I am disgusted by the way the BBC is hyping Michelle Obama’s supposed “message” that one can achieve great things if one is “ambitious and works hard”. Huw Edwards is holding a love-fest over her visit to some non-white school in London (BBC race-obsessed as always) and some speech she just did about preventing AIDS and inspiring women in Soweto. But it’s not the message in the abstract that’s the problem: it’s the way the BBC celebrates having a powerful husband as some kind of achievement to which women should aspire.
Edwards asks what the girls learned, and they gushed that they’ll take “her message” about achievement with them for the rest of their lives. Did they do this much for Laura Bush? Of course not, as she didn’t marry the right man.
It disgusts me that marrying a powerful man is considered a substantial achievement. This is sexism of the highest order. It actually belittles the real achievements of women. Yet cos she (and He) is black, the BBC can’t stick their collective tongues far enough up her backside.
“She’s married to America’s first black President, so that’s a very powerful statement as well,” says Huw.
Quite.
Laud her work for this charity or that cause, fine. But don’t tell me marrying someone and going along on his ride to power is a massive achievement that should inspire a generation of young girls. I guess the advancement of women means something different to the otherwise progressive BBC. All their usual values go out the window when it comes to Obamessiah worship.
I don’t remember the BBC gushing like this about Denis Thatcher.
He didn’t rush around proclaiming “Yes, we can”
He was a former soldier and a successful businessman. There’s no comparison.
Asuka,
Exactly !
The BBC would do a complementary report on Obama every time he went to the toilet, if they could and if Michelle was there handing him the paper, then they would deem that to be newsworthy too !!!!!
“She’s married to America’s first black President, so that’s a very powerful statement as well,”
Hardly.
It’s a very powerful mangling of the English language into meaningless stodge on the part of Too-wit-too-Huw, though.
She didn’t marry a powerful man. She married a god
“She’s married to America’s first black President, so that’s a very powerful statement as well,” says Huw.
And this means what, precisely?
Sweet FA mate, sweet FA!
It means we still must judge people not by the content of their character but by the color of their skin.
“She’s married to America’s first black President, so that’s a very powerful statement as well,” says Huw.
isn’t he the first mulatto* president?
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulatto
Mulatto denotes a person with one white parent and one black parent, or more broadly, a person of mixed black and white ancestry
He was largely brought up by white grandparents, studied at Hawaii’s most exclusive private school and for a good part of his childhood lived as an Indonesian. He’s black because he chose that identity as a young man.
BTW if you use the ‘one drop of blood rule’ as a test both Presidents Eisenhower and Harding were plausibly black. Harding is particularly interesting due to his ‘title’ as the worst president ever.
On this topic, I was amused when the chef Ainsley Harriott was on “Who do you think you are” and travelled to Jamaica where he discovered his great great grandfather was a white slave-owner, which is where the name “Harriott” came from. A bloody Scot, no less ! Time for Ainsley to cook up a deep-fried Mars bar.
From the adulatory and uncritical reporting on Mrs Obama’s visit it is obvious that the BBC has decided that there is a consensus of informed opinion about her and therefore no need to maintain any semblance of balance or impartiality.
No need for any of the corporation’s famous ‘analysis’ either, as that is mainly used to pick holes in anything or anybody the BBC needs to educate us to dislike or be wary of.
She did not marry the President. She married a black man who became President. Her achievement therefore, if there were any. would be her ability in precognition.
Stangely enough I cannot remember BBC programme, or news story or in fact anything that has lauded the enormous achievements of Mrs Thatcher. She didn’t marry a prime minister…..she was one!
She triumphed over sexism, reached the top job, rescued britain from catastrophoic economic decline, smashed Trade Union syndicalism and its plan for an East German style state and brought the whole stinking murderous mess of soviet socialism down about its ears, in the process liberating hundreds of millions from misery and opression. What more coud one want as a list of achievements?
Oops – they were the wrong sort of achievements. Not BBC approved. You see ‘Fatcher is ‘con-tra-versal’. Wheel out the ‘ballads of the miners strike’ (every single one of which is 100% ‘fake’)
Oh, don’t worry, you’ll get your BBC story on Mrs. T’s achievements very soon. Only I don’t think it’ll be the kind you’re talking about……
I can remember lots of talk on Radio 4 in the early 70s about how wonderful it would probably be if we ever did get a woman prime minister – no more silly political arguments, just a woman’s common sense approach to getting things done.
Shirley Williams seemed to be the big hope.
When Mrs Thatcher came along all they did was gripe about her.
Sorry but does this mean she hasn’t achieved greatness but has had greatness thrust upon her like the flounders?
Retch!!!!!!
She should just count herself lucky that she wasn’t elected as the first female (and youngest) Governor of Alaska. That sort of achievement receives nothing but contempt and derision from the BBC.
