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Fox News Resident Psychiatrist: First Lady Could "Stand To Lose A Few Pounds"
- Thread starter TerzaRima
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Nitwits aside, Michelle Obama is the youngest First Lady since Jackie O.
I think she's very attractive, myself (and Ablow is a total ass imo). But rating First Ladies on apparent beauty--which is wholly subjective--seems like a bad idea.
And Rosalynn Carter was hot...
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Nitwits aside, Michelle Obama is the youngest First Lady since Jackie O.
I think she's very attractive, myself (and Ablow is a total ass imo). But rating First Ladies on apparent beauty--which is wholly subjective--seems like a bad idea.
And Rosalynn Carter was hot...
Dunno about bad idea. Pointless, sure, as all such things are obviously yes, subjective by nature.
Ablow is an ass, but I think it goes deeper than that. It's possible that he's just a deeply blind misogynist prone to saying stupid shit for ratings - would hardly be unusual for Fox. It's also possible calling her 'fat' is a dog whistle to those who subscribe to a certain stereotype of black women in order to further delegitimatize her efforts. Frankly, my money is on the latter.
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Well, we tend to talk about who the best Presidents were, who the smartest Presidents were, who the most effective Presidents were, etc. Their looks can obviously play a role in getting them elected, as can the looks of their spouse no doubt. Still, it's kind of a sophomoric thing to talk about who the best looking Presidents were.
Even though "First Lady" is not an actual government position, First Ladies do impact policy from time to time. I guess I just think that ranking them according to beauty is kind of cheap, especially given their age differences.
You know, Barbara Bush--who doesn't get much love with regard to attractiveness--was 63 when she became First Lady. Nancy Reagan was 59. Jackie O was 31...
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There's obviously a long and storied history of trying to delegitimize female contributions based on looks - she's too pretty to be smart, too smart to be pretty, etc. And yes, compliments can have the same effect, sometimes intended, sometimes not. Ask any woman on this board - it's hardly limited to First Ladies.
That said, when a professional talking head throws out the idea of Michele Obama being fat, it certainly raises my suspicions that he'd like to be saying something else.
ra, I had the same dog whistle racism suspicions when the (female) anchor replied, "I like her booty."
For those playing at home who remember 1990s MTV, that anchorwoman is Kennedy who was the host of Alternative Nation.
For those playing at home who remember 1990s MTV, that anchorwoman is Kennedy who was the host of Alternative Nation.
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Don't know why I need to ask anyone, that's kinda my point.
I don't necessarily disagree. But by the same token, professional talking heads seek attention, almost as a matter of course. So the comment could be what you suspect, it could be just stupidity, or it could even be just a blatant attempt to get some press. Anyway you slice it though, it's obnoxious imo.
All that said, Michelle Obama doesn't need to be the most beautiful First lady since whenever as a counter to this kind of criticism.
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You seemed to take exception to my paying Michelle Obama a compliment - sometimes a cigar is just a cigar and all that.
Not directing this at you, but hearing a fit, attractive woman called fat is something that pushes my buttons, yes, but mostly for what it does to normal women. It's less MO I'm defending and more the sisterhood
It's also based on the cultural assumption that women's bodies are appropriate topics for discussion. Clinton was chunky when he was in office, and I don't remember that being a hot topic in the press.
Michelle Obama needs to drop a few? Check out these guns and say that.
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/michelle-obama-workout
(...no hot-linking, right?)
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/michelle-obama-workout
(...no hot-linking, right?)
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Well, if being overweight disqualified anyone from commenting on nutrition, then hallelujah:
Maybe all these bombastic men will shut the hell up about abortion.
Maybe all these bombastic men will shut the hell up about abortion.
The FCC only has jurisdiction over broadcast media. Cable media is outside their umbrella of scrutiny. Which is why cable shows like The Sopranos, Dexter, and Breaking Bad get to use all the bad words they like, with no interference.
caw
I personally think Michelle Obama is gorgeous, both inside and out. I also think they are easily the most attractive family I've ever seen living at the White House. Not that it matters if the presidential family is attractive, because last I checked physical beauty has nothing to do with being a competent leader.
If he represented any other station, I’d be shocked a psychiatrist had the audacity to say something like that, because it's such an absurd statement when you look at the woman he's talking about. What a sad excuse for a doctor.
If he represented any other station, I’d be shocked a psychiatrist had the audacity to say something like that, because it's such an absurd statement when you look at the woman he's talking about. What a sad excuse for a doctor.
