THE MOMENT Michelle Obama appeared at the Oscars, the surprise guest at the end of a long and listless night, a collective groan reportedly went through the Dolby Theater media room. On my East Coast couch, I felt the same dismay: Did they really have to go there?
Because everyone knew what was coming next. By Monday morning, the right-wing punditocracy had declared this a national tragedy: wholly inappropriate, brazenly political, proof that the White House is self-serving and elitist and in Hollywood’s pocket, or vice versa.
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Surprising it wasn't the big dope himself. Plastic, phony, Hollywood events are right up his alley. Financial advice from Al Sharpton. Kevin Cosner to solve the BP crisis. We get what we vote for.
Have some respect for the office and try to relax.
He won-convincingly. Get over it.
Nonsense. Get a life, have some fun, stand down from the urge to always have a battle, even in the little fluff events.
exactly
Totally inappropriate for a First Lady. Typical Hollywood pandering by the Dems.
Of course it was necessary. Hollywood is all RICH 1% ers, but the Libs are supposed to look the other way. Also Holllywood gets BIG Film Production tax credits, even though the films produce no new jobs for the states that allow them. They also are big Democratic Party campaign donors....They also made sure that "Zero Dark Thirty" wasn't chosen as Best Picture (which offended Dianne Feinstein).
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Hee hoo hoo who who ha ha...
Joanna-try to lighten up.
Giermund... try your own prescription. An Obama at every event in the second decade of the 21st Century is getting to be very nauseating. Leave the FLOOTUS at home on a couch with her bangs messy. No need for her to get all gussied up for a non-event like the Oscars. Barry the O must have been jealous at the non-attention he got while he dithered about not solving sequestration problems he originated.
Boatwrote, the First Lady was already "gussied up" for the evening because the White House was hosting a dinner for the governors, who were having one of their periodic conferences. And having been invited by the Academy to do the special appearance, was she really supposed to say no? If word of that had gotten out, the right would be criticizing her for dissing a multi-billion-dollar industry.
This just proves that the Obamas are just celebrities. It is inappropriate for a woman of her stature to engage in such bald attention seeking. It reinforces the moniker for the president of Barack Hussein Kardashian.
There is a love Fest with the Hollywood/media elite, and this was just more of the same idol worshiping we have come to expect. Serious people do miss the quiet dignity of the Bush administration, which would never have sent the first lady on such a m
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The "quiet dignity of the Bush administration"?????? Are you for real.......what planet are you on??? Thanks to both Bushes our country got into wars in the Middle East and our military men and women paid the full price with their lives or got parts of their bodies blown off or the minds ruined due to PTSD as my young USMarine nephew did. He's only 29 yrs old and hopeless thanks to Iraq. My older brothers are USMarines and I believe in defending our country but not for contrived "wars" by the Bushes.
The democratic party and democratic politicians at all levels seem to be smitten with the entertainment business. This shouldn't have been as much of a surpise as some seem to think it is. With rumors of White House insdiers providing film makers with access to sensitive information, the First Lady's cameo is very harmless by comparison.
The Dems are 'smitten with the entertainment business'??? Which party was it whose two-term-winning presidential candidate was a former B actor?
......and who the dems didn't vote for.
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FLOTUSes exist for this kind of stuff. I'm expecting King William V to pull a similar duty in the future
The "Oscar" for the "Greatest Duping during an Election" goes to the American People! Never have so many, been promised so much, only to receive so little! Gone with the Spoken Wind!
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None of you libs find the relationship between Hollywood and our President nauseating? Spoiled, rich superficial brats preaching to us about the environment, finance, one percenters. How many of them have voluntarily payed the higher income tax? I could care less what the Sean Penns of the world think about anything. She shouldn't have been there.
You are aware that Ronald Reagan was also President of the Screen Actors Guild, that is headquartered in Hollywood, aren't you. Did you, or do you, also find that 'nauseating'? I'm guessing not, and if not, it's not really about the relationship to Hollywood.
