First lady duds get backlash

[Cash_thatswhatiwant]

FLOTUS's inaugural outfits sent designers to their drafting tables to design knockoffs and droves went to J.Crew to get those snazzy leather green gloves. But not everyone is happy with her choices. The Black Artists Association is chiding FLOTUS for not choosing any African-American designers.

They will send a letter to FLOTUS's office and appeal to her to include items from black designers in her wardrobe. BAA Cofounder Amnau Eele, who was a former runway model told Women's Wear Daily:

"It's fine and good if you want to be all 'Kumbaya' and 'We Are the World' by representing all different countries. But if you are going to have Isabel Toledo do the inauguration dress, and Jason Wu do the evening gown, why not have Kevan Hall, B Michael, Stephen Burrows or any of the other black designers do something too?"

Wu didn't find out Michelle O. was wearing his dress until he saw her on television Tuesday night. And aides said FLOTUS didn't even decide until hours before her big night.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0109/17938.html

[hlthe2b]

1. They will face a never-ending stream of this kind of criticism...

it seems...geebus! No way they are going to please everyone, that's for sure.

[KittyWampus]

3. not for nothing, check out what blog the story is from....

one wonders if they went LOOKING for some group to voice a gripe about Mrs. O

[hlthe2b]

16. Undoubtedly...

:eyes:

[ClarkUSA]

28. Yet you posted an OP about this same story...

Politico's reporting (as opposed to its opinion columns) is again correct, no matter which source one picks and chooses from:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8141235

:eyes:

[bluestateguy]

2. Wow.

These people must really live sheltered lives to get into such a tizzy about something so trivial, what with all that is going on in this country these days.

[Sultana]

4. Oh STFU BAA!

:eyes:

[rockymountaindem]

5. POTUS, SCOTUS, and now FLOTUS?

Man, we've gone off the deep end of the acronym pool. Or, as some call it, the DEAP.

[Sultana]

6. Si, it took a few seconds to process FLOTUS

:D

[rockymountaindem]

7. To be honest, it has scatological connotations

Think about it.

[firedupdem]

8. Whatever! She can wear whatever she wants. I'm sick of all these

groups with their petty complaints from NOW to this group. Of course Politico took great pride reporting this bullshit.

[seaker]

10. It is a distraction or

diversion. Not really helpful to the resolution of significant issues.I

[bluestateguy]

11. Just wait until they get a dog

When the Obamas choose a dog, I'm sure some whiny, selfish interest group will find something to bitch about.

[MADem]

14. They'd be well served to get a hypoallergenic mutt.

Or pay some bum to give the dog regular shampoos to keep the old dander down.

[MadBadger]

15. If they get an Afghan...all hell will break loose!

Terrorist Lover!


I'll just be shouting that the dog is ugly.

[MADem]

13. Some people draw that kind of attention. In the recent "First Lady" game,

Laura Bush pretty much escaped it (except for the overtly partisan stuff) by keeping her head down in the first months and really, the first term, Hillary Clinton caught it constantly because everyone, including Bill, acknowledged that she was the brains of the outfit (and Bill was no fool, which says something for her smarts) and they were freaked out by the prospect of her input into the Presidency, Barbara Bush the Elder conned the public by making everyone believe she was grandmotherly, sporty and "regular," when in actual fact she was a bitter, angry, resentful snarler, and Nancy Reagan got it with both barrels because she didn't give a flying fuck about ANYBODY who wasn't her husband.

Of all of them, it was probably Nancy Reagan who came through with the fewest scars, simply because her focus wasn't on what people thought of HER at all. Everyone assumed it was, because she had the stupid glam gowns that she didn't pay for from her friendly designer pals, and she threw all those overblown parties during the Reaganomics years, and ordered all that china for the White House (that's how the White House decorative fund, a PRIVATE contributory charity, that pays for stuff like that, that needs to be replaced and augmented periodically, came into being--they paid for that china) but she really could have given two shits what anyone thought about her. It's why she kept getting pounded, because they couldn't "get to" her and she just wouldn't back down--she didn't care what "they" thought.

I hope Mrs. Obama doesn't give a flying fuck, either. Until they start paying First Spouses a salary, like they do with some diplomats' spouses, their criticism is worth about what the First Spouse gets paid every week...i.e. NOTHING.

