quoting SJP's initial post, If anyone thinks a few daughters in the White House is changing the traditional family views of a country like India, then you are deluded like CNN who think tabloid stories are real news. The US thinks they affect the whole world on everything.

W Bush had daughters and no one cared in India or China.

 

[Nuggler]

I don’t see the problem here. So should she have taken off her 540$ shoes in the car (or limousine), put on some old, cheap shoes and then gone into the food bank? What would be the point of that?

And conservatives would have criticized her for that anyway, with conservatives she cannot win no matter what she does.

What does the fact that she can afford 540 $ shoes have to do with the fact that she cares for the poor? The two are not mutually exclusive.

I personally think Obama haters are grasping at straws. My advice to them is, be patient, I am sure there will be plenty to criticize about in future. The honeymoon cannot last forever (although to you Obama haters 100 days with Obama in power may seem like forever).

I don't hate Obama nor his wife, nor do I give a shyte how much her shoes cost. Just reportin the facts as they were written in the paper and on the net.

However, it might have been in better taste for her to wear something "the great unwashed" could relate to..................or not.

8O

 

[L Gilbert]

I am not so sure about role-models, but I think most people have at one time or other experienced role-envy. I get firefighter pensions but I wish, after all the hard work I have put into doing my job for a LOT more than 6 years, I'd get Member of Parliament pension. lol That's role-envy.

 

[SirJosephPorter]

CNN said she was dark skinned, not 'dark as THEY come'. there is a difference. A big one actually.

I don't think so, karrie. I think that is just a different way fo saying it. Perhaps the way I said it has more punch, has more flourish to it. But basically i paraphrased what CNN said.

 

[lone wolf]

You don't think so because you can't believe you're wrong....

 

[karrie]

I don't think so, karrie. I think that is just a different way fo saying it. Perhaps the way I said it has more punch, has more flourish to it. But basically i paraphrased what CNN said.

lol. yep, it has a much more racist bent to it alright SJP. Good job.

 

[SirJosephPorter]

"Much as you may not like it, skin colour definitely cuts it. There is no evidence to suggest that third world women identified with Laura Bush, or that they would have identified with Hillary Clinton. Much as you may not like it, skin color does matter sometimes. The main reason third world women feel an affinity towards Michelle is her skin color."

Who in the Hell would or should give a good G-Ddamn about the Third world?

They are the Third World, because that's all they are capable of being. The White World should leave them alone, totally, because no matter what, all the White World ever gets from the freeloading louts of Africa is abuse and ingratitude.

After more than 40 years they still bitch about the colonial powers. They still blame the white man for their impotence. They indulge, just for laughs, horrible genocides, for which of course, they blame the white man. They still have famine after famine, reying on the White man to save them from starvation.

They DO NOT NEED a role model from America. They need a bit of self-discipline.

Who in the Hell would or should give a good G-Ddamn about the Third world?

Really, Yukon Jack? Then why are you even participating in this thread? This thread is all about third world women and how they relate to Michelle Obama. Are you participating in a thread just to tell us that you don’t care about the thread? I would have thought you would have better things to do.

They DO NOT NEED a role model from America. They need a bit of self-discipline.

That is not for you to say. If third world women think that Michelle is a role model for them, what is it to you?

 

[SirJosephPorter]

lol. yep, it has a much more racist bent to it alright SJP. Good job.

Well now, that is a matter of opinion, isn't it?

 

[lone wolf]

Well now, that is a matter of opinion, isn't it?

No ... it's a matter of you having all the tact of a beetle.