When I look at this picture, I see a beautiful, strong, accomplished, historic black woman. Maybe it's because I'm a black woman that my heart stirs a bit when I see her. Now, I don't know a thing about Michelle Obama as an individual. She could be humorless, or egotistical, or pushy, or downright unpleasant. All I do know is that she's incredibly accomplished, we share the same political, social, and humanitarian worldviews, and she's the mother of two beautiful little girls, that's she's married to a FINE brother I'd kill to be able to clone.
And I think she's very beautiful.
So that's why I've been disturbed all day, ever since reading about the CEO of the Tennessee Hospitality Association who thought it was a hoot to forward an email to 12 of his "closest friends" which essentially suggested that Michelle Obama resembles a chimpanzee. It was such an offensive and rude and disrespectful punk-assed move that it boggles the mind, even as I realize that a woman in her position is fair game.
God knows that throughout American history, the occupants of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue have been pilloried through cartoons and vicious satire. And I'd bet Mrs. Obama can take it, so she doesn't need me to pile onto this schmuck from Tennessee in her defense. But what I can't stop considering is how someone who is so obviously attractive and accomplished could be so publicly mocked, and characterized as anything less than human. I mean, it's one thing to slap some donkey ears on Dubya, or big rabbity bucked teeth on Jimmy Carter, but I can't recall a prominent political wife being portrayed as a pig or a mule or.....a chimp.
The only good thing about this story is that several of the "friends" who received the outrageous email were deeply offended by it. I mean, if he'd been some guy who works at the Post Office, it wouldn't have made national headlines. And I'm sure a few of the folks on that the Chuckle-headed CEO's email list probably forwarded it to a bunch of other folks, which means it's probably been already been seen by millions of people, a healthy percentage of whom may agree with its sentiments. But those who were outraged that a man in his public capacity could be so callously disrespectful of the First Lady of the United States, and feel totally comfortable sharing those asinine sentiments, called him on that shit, and made sure he was publicly reprimanded.
In the end, it doesn't seem to have made much difference. Sure, His Hospitableness lost a big contract, but he initially refused to apologize because he didn't think it was a big deal. He and his ilk have already written the controversy off to political correctness run amok. And millions of people who don't like the Obamas, and who cleave to the still overwhelmingly white standard of American beauty, may always find it ridiculous that this black woman is the First Lady of the United States, and may always look at this picture and not see anything even remotely attractive, forget about beautiful.
Like I said, I'd bet Michelle Obama can take it. And the millions of other people who also see her beauty can dismiss this kind of mindless pejorative. I'll be able to do that too, eventually.
But for the time being, it just really kinda hurts.
"I'm just sayin, dawg..."
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