Jackson Free Press

Yes, I made that word up. Anyway, according to the Huffington Post, a "Hardball with Chris Matthews" ad about an upcoming segment on Michelle Obama's political image makeover was pulled because of the background artwork. In the background, you can see "female silhouetted dancers", three silhouettes of women in different poses. The first two silhouettes were sexy poses of women wearing miniskirts, and the third looked like a woman wearing a long gown that was form-fitting at the hips and flared out at the bottom. MSNBC pulled the ad and redid it without the silhouettes.

Go here, look at the video clip, and tell me if you think the ad was inappropriate. I just thought the ad was shallow and didn't make sense. This was supposed to be about an image makeover, not a physical one. This isn't about a new hairstyle and Botox. The silhouettes and the subject matter just didn't match. Their play on words went awry.

I took a peek at the comments under the post, and the comment by seriesoftubescleaner probably sums up what some black women would think of this ad:

This brings to mind a 2005 Washington Post column ironically by MSNBC contributor Eugene Robinson discussing Condoleeza Rice (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A6388-2005Feb7.html). In the column Robinson explores the predominant stereotypes of black women in America: "Angry Black Woman", "Jezebel", "Earth Mother of Us All", and "Black American Princess." We already seen Mrs. Obama tagged with the first and last. Now here comes the "Jezebel" imagery. And hopefully after 8 years of raising two young children in the public eye of the White House, maybe she"ll hit for the cycle.

Would you consider the ad another form of propaganda portraying black women as an oversexed, subhuman species, or are people overreacting?

Previous Comments

ID

131220

Comment

Actually I saw beauty in all 3 looks or poses. I've seen black women in all three types of clothing who didn't look like hoochies to me. In fact, I've never bought into the art of calling black women hoochies or ghetto-queens or the other things anyway just for how they dress or act. Black folks have been almost as guilty as white folks for dirtying up the less fortunate black females. I can't count the number of times I've heard professional or blessed black women badmouthing a poor black girl that hasn't learned how to present herself beyond the manner of the image of the ghetto. I happen to know there is nothing to the claims of black women being over-sexed, subhuman, et al, and unlike white women. I've been around and interacted with thousands of white women and I know for a fact they're no better, purer, sweeter, calmer, smarter, et al, than any black women. The world might stereotype them as better or they may think they're better but there is no truth to such assertions. I don't let white folks tell me who or what the black woman is or who or what black folks are. But for those unlike me, who places unnecessary limitations on black women and cares what white folks think of them, I guess it's offensive to them. However, I do care about fairness and equality and object every single time a black person, especially the black women, is portrayed unfairly or lied on. Michelle would be beautiful, competent, smart and marvelous in my eyesight as portrayed in either of the silhouettes. I tend to look outward and inward but allow the inward to dictate to me who a person is. Michelle is fine and smart. Barack knows it, and so do I. This is why he's smiling half the time. He is smiling the other times because he's doing what so many said can't be done by a black person.

Author

Walt

Date

2008-06-27T08:28:34-06:00

ID

131222

Comment

Nicely put, Walt. I'm impressed with Michelle myself, who is frequently compared to Jackie O. From a female perspective, I do like how she dresses, especially the sleeveless outfits. They're elegant and not too revealing. I loved that purple dress she wore the night of the "fist bump."

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2008-06-27T10:32:20-06:00

ID

131223

Comment

LW, Richard Dickie Scruggs got 5 years. Please start a blog for this. I'm writing the judge to ask that Paul Minor, Richard Scruggs and Bernie Ebbers be placed together so they can form a trio and sang, The Way We Were."

Author

Walt

Date

2008-06-27T11:08:03-06:00

ID

131226

Comment

I'm sorry this is off topic, but to see judge Neal Biggers get jiggy with lawyer Richard Scruggs, go tho the Biloxi Sun Herald and read the whole sentencing transcript. All that money didn't matter today because judge Biggers was gansta rapping today in his rulings.

Author

Walt

Date

2008-06-27T15:53:42-06:00

ID

131232

Comment

The construction of this ad is indicative of rapid fire graphics designed to offer impressions and give particular dynamic to whatever explicit message is being passed along. It is no secret that the human brain is effected subconsciously by imagery. Associations can be created. The images MSNBC chose to use of the silhouettes in "sexy" poses does not seem in line with the traditional reverence that we hold for Woman especially as that ideal of American woman is manifest in our First Lady. Regardless of what rationale one can attach to the images to excuse there use, the bottom line is that they do not represent the precedent set for respect and reverence for potential First Lady's. Not only do that not represent this traditional image, they offer up some clip art that is probably titled sexygirlminiskirt3.jpg. i will not argue that this was an intentional attempt to create a maligning association. i will however suggest that MSNBC should have staff with the commonsense to consider the associations they are creating with the graphics they employ.

Author

daniel johnson

Date

2008-06-27T22:26:06-06:00

ID

131234

Comment

Being that it was MSNBC, I find it hard to believe any negative thought was in mind when the graphic was concepted, but maybe a producer should have caught it. Maybe this is a tempest in a teapot.

Author

bill_jackson

Date

2008-06-27T22:45:23-06:00

ID

131236

Comment

Walt, go here to discuss the Scruggs case.

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2008-06-28T06:20:44-06:00

ID

131238

Comment

daniel and Rex, I also believe that whoever chose the graphic did not intentionally mean to do harm, but there are some very impressionable adults out there who tend to not think things through before drawing conclusions. I mean, there are still people who think Obama is a Muslim despite the Rev. Wright controversy. They'd rather believe unsubstantiated emails than the obvious.

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2008-06-28T06:28:37-06:00

ID

131267

Comment

Mrs. Obama is an accomplished mother, attorney and wife. She's intelligent. The graphics were cheesy and you're right, "hoochified." This race is about anything but the issues - give me a break. I'm not seeing this type of reporting about Cindy McCain. Did Hillary come under this type of scrutiny when Bill was running - I don't think so.

Author

lanier77

Date

2008-06-30T11:01:44-06:00

ID

131269

Comment

Surely those who would "hoochify" Michelle Obama would not want the media to delve into Cindy McCain's past addiction to opiate painkillers(up to 20 pills a day in the late 80's, according to her profile in Wikipedia)and her subsequent theft of such drugs from the non-profit she started. I admire anybody who overcomes drug addiction of any sort, but I'm just sayin...

Author

Kacy

Date

2008-06-30T13:34:07-06:00

ID

131272

Comment

I'll bet my last dollar those aren't the only drugs she used, but are the only ones she had to disclose because too many of the wrong people knew of it and she would be outed. And if she was an addict and trying to hide it, I further would bet those aren't the only things she stole even if he had money to spend.

Author

Walt

Date

2008-06-30T13:47:51-06:00

ID

131281

Comment

i can buy that an MSNBC employee may have used these graphics without ill intent - BUT (a big but) there is really no excuse for a professional graphic artist or media editor to use sexy pose silhouettes when discussing the potential First Lady. It's a rookie mistake if a mistake at all. Despite the fact that my next statement will make some of you groan - This would not have happened if she had been white. We must ask ourselves (and MSNBC could use a little soul-searching) why this was so casually used and what it says about endemic racism in our society. Rock on Michelle!

Author

daniel johnson

Date

2008-06-30T18:55:13-06:00