Last week Salon published a commentary on future First Lady Michelle Obama titled 'First Lady Got Back', in which contributor Erin Aubry Kaplan makes a series of contentious assertions, from the topical (claiming that Obama's victory entailed a personal exoneration of America's racial history) to the outright bizarre (that right-wing attacks launched against Michelle Obama prevented the public from looking at her ass).If you can work your way through the article, you may be able to decipher what I can only hope to be Kaplan's actual message: that Michelle was the answer to the notion that Obama was muting aspects of his ethnicity to appeal to white voters. Or something. At best, the logic there is confounding. At worst, it undermines the achievements of like, three different civil rights movements (and I haven't made that assertion about anyone or anything since the last season of Flavor of Love).The article has come under such public criticism that Kaplan was forced to release an official statement, the beginning of which is no less boggling than the rest of the Salon piece."When all is said and done—and written—I really want just want to be popular in high school. I want to be liked, and better than that, understood." She goes on to make some coherent arguments in her defense. That the psychological impact of having a black president needs to be addressed in light of a campaign which went to great lengths to downplay race. That acknowledging ethnic physical characteristics is an important step towards developing a healthy cultural identity. She's also written extensively about asses before. Hmm.I suppose I shouldn't judge what in particular resonates between a public figure and her audience. But something about this rang of 'getting-to-the-punchline-first' rather than cultural re-affirmation.Can't we get back to sexualizing this dude? Please?ARIANNA REICHE
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