This whole Michelle Obama thing is ironic - remember Eartha Kitt?

[closeupready]

>>In 1968, during the administration of US President Lyndon B. Johnson, Kitt encountered a substantial professional setback after she made anti-war statements during a White House luncheon.[10][11] Kitt was invited to the White House luncheon and was asked by Lady Bird Johnson about the Vietnam War. She replied: "You send the best of this country off to be shot and maimed. No wonder the kids rebel and take pot."

During a question and answer session, Kitt stated:

The children of America are not rebelling for no reason. They are not hippies for no reason at all. We don’t have what we have on Sunset Blvd. for no reason. They are rebelling against something. There are so many things burning the people of this country, particularly mothers. They feel they are going to raise sons — and I know what it's like, and you have children of your own, Mrs. Johnson — we raise children and send them to war.

Her remarks reportedly caused Mrs. Johnson to burst into tears and led to a derailment in Kitt's career.[12] The public reaction to Kitt's statements was extreme, both pro and con. Publicly ostracized in the US, she devoted her energies to performances in Europe and Asia.<<

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eartha_Kitt#Anti-war_controversy

I actually like Michelle Obama a lot, and I don't personally understand why she is being criticized, but regardless, I just found the irony of the role reversal kind of interesting.

[pennylane100]

1. I had not read that she was being criticized.

I think that the way she handled it tell us that she is a force to be reckoned with. I understand that the heckler was promoting a worthy cause, but that certainly was not the way to do it. Also when fighting for a worthy cause, it does not make sense to heckle those that would be sympathetic to your cause.

By walking down to talk to the heckler, she then had complete control of the situation and the only thing left was for the heckler to leave the room. The heckler lost the opportunity to enlist a valuable supporter in a very important fight. If she just wanted publicity she should have gone to a Chris Christie event and have him hurl insults at her, at least the audience would have been sympathetic.

[jaysunb]

2. Ms Kitt did not interrupt or heckle Mrs Johnson

As your post states : "during questions and answers" and not in an rude outburst.

During that time in America it was pretty big news that Eartha Kitt or any other black person would have been invited to a luncheon w/ the first lady. Many felt she was out of her place in the racial parlance of that day.

There is no comparison to the Sturtz outburst.

[closeupready]

3. Okay, well, there is a parallel in my opinion.

No comparison is ever perfect of course.

[Whisp]

7. the only parallel I see is both Kitt and Michelle are black?

and so?

[closeupready]

9. Oh, okay - well, Lady Bird and Michelle were/are First Ladies.

Because they were/are married to the President?

And the adversary was civilly disobedient...? And minority.

Nope, no parallels there.

[William769]

4. kick & recommended.

[mulsh]

5. Didn't Ms. Kitt also suggest that they install street lights rather than flowers as part of

Ladybird's Beautify America program?

I remember some of our more conservative neighbors being shocked at "that mouthy woman" at that particular suggestion.

[sibelian]

6. I'm sorry, I don't see the similarity...

... or any other way in which your story relates meaningfully to recent events?

Perhaps I am unsubtle.

[boilerbabe]

8. err..umm..it's the heckler that is getting shredded and criticized not Michelle Obama.nt

[closeupready]

10. As Kitt was. She was 'blacklisted', in fact, by the entertainment industry,

as fallout from her contrarian statements to Lady Bird.

[William769]

11. Well it helps when official White house documents don't reflect what actually happened. nt

[MrScorpio]

12. Except that one thing really doesn't equal the other, does it?

Especially, when considering the quite disperate racial politics between 1960's America and today, where an however invited, yet uppity Black guest had the sheer temerity to present
the lilly white First Lady with an enbarrasing question, when asked to give questions and in the genteel manner as usually displayed by Eartha Kitt, versus this most recent thing, right?

Now, let's suppose the people debating this thing would take all of this into consideration. How is that the equivalent to what happened between Michelle Obama? Because to me, the black lady is being accused of being wrong in either case, depending on whom you're talking to.

What I find very interesting is that the defenders of Ms. Sturtz are supporting her solely on the basis that she was interrupting Mrs. Obama, quite loudly and out of turn (See the difference between her and Eartha Kitt?), based on the fact that she was sloganeering about an GBLT issue.

Black/white dynamic aside, let's suppose that Mrs. Obama was giving a presentation to an eager and interested crowd in am impassioned plea for improving the rights of GBLT people... And while in the middle of this speech, she was rudely and loudly interrupted by a person who demanded unilateral presidential action on some off-topic issue, let's say about early childhood education, nutrition or keeping kids safe from gun violence.

Would we see likewise speculation by the same people who are so fervently situated in Ms. Sturtz's corner and would they also take the same position in behalf of this other hypothetical protester had the exact same earlier exchange and result occurred?

If not, why not?

What would be the difference between what actually happened and my own hypothetical situation?

Now since you brought up that incident between Lady Bird Johnson and Eartha Kitt in order to propose that it's a situation that's comparable to what happened between Mrs. Obama and Ms. Sturtz, perhaps someone around here could also speculate on what sort of consequences that Ms. Sturtz might face for getting all up in the face of Michelle Obama.

Because that's the payoff, isnt it?

Ellen Sturtz won't face anything near to the way that Eartha Kitt's life and career was ruined, now will she?

Instead, Ms. Sturtz is currently being lauded as brave voice and a so-called hero by various sectors of the Left. Her exposure is up today, as compared to just a few days ago when it was next to nothing.

You are quite correct, the results of the two incidents are quite instructive.

It would say more about the people, by the interpretations that they give, more than anything else.

[closeupready]

13. Life isn't fair. I guess you think if it was, Ms. Sturtz would be ruined.

Is that correct?

[MrScorpio]

14. That's not my point at all

My point is that Ellen Sturtz is no Eartha Kitt and Michelle Obama handled her biz by herself rather than collapsing in a veil of tears.

[closeupready]

15. I like Michelle, but she could have handled it in a manner

more befitting someone in her position. Whatever. Not a big deal to me, either way.

I just found the irony in comparing the two sets of circumstances remarkable. YMMV.

Peace.