Do you remember that article by Mary C. Curtis in the Washington Post last month? The one called The Loud Silence of Feminists? I didn’t address it at the time because I was busy with other subjects, and because it seemed plainly obvious to me where feminists (translation from Curtis-speak: white women) were when Michelle Obama was being attacked: they were hiding out on the same frickin’ closet a lot of black women spent all of January, February, March, April, and May in. Duh, idiot. Yeah, I’m a bit ticked off, so forgive if I let my rational tone go for a minute and rant on what has now become a meme, which is the same g-damned meme they used in the early 70s to diffuse the bomb of feminist advance: the race card meme.
It’s true, feminism began to crumble about the time that white and black men began to say that feminism was a white woman’s movement, that it made a mockery of traditional Civil Rights movements, because women, especially white women, were the ultimate beneficiaries of white privilege. Remember Stokely Carmichael? Yeah, he will be forever remembered in the history books as a Civil Rights leader, but what he SHOULD be remembered for is this little comment:
The only position for women in the movement is prone.
And a dozen more just like it. Because it doesn’t matter what your color is, if you are male, you are in some way uncomfortable with the empowerment of women. I see it in my own husband, a man miles ahead of the male pack in terms in values and behaviors, but who still nonetheless completely misunderstands feminism as a movement that at least includes the desire to belittle and degrade him, or anyone with a penis.
The most insulting thing about this whole new meme regarding Michelle Obama (and if you have any doubt that it’s a growing meme, just Google the following: feminists “Michelle Obama”) is that it was started, and continues to be perpetuated by black women. Yeah, you recall the Loud Silence of Black Women as Hillary Clinton was raked over the coals, not just this primary season, but for 16 long years? Yet women like Mary Curtis, or Kathy G. of G-Spot, or Tammy at Racialicious can now ask, without any sort of self-reflection, or acknowledgment of reality, where are all the feminists when it comes to Michelle Obama? This is arguing implicitly that feminism is racist, and it’s also utter bullshit.
Let me tell you something: When Michelle Obama gave that interview on Good Morning America in February, she burned her feminist credentials before the eyes of the entire nation. When she suggested she’d have to “think about” supporting Hillary Clinton if she won the primary, she officially resigned from the feminist camp, and officially signed on to the anti-feminist boys club. And she has continued to signal her acceptance of, nay, her embrace of, such politics throughout the campaign season. Nowhere is this more evident than in her response to Laura Bush.
In an appearance on The View, Michelle Obama discussed a letter she received from Laura Bush. In addition to her mewling, over-the-top praise of the current do-nothing First Lady, she also got another passive aggressive dig in at Hillary:
“But I was touched by it,” Michelle Obama said. “And that’s what I like about Laura Bush. You know, just calm, rational approach to these issues. And you know, I’m taking some cues. I mean, there’s a balance. There’s a reason why people like her. It’s because she doesn’t, sort of, you know, fuel the fire.”
If you can’t see the passive aggressive attack on Hillary in that comment, you aren’t paying attention, or you’re so sold on the boys club, you never will see it because of your willful ignorance. What she’s saying here is that she’s gonna be a First Lady like Laura Bush, not that odious Hillary Clinton, with all her gall to think she could actually make an impact with her celebrity. Michelle Obama knows her place, and it’s teaching children to read instead of providing them with health care, because reading doesn’t offend a multi-billion dollar industry that is providing her with income, and which has for years financially supported her husband’s political rise.
Do you see now? Feminists—real feminists, not those upper middle class ladies more consumed by white guilt (or black cultural paranoia, as the case may be) than they are their own disadvantaged plight—do not support or defend Michelle Obama because Michelle Obama is no friend of feminism. And she has done a lot this year alone to set back that cause. She is part of the backlash now, and feminists don’t have to support people who put them down and keep them down. Her silence and the silence of millions of black women throughout the winter and spring was, unsurprisingly, met with a similar silence. So don’t go placing the blame elsewhere—take a good long look in that mirror you’re holding, Mary Curtis.
July 17, 2008 at 1:21 pm
I agree with this so much.
I got the faux-rage petition circulated about Michelle Obama saying that we should all denounce Fox because they were so mean to Michelle.
Just a few short months ago, I would have signed it without a second thought. Now, Michelle gets jack shit from me, and so does Moveon.org.
As Sinead O’Connor sang, “My womb is not a football for you.”
Get over it, Michelle.
July 17, 2008 at 3:37 pm
Cogent, as usual.
I am reminded of her comment about how running one’s own house is directly related to running the White House, and by implication that Bill’s cheating means Hillary is unfit for the office.
Obama supporters claim that this interpretation disregards context, however, when one goes through the transcript of the speech, one realizes that the context they claim is not provided until after the slag. Because Michelle is an educated wordsmith with a background in law, she is well aware that she is using a rhetorical device that provides her with a protective shield of post hoc context so that she can freely disparage and demean Hillary.
July 17, 2008 at 3:54 pm
Ditto the two comments above. Suddenly I am getting emails from NOW railing against the sexism directed at MO. Where the hell were they the rest of this campaign season? It’s very hard for me to take them seriously, ya know?