[MADem]

9. Yeah, because yelling at someone for not picking your stuff really motivates them to pick your stuff

in future....

Sheesh. Obviously, no one in the BAA came up with anything that caught Mrs. Obama's eye. Perhaps they need to work a little harder, rather than expecting to be chosen based on race, and griping at her to wear their "creations" for political reasons. She's not their toy to play dress-up with, after all.

Not everyone looked good in a MAO suit, but everyone wore one in China because politics demanded it. I rather suspect Mrs. Obama won't be bullied by a bunch of PC whiners. I certainly hope not, anyway.

[MadBadger]

12. Its because Michelle hates Black People

Duhhh

[BlooInBloo]

32. Obviously.

[FrenchieCat]

17. Fuck Politico!

[ClarkUSA]

34. michelleobamawatch.com and MSNBC are reporting it, too. Soon, CNN will and then the networks.

This is a news story, like it or not. Journalists report the news. It's more fitting to say "Fuck" the group that
raised the issue and publicized it to the media in the first place via a press release. :shrug:

[CakeGrrl]

18. There's always SOMETHING to whine about

I guess the BAA wasn't impressed enough the that White House occupants happen to be black this time around.

:crazy:

If some of these critics don't quit pissing and whining (assuming this isn't Politico hack spin), they might not get in on the brazillion other formal functions the Obamas are bound to attend.

[DeepBlueC]

19. next it will be the Hairdo Debates

possibly a Cleavage Crisis...or the Hemline Showdown. Any more predictions?

[CTyankee]

30. Yeah, I'm OUTRAGED that FLOTUS didn't wear her hair up for the balls!

n/t

[Abq_Sarah]

20. How incredibly stupid.

If designers want the First Lady to wear their clothing, they need to start designing clothes based upon her personal preferences. Why should she wear someone's dress, suit, etc.. if she doesn't like it?

[defendandprotect]

21. Must say . . . probably a good suggestion ---

Why not give attention to AA designers, if possible --

if clothing suits Michelle . . .

Certainly, a beautiful woman to dress -- and probably talented designers.

[RayOfHope]

22. And I'm sure she will. He's only been in office a week, FLOTUS has lots more opportunities

to wear their designs.

[defendandprotect]

37. I just want to add that these things can be really silly ---

but I think a "suggestion" is worthwhile . . . though from what I see and hear

of Michelle Obama, I'm sure she already had it in mind or covered.

Certainly AA women -- and men -- have always dressed beautifully/elegantly --

and, like everything else they do, they are highly creative.

[MiniMe]

23. No matter what, it is a hell of a lot better than the former First Lady

[H2O Man]

24. Little minds.

[phleshdef]

25. Its obvious that Michelle is a self hating AA woman who loves whitey. I've got the tapes to prove it

[mainer]

26. She picked an Asian American and a Cuban American designer.

I think that's pretty darn cool already. So are the Serbian American designers going to whine that they weren't picked?

[Hepburn]

27. Bullshit, IMO.

I really, truly think that Michelle ~~ and everyone else ~~ being color blind is good. She picked what she felt represented HER and looked good on HER. Why the hell should she included the color of the skin or the ethnicity of the designer in the choice of what she wants to wear?

End of discussion as far as I am concerned. When I go shopping, I do NOT consider the color or ethnicity of who designed the clothes at which I am looking. I am white...because she is black, she should have some rules added to how she shops for clothing???? GMAFB!

[Jennicut]

29. Oh for goodness sake. Can the woman not wear what she wants to wear?

Is this really all that important?

[ima_sinnic]

31. why mut everything be about race? give the woman the designs she wants,

and she'll wear them. what a load of horseshit.

[DeepBlueC]

36. amen

[wndycty]

33. Well as a Black public relations professional I guess I should lodge a complaint. . .

. . .as well. How dare Obama hire Robert Gibbs instead of me. How dare him!

[yellowcanine]

35. "FLOTUS" ????? Please. Is that really necessary? Why not just say Michelle Obama? or the "first

lady"? Really.

[Maven]

38. POTUS, SCOTUS and FLOTUS

bring to mind PENIS, SCROTUM and FLATUS.

Yeah, I said it.

[Kalyke]

39. I don't give a fig what Michelle Obama wears

and I wish everyone else would get over it, too.

MO is sooooooooo much more than the clothes on her back.


I'm, frankly, tired of the sexism.