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• Tuesday, August 26, 2008 12:28 PM

  What sad and reductive notions

  In the article and in the comments. First Traister, then AKA in the comments reducing jumping on Michelle Obama for being a well rounded person and not a simply a corporate bot. It is funny (not haha funny) and sad to me that so many reduce feminism to having a corporate or political career or at the very least competing n the same ground men have traditionally dominated. Just seems like a sad and morally bankrupt diminishment of people and a coup for the corporate mindset to increase productivity and profit not the elevation of the human or raising consciousness in any way. It is all very sad, very shallow and ironically all to the benefit of perpetuating oppression and creating new sorts.

  There are other currents in feminism of course, where people are equal and should be treated with equal respect and dignity- it is not about the pursuit of money and power- at least not solely, of course those avenues should be open but those are not the only measures of success. I think it is wonderful that Barack Obama defines himself in terms of being a loving husband and father as well as an accomplished politician.

  Simply on the facts it is also misleading on the author’s part to imply that Michelle Obama went to work for a law firm until she landed her man and earned her MRS as she put it. How demeaning to the career and work of Michelle Obama can you be? First off, she went on to work at Public Allies and, until recently for the University of Chicago. (I guess she deserves criticism for getting off of the money making merry go-round to do some good?) Second, back in the day ragging on someone’s personal and professional choices was just judgmental nagging, now it is elevated to feminism! We’ve come a long way indeed….

  And then we get to the part of the comments where the presumption that the Obama’s must be beneficiaries of affirmative action – and so it goes not worthy of the opportunities afforded them- simply because the are black and successful…

  So many double binds- it gets confusing!!! If we’re not ready for the Obama’s it is our lack and our own fault.

  At any rate, Michelle Obama did a wonderful job in her speech last night. I hope we are generally better than our worst blowhards and trolls.

  —CeliaInSF Read CeliaInSF's other letters
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