Or was the first black woman to become Secretary of State and be the international face of the US where it counts most: in the halls, not the bedroom or photo ops, of power. Nothing to inspire there, yeah.
Condi has been air-brushed from BBC history.
Yeah, and Condi was fit to … 😛
Cattle Prod,
That wasn’t exactly the point I was making …………
If ever I saw an Oreo impression it would have to be Michelle.
Her guff at the London secondary school was pitiful…”search for the hero inside yourself”…straighten your hair, marry a lawyer on the make-then you too can get Nelson Mandelas autograph!
Funny she never got to meet Winnie-a real Freedom Fighter wsn`t she?
Did she have CRB clearance I ask myself?…Panorama surely could make a rumpus out of this!
“Hero “. Michelle is a sexist !
The Beeboid Corporation suddenly coming over all gooey eyed and dreamy over women’s advancement? Don’t make me laugh. She married a half black, half white man. Big deal. When Hillary Clinton was running for the nomination and so was He, the Beeboid Corporation ran a special programme on the theme of a “black” man possibly becoming President. Did the Beeboid Corporation put on a programme about the possibility of a woman becoming President? Need I answer? Well, they didn’t. There you have the Beeboid Corporation’s priorities laid out, clear for all to see.
And did they then start getting excited and throw their weight behind McCain with Palin as a potential first female Deputy Pres and maybe ultimately, President? Like heck they did.
He who would trample his own grandmother in his rush to get to the seat of power, and who prevented a woman becoming President for the first time, suddenly began touting himself as a champion of women’s advancement once he’d blagged and bagged the top job for himself. Hah! And now the wife’s at it as well. Better not ask what happened to her career, I suppose.
As if their daughters are not going to see and form their own understanding of their parents’ roles and know which one has the power and the top role and which one hasn’t.
Exactly, Millie. Exactly.
Millie,
Her husband is her career.
But, wouldn’t it be funny if Hillary had been black !
The BBC’s Robyn Bresnahan – impartial journalist or cheerleader?
Yes, we can marry into power too!
‘The BBC’s Robyn Bresnahan – impartial journalist orcheerleader?’
Speaking of tweeting, and pom pom girls (plus the women at the BBC), does Michelle tweet?
It seemed to offer a very special media opportunity for Sarah Brown to ‘engage’ with the sisters (plus the female staff at the BBC too)
It won’t be long before those sink estates that remain will all be renamed Michelle Obama this, or Michelle Obama that, or “Yes we can house”, or “Barak Barracks”, or perhaps “Hopey-Changey Tower”. If you’re really lucky, you might even get a bronze bust of the pair of them erected outside the Royal Festival Hall, to sit beside (or replace) that Mandela fellow (you know, the black former terrorist).
Natsman,
Isn’t it about time Trafalgar Square was renamed ?
I wonder if mrs obama got the chance to see the panorama of wrecked/neglected buildings that Johannesburg has become since the blacks took over in SA.
See this reference:
http://www.slideshare.net/1950/the-death-of-johannesburg
People like me who lived there pre-anc find this bitterly sad and wholly as predicted. By the way, I wonder what peter hain & co. think about this.
Thanks Gordon a fascinating and horrific website. I have worked with a few SA ex-pats and always remember one telling me “they never show you how bad it is now”. Another tells me we will see famines in that country in the next 10 to 20 years as the farming industry there collapses.
Rhodesia, Mark 2.
The BBC seem to have taken leave of their senses with Michelle in Soweto.
I had the sound turned down and could see the “Yes we can” bit…again!
I also saw the BBCs stock film that they use every time we go to South Africa…dancing smiling black women with a vuvuzela or a Bible jiving in the townships!
It Margaret Mead had done this all the time, it would be “patronisisng” and “racist”…at least Prince Philip is honest in his caricatures. The BBC seem to think that that is all the tubby happy ebony matrons of Soweto are.
Can we put the Beeb in the dock once Galliano has been “done for racism”?-even HE is not as pernicious as the BBC
From what I can tell, “Gas ’em” Galliano made a far more sincere apology than the BBC has lately.
South Africa? The new Rhodesia!
The speech by Mrs Obama has not helped on little bit, in fact she should have gone the whole hog and started singing that race hate song ‘kill the boer’.
Enabling skin colour jealousy and a new race hate war and promoting the persection of a minority, sound familiar does it? Unemployement? Blame the Boer, black poverty? blame the Boer, black crime? Blame the Boer.
The Boer is to blame for everything, turn the mobs attention to a minority and blame them for everything, ‘kill the Boer’ steal the white mans land and everthing will be wonderful. Look at what has become of Rhodesia and it is happening in South africa now, the road to ruin, the corruption, the unleashing of the ugly mob by giving them all the excuses they need to go on the rampage.
