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This is so disrespectful and plays into the stereotypes white people have about black women (I am a black woman, by the way). The white media already talk disrespectfully about the black body, why does this black woman feel the need to pile on? When black people, like this author, start talking about Mrs. Obama's "booty" white people see it as an invitation to follow suit. Black people already have to get into beefs with white people who hear rappers say "nigga" and think they are not using a slur because rappers have make the spurious distinction between "nigger" and "nigga." I cannot wait to hear Rush Limbaugh's spin on this. Mrs. Obama is a mother and a wife so it is inappropriate to objectify her sexually because that is not how she presents herself. She is not Lil' Kim, Beyonce, Cassie, or Ciara. She wants to be the "Mom in Chief" not the "hoochie in chief." How dare the author reduce her to her "booty?" What's next? Will we hear about how Obama must be some black buck who will shake the walls of the east wing when he taps and slaps Michelle's "booty?"
I wish black people wouldn't descend to this level. It is bad enough that the media portray us as people whose only contribution to society is what we can do with our bodies. I never bought into the prevailing wisdom that Obama's triumph would erase all of the stereotypes about black people. It is pathetic that my cynicism has been vindicated so quickly.
The editors of Salon are racist for publishing this. I hope they have the decency to pull it right away. I cannot imagine Salon publishing a piece on Laura Bush's "rack" or George Bush's "package." I urge Joan Walsh to remove this immediately.