Geo, President Regan resigned from SAG in 1960 for God's sake and he always took great pains to distance himself from Hollywood without bringing attention to the fact that he was and continued to be an influencing factor out there.
I have no huge issue with the First Lady doing what she did but I am wondering about two things: 1). How much did her involvement cost the taxpayers? and 2). Who are those folks in the background? If they are just costumed people-props, so be it although there was a cost to us in vetting them etc. If they are from our military, I do have a problem with that.
Oh!! The First Lady Oopened the "Envelope" on the Osacars!! SCAN-DAHL!! Why is this being read into and politisized? RELAX fa Chrissake...
I agree. She was not elected to anything and remains a private citizen. I forgot she should be in a bunker somewhere scheming to put a tax on Republican hot air and/or flatus.
....the bunker is bound to be air conditioned; to clear the air, you know.
Lighten up Joan. Despite what you or some cranky conservatives may think, or wish to believe, we now have the most glamorous first lady since Jackie Kennedy, the most involved since Eleanor Roosevelt, and the coolest since Dolly Madison rescued Washinton's portrait. Enjoy it.
Somebody please give geolovely a good slug of brandy to calm the adrenalin rush. BTW, who's Washinton?
geo, I don't disagree with you on the whole, but it makes me uncomfortable to weigh the achievements and or / flash of Michelle Obama with the legacies of the likes of Jacqueline Kennedy or Eleanor Roosevelt. Let Obama's term run its course, and then, in due time, history will look back on Michelle Obama; I am sure her legacy will speak for itself. It's an evolving world we live in, and that's what makes the previous first ladies extraordinary; Michelle Obama has it a lot easier than they did. I must take the Academy Awards with a grain of salt or somethin' because I didn't see the FLOTUS' appearance as anything but fun.
Have we already forgotten Ronald Reagan, the quintessential example of political use Hollywood for political gain? It would be great if all he had done was open a envelope on a show few people watch 'til the end.
How many examples of White House generated association with Regan-Hollywood can you cite?
"How many examples of White House generated association with Regan-Hollywood can you cite?"
Here you go. Read and Learn:
http://carlanthonyonline.com/2013/02/24/the-reagans-host-old-hollywood-new-royalty-at-the-white-house/
Bush launched a NASCAR race in Florida in 2004. The Obamas have Hollywood, the Republicans, Dollywood. I know which I prefer, and it's not Danaka Patrick.
Its D-a-n-i-c-a..spelling still matters you know..even for always angry liberals..
A lot of us don't watch NASCAR or read People/Maxim/etc. . Shocking, I know, but not everyone knows how to spell the driver's name. But you are adztheman, so you do. Sharp as an axe, as dense as a maul??
Feel free to report, adzt_heman!
Laura Bush also presented an Oscar award. So what if Michelle Obama presented for Best Picture. Lighten up. The world is going to hell in a handbasket, and THIS is what has your panties in a knot??
How'd you know I was wearing panties? No, I have no issue with her presenting anything but my curiosity is about cost. The costs associated with events that the First Lady has attended or been involved in have seemed to be very high. She can do what she likes provided it doesn't bring shame to the office. What we need now are public examples of our elected officials who understand that they need to spend our money wisely. I'm not seeing that on either side of the aisle.
Regimental is the only way to wear a kilt. Knickers in a knot would have been preferable, but I have a fondness for alliteration.
It really doesn't make any difference what either President Obama or Michele Obama do in the area of public events as those opposed will always come out verbally swinging. And those supporting will come out praising them. Read the comments. Witness Clint Eastwood and his empty chair routine at the Republican Convention, Hollywood giant very welcome there. Forget the media firestorm 5 minutes after the most memorable event to happen there. The biggies in the Republican Party were gleeful at the big Hollywood connection, hey, a featured time spot before a national audience. This Oscar appearance doesn't even compare to that event. Don't get me wrong I thought the announcement of Clint Eastwood appearing at the Republican convention was a positive coup for Romney. And for full disclosure, as they say, Romney was not my candidate. It's the actual speech Clint gave that went awry. And the immediate public Republican reaction ( Romney aides included ) was to be in full support of both Eastwood's speech and the empty chair.
the past 4 years shows the empty chair should have won.
