Self Expression Magazine

Things That Make Me Shake My Head: The Fuss Over the First Lady’s Face

By Urbanbushwoman @urbanbushwoman9
It's a funeral people. She's entitled to look a little sad.

It’s a funeral people. She’s entitled to look a little sad.

I’m annoyed about the buzz today. Some photographer took some pics of President Obama and the ever-so-wonderful First Lady Michelle at Nelson Mandela’s funeral yesterday. Mrs. Obama looks very serious while her husband is chatting it up with a White female sitting next to him. Well this just smells like disaster. Social Media has blown this picture waaaaaay outta proportion. Many people have painted Mrs. Obama as everything from pissed to having the ‘Bitch stay away from my man’ attitude over this one shot.  Can you say much ado about nothing?

I feel right sorry for people in the public eye. That includes celebrities as well as politicians. They can never have a moment. Anytime they appear to be annoyed, or worried, or flustered someone is right there with a camera slanting their expression to be something negative.  We have no idea what FLOTUS had on her mind at the time of this shot. And we may never know. Furthermore, who cares???? Do you really think Barack Obama would be dumb enough to “flirt” with a woman in front of his wife? He didn’t get to be the leader of the free world by making bonehead decisions like that. Also, people seem to have glossed over one very crucial point in their quest to make mountains out of mold hills: IT’S A FUNERAL!!!! One of the greatest leaders of all time has just passed away leaving an entire country in mourning.  It’s quite possible that Mrs. Obama was just in reflection. This is just preposterous.

And let me just add this one thing (I know this is long for a ‘Things that make me’ post). It seems to me that this kind of frivolous fuss adds to the angry Black woman stereotype that I cannot stand. A Black female can be in public with a serious look and she is accused of being angry or having an attitude problem. A White female can be standing in public with the same expression on her face and she’s deep in thought or very focused.  I refuse to support negative spins on these kinds of nuances. I wish the world would let this mind-reading thing go and move on. But, alas, we won’t. For as long as it creates some kind tongue-wagging, gossip that racks up the ‘Likes’ in the social media world, we will continue to be bombarded with these messages of stupidity. And I will continue to shake my head.

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