July 17, 2008 at 4:50 pm
Here’s the link to the video of Michelle Obama campaigning in Chicago in a “Women for Obama” event (Ah the irony of it…) This is where she said that that Hillary is no role model and that if she can’t run her own house, she can’t run the White House. So Hillary should have stayed home and baked cookies instead of daring to run against her precious Barack. You tell me if MO deserves the support of feminists.
July 17, 2008 at 5:17 pm
Thanks, madamab. That means a lot coming from you.
Oh yeah, I know, BL. Totally. That’s part of what set me off on this tangent today. The other part is that I’ve had time to think about it and distill it down so that I can address it reasonably rationally. When I first read that article, my thoughts were nowhere near ready for blogging. I was just too angry.
Good point on Housegate, Steven and Masha. I had completely forgotten that incident. There were a number of similar incidents between Obama, Michelle, and the campaign surrogates. It’s hard to keep them all straight. Somebody should build a database for it. Heh.
July 17, 2008 at 9:57 pm
ITA — Michelle can’t claim cover from feminists after she gleefully joined the savagery against them.
I don’t want feminism to be associate with, or anywhere near Michelle Obama. The campaign’s obsession with ‘ism’-baiting only hurts those who suffer real harms from sexism, ageism and racism.
Let the Obamas both learn what ‘the deafening silence’ really sounds like, and apologize for their loudest of silences. Then we’ll talk.
July 17, 2008 at 11:13 pm
Thank you for saying it so well for all of us women!
July 18, 2008 at 2:05 am
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July 18, 2008 at 10:28 am
You address really troublesome issues with more clarity and honesty than anyone I have read. And even admit when your response is more emotional than thought out.
“Feminists—real feminists, not those upper middle class ladies more consumed by white guilt (or black cultural paranoia, as the case may be) than they are their own disadvantaged plight—do not support or defend Michelle Obama because Michelle Obama is no friend of feminism.” Annabelleep- see above
While I agree with this statement, I recognize I do so because I support working class women’s rights, labor unions, and like organizations-largely because I am working class woman with a PhD, and have yet to unravel issues of the kind you write about. Is it because I apply inappropriate theories? Or because I have biases from my background that shade any theory I choose to apply? What is a “real feminist”? One for whom economics/class structure is more applicable than gender issues?
Thank you for your willingness to step into muddied waters and you attempt to separate out the mud. I have a sense of coming home when I read your commentaries.
July 18, 2008 at 11:00 am
NOW actually did speak out against the misogyny directed at Hillary, but they (along with Robin Morgan and Gloria Steinem) seemed to be the lone big name feminists saying anything- of course the mainstream media just pretended like nothing was being said, while the Obamabot bloggers (including whiny twenty-something so called feminists, who were just so “offended” by the feminist realities that Morgan and Steinem laid out.)
As for African American women, they weren’t absent either, they just were ignored in the mainstream media and the blogger boyz tried to pretend they weren’t there either on the blogosphere- I know of at least two African American women bloggers off the top of my head, who were speaking out- Sugar on her blog with Spice and wlotus on her live journal blog. At work two of my coworkers who are African American women over 40 disliked Obama and backed Hillary. As for public figures Jacqueline Lavinia Brown (Jesse Jackson Sr.’s wife) did a radio ad for Hillary in South Carolina (Jesse Sr.’s youngest son Yusef Dubois Jackson also backed Hillary. Jesse Sr. passively endorsed Obama, but was the only Obama backer I know of who spoke out in disgust against the dirty politics- the race baiting- used by Obama campaign in South Carolina. He stated he knew Bill and Hillary weren’t racists and decried the race baiting as “gotcha politics”. Why Jesse Jr. turned out to be such a creep I don’t know. I think Jesse Sr.’s anger at Obama “the cut his nuts off” comment was real. Jesse Sr. was also the only public figure who also defended Geraldine Ferraro, he stated he knew she wasn’t a racist either. I think Jesse Sr. is actually seething with rage against Obama for his arrogance and tactics. Jesse Sr. did not run his campaign in 1988 that way. He united all disadvantaged peoples together- including GLBT people- the first major candidate who did that- he won 13 states in the 1988 primary. The Obama campaign acted like it was a gross insult to be compared with Jesse Sr. I say the insult is saying Obama comes anywhere near Jesse Sr. in stature. I still feel proud of my vote in 1988. I voted on my principles, and the candidate who backed those principles was Jesse Sr.
July 18, 2008 at 11:25 am
A teacher–I am humbled, really. Thank you for your compliment, and for your well thought out questions. I know I have similar biases as a result of my experiences as well. More on that later.
Ciardha, I agree with and thank you for your points. I did try to subdivide the rhetoric by using terms like “some” or “a lot” of black women, but I take your meaning. More on that later too.
That said, I’m so satisfied with this post and the reaction to it, that I’m leaving it up another day. I’m also quite busy, of course, still moving, and have an interview this afternoon. Wish me luck. See y’all soon!
July 18, 2008 at 11:35 am
I look forward to you next post and good luck with your interview.
August 1, 2008 at 1:35 pm
hmm.. thank you very much. usefull information