LA Times: Parody of Michelle Obama as Marie Antoinette is Objectively, Factually Racist

Right in the headline:

Let them explain:

The caricature of Obama as a profligate queen relies on the racist stereotype of an "uppity Negro," which emerged among slave masters in an earlier American era. Obama, born into a working-class Chicago family whose roots are traced to the pre-Civil War South, graduated from Princeton University and Harvard Law School, prior to holding several high-level positions in the academic and private sectors.

The racist image appeared Tuesday on the right-wing blog Gateway Pundit; the slur was later called out by Media Matters for America. A post by Gateway blogger Jim Hoft paired the picture with a clip of the first lady's guest appearance on a forthcoming episode of "iCarly," a Nickelodeon sit-com. In the script, Obama commends the cast for their support of military families. Responding to a cast member who mistakenly addresses her as "your excellency," the script has Obama jokingly reply, "I kinda like it."

You know what other stereotype it relies upon? The actual historical memory of Marie Antoinette (whether or not that's fair) as a profligate queen who thought rules were for the little people, and who lived in high style while saying (I know she didn't say this) "Let them eat cake."

But oh, right, no it can't be what it's obviously about. It's got to be about that slave thing. Because.

What?

Unless there are some racial caricatures in that facial rendering which I'm unable to detect due to the low resolution of this photo, there is absolutely nothing "racist" here at all.

Oh, and her buff guns? Yeah I had to read 300 media puff-pieces about how terrific her biceps were, as if men around the world are saying, "What I want is a gal with pythons that could strangle an ox."

That's your baby, Media.

The left is simply now saying "racist" equals "mean."

Yes, it is mean. Mean is not racist. Idiots.

posted by Ace at 06:49 PM

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