Black governance by the ANC has been a disaster for blacks, poverty and crime and corruption is rampant and getting worse, from a prosperous advancing nation to yet another Zimbabwe based on savagery and tribalism and corruption and ignorance. The ANC leadership inflaming the machete mob while stealing anything they can, plenty of BMW/Mercs/Rlexes and Swiss accounts while everything crumbles away, its the same old story played out yet again.
Kill the Boer and all will be well, point the mob at the minority while the corrupt rabble rousers steal everything in sight. Antother slide into tribalism and ruin and promoted and praised by a racist with reason enough to hate white people.
Cassie,
The Jewish Boers are the worst.
Personally, I blame Thatcher.
This has been fascinating and perhaps David Preiser can comment on the rights of the President’s wife using Air Force 1 to travel on an official visit to a foreign country and the involvement of a non-elected person promoting American foreign policy.
It also interesting that the meeting she addressed was a (female) future leaders conference. Over the previous weekend the ANC Youth League finished its annual conference and re-elected one Julius Malema its President (despite the fact that he is 25). At that conference the delegates came out in full support of;
Nationalisation of all white owned farms, without compensation (because they stole the land in the first place), as a penalty for apartheid. It was further suggested that the white owner be sentenced to 5 years of training the new black owners to farm for their part in aparheid;
All mines be nationalised without compensation;
All Banks be nationalised.
The reason; willing buyer. willing seller has failed because the Govt has no further funding (international aid) to fund the transfer of land to Black farmers.
Further more farms transfered to black ownership in the low veld growing citrus 5 years ago have been re-possessed by the state. The trees have died and the farms and farming equipment are no longer working.
I didn’t hear one word from Mrs Obamassiah about this and the atitude of the USA on such behaviour.
Mrs O has gone to South Africa on a personal pilgrimage to worship the great Black hero and convicted terrorist, Nelson Mandela.
I am a former Rhodie and the decline towards Zimbabwefication was on the cards 2 years into the black reign. Nothing changes in Africa, just the name of the next thug that rules and pillages and waits patiently for the West to shell out the next load of $US so he can buy his latest toy.
I think Hillary Clinton started the trend of First Ladies making their own personal appearances abroad to promote causes. Of course, part of why Bill Clinton was elected the first time is because all the women bought into the “Co-Presidency” mythos. Mostly, though, they tend to focus on domestic issues. Teddy Roosevelt’s wife started the whole “Office of the First Lady” thing over 100 years ago, so it’s not really new in that sense, although that was mostly about hosting receptions at the White House.
But my complaint isn’t about Michelle Obama going around trying to promote this or that cause. It’s kind of expected now anyways, and it’s mostly fine with me, as long as they don’t use their position as a means to acquire wealth for themselves or get appointed with no experience whatsoever to head the creation of a nationalized health care system.
Actually, I suspect the main reason Michelle Obama is getting an even higher profile overseas is because of the exact reason Huw Edwards raised: the color of her skin, as an adjunct to that of her husband’s. That’s not her fault, of course, and I don’t blame her for using the opportunities presented.
What I object to is the BBC’s definition of success here. Michelle Obama didn’t do anything as President. First Lady is a sentimental, unelected position. It should not be looked at as an amazing personal accomplishment. If she actually achieves something with one of her schemes, then great, that’s a real accomplishment worthy of respect. But it’s too early, that hasn’t happened yet. She’s just created “programs”, etc.
If the BBC wants to laud her as an inspiration for being a black woman who grew up in a racist era (the 60s and 70s) in the most racist country in the world (except Israel, of course) going to a high-class law school and then having a high-paying job at a big law firm, then fine. That’s an achievement to inspire young non-white girls in the ghetto/sink estate. She gave up a potentially lucrative law career to work in public service, and held some pretty high-level jobs and sat on boards and whatnot. Again, that’s an admirable story for any young non-white girl to take home with her.
Those are what I would call real achievements, and are actually worthy of respect even when white people accomplish it. Being First Lady isn’t even in the same category, yet the BBC treats it as being even more important. Michelle Obama didn’t run the campaign, didn’t do the policies, didn’t write the speeches, didn’t run the teleprompter. Being someone’s wife should not be considered her greatest achievement: unless one looks at women through what is supposed to be the prism of chauvinism. In any other situation this would be considered sexist. But the BBC’s progressive ideals are not as important as their worship for The Obamessiah and racial politics.
As for the plane, I’m pretty sure it’s not a big deal at all. The call sign “Air Force One” is used only when the President is aboard. Otherwise, I think it’s just a Government plane used for various jaunts. At our expense, yeah, but that’s part of the deal.