Ms. Kaplan feels better about her own body because, finally, someone who looks like her will be residing in the White House.

I'd like someone who looks like me to be actually running the White House, not just living there. Now that we've elected a president of a minority race, perhaps sometime we could elect a president of the majority gender. I don't care what color she is, either -- any will do. I'm not picky.

I think the kids will be fine. As the children of brilliant parents, well cared for, they should have no problem processing this when the finally have to study the history of their parentage...And I will go on record as saying that I think that the obsessions with Jackie's figure, clothing and actions while a political figure were incredibly damaging to feminism as a movement while she herself was not.

Jackie O obsessions were damaging, possibly. Ridiculous, definitely. I just think public obsession about female body parts in general has a negative impact on young girls.

The author didn't have to imply that someone with a naturally small body type was responsible for a "treacherous path" in American femininity. She also didn't have to bring the other two in, since they have nothing to do with a Jackie O comparison. I mean come on, they don't represent the average woman's build no matter what your race.

You can't do anything about your body type except care for it to the best of your ability. Cindy McCain and Sarah Palin have plenty of other negative attributes, but don't deserve to be complimented or insulted on features beyond their control.

I don't know fromPhilly...

She appears into her photos to be quite the happy gal. Which was evident in her article as well.

How exactly do you think Joan has let her down? By allowing her a forum for her feminism? Her blackness? Her JOY?

How exactly is she let down when she is allowed to celebrate her gender, her feminism and her body-type?

Just sayin' ... seemed a bit misogynistic to me.

"...from what is known about the Obamas, what do you think their reaction to this would be?"

From what Ive seen, theyve been amazingly good sports, considering over the last several weeks the POTUS-elect has been accused of "palling around with terrorists", being a marxist/communist, and has had many blood-chilling epithets made in his regard.

Perhaps that is the point- in the same way that "Palin fatigue" has set in for the vast majority of Americans, maybe the Obamas would like to take a week or two off from being the country's ciphers. Is there nothing so miniscule about them that it doesnt warrant scrutiny?

"...as Rob Halford would say, I'm offended by your offendability."

I happen to like that line a lot, and find it endlessly applicable when confronting the puritanical zealotry of the far right; it is perhaps less applicable towards a group of people who would just as soon leave some aspects of the Obamas' life free of hyper-analysis, and I would humbly submit that the characteristics of Michelle's posterior fall within those parameters.

Step 1: Ask yourself, "Am I an American black woman?" If the answer is yes, write and post. If the answer is no, proceed to step 2.

Step 2: Ask yourself, "Do I have any deep, close, personal friendships with American black women?" If the answer is yes, write and post. If the answer is no, proceed to step 3.

Step 3: Ask yourself, "Have I made a deep effort to understand, through a combination of long talks with members of that demographic, research, reading, and a lil' bit of good old fashioned imagination, the social and personal undercurrents that contribute to the collective psyche of the American black female experience?" If the answer is yes, write (carefully!) and post. If the answer is no, proceed to step 4.

Step 4: STFU.

This is the top story?

Really?

And people give you money to read this website?

(Yes, I realize I am giving them money indirectly by viewing pages with ads on them. But still.)

THANK YOU.

Next time I roast a pig in a hole in the ground, I'm dedicating it to you! (and that should be just around x-mas time)

I agree with the other posters who have appreciated that this piece is not about Michelle Obama, but about one woman's experience with issues of race and body-image.

Yes, it's rendered in a superficially frivolous way, but please, I'd urge everyone to read the piece again a bit more empathetically.

One reason race is so difficult to discuss is because it seems as if, however it's discussed hits nerves. Whether it's solemn or frivolous, matter-of-fact or ironic.

I don't disagree that on one level there's a disturbing breach of decorum going on. Yes, there's something offensive about this piece.

But that's not the sum total of what's going on here. I both cringed *and* felt warmth and a sense of catharsis.

Please, people, give the piece another chance; it's not so shallow as it appears once you get past the sensational "Michelle Obama's butt!" angle, which sensationalism may or may not be intrinsically necessary to the author's purposes.

I'm ambivalent about this piece, but it upsets me that so many are outright contemptuous. I don't believe contempt does justice to what the author is trying to express.

In the immortal words of Rebecca Traister, "But with progress comes inevitable regress, and in our stouthearted dash to fit this family into a comfortably familiar tableau, we have fallen back into other, far too familiar, cultural traps: you know, like forgetting everything we've learned in recent decades about female achievement and identity."

I'm actually stunned to the point of drooling over the devolution of Salon. Camille Paglia! Lolcats! The First Lady's Butt! All in one week!

Wow.

Here I was, all excited about the next First Lady's intellectual and professional achievements. Moments ago, I was looking at the "Ebony" cover entitled, "America's Next First Couple" with tears in my eyes... sentimental and patriotic tears provoked by the knowledge of how much pain and struggle led up to that headline.

And then I clicked over to Salon, where Page One is a learned discussion of the First Lady's butt.

OK. So body image is important. I get that. Didn't Oprah and Queen Latifah sort of... handle that?

I've been a Salon subscriber from Day One too. And I'm not about to cancel my subscription. This is like watching a train wreck. I should turn away...but I can't. Call me a rubbernecker but I want to know what's next.

So far, it's looking like it's rolling downhill to a cheesy "reality"show. "America's Top Salon Reader!"

What's next? A Page One Tuna Casserole recipe?