She's a joke and her inept husband is TOTALLY incompetant. The media is in the tank for both of them. Today will bring another useless press conference about sequestration from our President, aka Doom and Gloom. He will tell us the world is going to end on Friday. He will have the usual thirty-five props standing behind him. His act is wearing thin. Divide and conquer is his mantra. It appears however, that the country is waking up. People are NOT buying his rhetoric.
Until you learn how to spell incompetent, you might want to refrain from using the word. Just sayin'.
FYI: Web browsers have a built-in spell checker. Don't ignore the red line. It's there to save you from embarrassment.
Joanna, did you and your friends watch the Oscars? Our First Lady (with members of the military who she so strongly supports) plus about a billion other people also watched. Having her announce best picture was nice. I saw no political agenda. What I, and most likely almost everybody else, saw was our First Lady participate in a popular annual event. It bothers me, and I am sure most people, when media types like yourself make this an issue. If Alan Arkin were here, I think he could provide THE appropriate quote from the winning film about this situation.
I may be missing it, but I haven't seen anybody mention a theory that Mrs. Barry the O was merely standing in to hype relations with Canada and do Deville the Magnificent a favor by promoting his favorite son of Cambridge, Benny Affleck. After all, Hucksterism is the White House trademark these days, whether or not the medicine show wins any buyers.
boatwrote -- you are missing it. i'd say by about several miles, give or take.
Joanna Weiss' unnecessary opinion!
Oh, please. Get a grip. So what? The First Family had a little fun at one of the country's premier social/cultural events. Boy oh boy. What's next? The PRESIDENT inviting championship athletic teams to the White House to get HIS puss all over television? Western Civilization is coming perilously close to extinction.
It's not he end of the Western Civilization. It is close to the extinction of the republican party.
I can hardly wait!
Every president has thrown at least one ceremonial first pitch since William Howard Taft. Major League Baseball owns both major parties.
I'm a Democrat with a big 'D' and I am an enthusiastic supporter of both Barack and Michelle Obama. However, I believe it was wrong for Michelle to give the award for best picture. The Oscars are about entertainment and should not be about politics. Even though she said nothing political, the fact is that the POTUS and FLOTUS are by definition political creatures. If we had a royal family separate from our political leaders, it might be OK for a prince or princess to participate, but we don't. Bad choice, Michelle.
Does Queen Elizabeth or any of her progeny announce awards at the British national film award show?
Does Queen Elizabeth or any of her progeny announce awards at the British national film award show?
That hussey! She cut down on my time with Jack!
It would be more appropriate if she always wears outfits from Target to be true to her cause on frugality and the poor. Unfortunately she can't help herself and spends enormous sums on the most expensive designer outfits. This sends the wrong message. She represents the needy and the disadvantaged? What a joke.
Or she is simply given them by designers who couldn't get more free publicity if they tried. Nice try, though.
The venom that is often directed toward this President and his family is distressing. It leads me to believe that even though we have elected a black President, a significant portion of the country is still too backward to accept that reality. Whatever you think of the man's policies, he and his family present a positive image to the world and to the young people of this country. I dig the comment that Michelle Obama is the most glamorous First Lady since Jackie Kennedy. But it seems that many folks can't deal with an intelligent, self assured and, yes, beautiful black woman in this role. I think that she is a great role model.
Still Michelle Obama can do nothing right in the opinion of certain people. Joanna, you are wrong to feed into this. Caring about what Glenn Beck or Rush Limbaugh and their hateful hoards will say is only to lower yourself to their primordial level. Michelle's appearance was relatively benign. For the sake of this country and its future--and, believe me, our future depends on this--we must put down all of this petty anger and prejudice and fully welcome African Americans into the American family. If you feel this has already happened, then go to a black neighborhood and talk to some folks. You'll be surprised by what you hear.
Always has to go back to race, doesn't it.
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