This. ^
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On a 24 hour news channel the probability of an idiot, idiocy or an idiotic comment approaches 1.
As it does on an internet thread.
Watch.
I think they're Nazis.
As it does on an internet thread.
Watch.
I think they're Nazis.
There's no pleasing most of the right, imho. Michelle Obama could birth the Baby Jesus of healthy children and cure obesity for the world, and these jackholes would be forced to dig deeper for their petty comments. It's like a bunch of B-list high schoolers with a burn book and they've run out of post-it notes.
The Marblehead native :rofl:
Seriously though, people who say such things, especially about relatively slim women could probably stand to 'lose a few pounds' themselves; preferably off their neck.
Seriously though, people who say such things, especially about relatively slim women could probably stand to 'lose a few pounds' themselves; preferably off their neck.
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So a guy who's a public figure and could stand to lose a few pounds, and who dislikes hypocrisy, says a person who's a public figure needs to lose a few pounds...
Got it.
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It's a "hot topic" because one dumbass made a dumbass comment?
Tracking the "opposition" media in search of things to make hay with has become a huge industry in its own right. I'd wager plenty of comments got by largely unnoticed about Clinton, the first Bush, and their spouses.
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I'm not taking exception so much as I am having my interest piqued.You seemed to take exception to my paying Michelle Obama a compliment - sometimes a cigar is just a cigar and all that.
Really, this is kind of an empty thread insofar as no one is defending Ablow because everyone seems to agree that he's slimy and his comment was total bs (and deliberately insulting/provocative, for one reason or another). That said, the use of a superlative here to "defend" the First Lady (again, I don't think she needs such a defense at all) seems to fit into a pattern I've noticed with regard to some criticisms--both warranted and unwarranted, thoughtful and asinine, imo--criticisms of President Obama.
To whit: some of his defenders counter such criticisms by proclaiming him to be better than pretty much everyone else with regard to the general issue. When he was criticized for not attending intel briefings, the defense was that he didn't need to go because he was "among the most sophisticated consumers of intelligence on the planet." When his take on pretty much any policy is questioned, he's the smartest President ever, or the like. When the issue is the law, his opinion trumps everyone else's because he went to Harvard Law (as if he's the only one in DC who did). And I suspect that he would be defended--probably has been defended--as the best looking President since JFK, if not the best looking President ever, if his looks were criticized.
I find that interesting. Because I'm not sure what's behind it.
And again, I don't it's fair in general to "rate" First Spouses on their looks, not only because it's subjective but also because of the age differences.
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I don't think it's a real mystery what's behind it - there are plenty of legitimate reasons to criticize both Obamas for their initiatives, and yet, the criticisms that actually do get leveled are patently ridiculous. (Socialist! He sicced the IRS on the Tea Party! Benghazi!). The level of visceral hyperbole coming out generates a fairly visceral reaction. Fwiw, I think it's less that his opinion 'trumps' others because he went to Harvard Law and more that it makes me laugh when some nitwit taking a selfie with his homemade bazooka is convinced he knows more about Constitutional Law. (FWIW, the whole thing with the intel briefings was debunked, btw - he prefers to get them on paper whereas Bush preferred to have them read to him). I'd also argue that for some, the idea of an intelligent black man or woman in a position of power is a threatening enough concept on its own, and both that phenomena and the awareness of it contributes.
As far as the idea of rating goes, it wasn't the intent of my comment, it was simply to say I find Michelle equally worthy of being considered a style icon as Jackie O was, but feel free to continue to misconstrue it if you like.
As far as the idea of rating goes, it wasn't the intent of my comment, it was simply to say I find Michelle equally worthy of being considered a style icon as Jackie O was, but feel free to continue to misconstrue it if you like.
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Meh. There's always been such criticisms of every President, ones that some find over the top, ridiculous, or the like.
Well, the idea that he's the smartest man in the room is hardly limited in its usage to countering just such strawmen.
It wasn't "debunked," it was explained. One can view it how one chooses. Me, I don't have a problem with the choice at all. But still, the defense--of Obama being "among the most sophisticated consumers of intelligence on the planet"--is over the top in its own right and, imo, silly.
I think there's something there, no doubt. But it's the apparent auto-defense mechanism in this regard that I'm talking about.
My question? Why in the HELL does she have any say in what goes on in this country in any way, shape or form? Who elected her?
She should just STFU and move on.