Feminist Rant #286

Guest blogger Krista is a brilliant, gorgeous, incredibly accomplished and talented woman. And I just don't say that because she's my sister. Krista will join the roster of sometimes-bloggers here at Everyday Rebellion when she's not being Mom of the Year to her two beautiful daughters, wiping dirt off her husband's sneakers (long story), or kicking ass at her job for the State of Pennsylvania.
~Sharon

Feminist Rant #286

Every time I read an article about Michelle Obama, (such as this recent tidbit I found on the Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/19/michelle-obama-discusses-_0_n_177116.html) it focuses mainly on what she's wearing.

Despite the fact that I am a fashion whore and she happens to have a pretty snazzy sense of fashion, this annoys me, for obvious reasons. It is not 1960 anymore, and the measure of a prominent woman should not be her dress label. Nor should the idea of a successful woman be limited to actresses and entertainers, as has become the norm.

Now, I know the article was featured in the website's Style section, but that just goes further to prove my point. ALL the articles I've read aboout Mrs. Obama to date have been Style pieces. Nary a mention of the fact that the woman graduated cum laude from Princeton, is a Harvard Law grad, worked for the mayor of Chicago and was an assistant dean as well as a vice president at the University of Chicago. No, all we are supposed to celebrate about her is that she can pick out a great Narcisco Rodriguez dress to wear to some shindig her husband is throwing. And, when she throws her own shindig that purportedly introduces teenage girls to "talented, accomplished women" that are supposed to be "example(s) of the types of success they, too can achieve" they meet Alicia Keys and Phylicia Rashad.

Really? If I'm super smart and do well in school I can fuck P. Diddy and be on Broadway (ed.--and appear in Weight Watchers commercials like Ms. Rashad)? I really don't think a great singing voice is something you learn at Harvard Law, Mrs. First Lady. Can we please see some real examples of what intellegence and dedication can get for a young woman? And please don't tell me it's a nice pair of Christian Louboutins.

~Krista