Who, Exactly, Is Outraged At Michelle Obama's Shorts?

Michelle Obama wore shorts to visit the Grand Canyon. Have you heard? Everyone is up in arms—if by "everyone" you mean no one, or rather a large, shadow-y group of no ones. 

According to the Today show, "some" are calling her fashion choice inappropriate—but the article quotes only those who support the look or, in the case of Washington Post fashion writer Robin Gihven, those who are "ambivalent" about bare legs for an August hiking trip in Arizona.

The Examiner declares Obama beautiful, then bemoans the fact that "some members of the media and the public" are upset. Who are those members of the media and the public? We don't know—the article then goes on to endorse Obama and rebuke the nameless attackers. Even in the comments, readers overwhelmingly approved of Obama's choices, save for the few spare trolls that will always criticize a photographed celeb (the shorts are unflattering, etc). My experience from reading the NEWSWEEK comments shows that if there's something negative to be said about the administration, an anonymous reader will usually say it, often in several consecutive posts. If the comments are mostly positive, then there probably isn't much of a controversy.

The Huffington Post says Obama "may" take flak for baring her "gorgeous gams" (after all, we were up in arms about her sleeveless dresses),  then polls the readers as to whether shorts are an appropriate look. More than 80 percent of the respondents were OK with shorts, though a third of them took issue with the length.

The L.A. Times blog says "some people are actually outraged" ... and links to the Examiner post as proof.

 I searched The National Review and Googled "Michelle Obama Shorts." I've polled co-workers. No one knows, or has read, or can think of any concrete proof that Americans are upset by Obama in shorts. Still, "Michelle Obama shorts" is a leading topic on Google, and there are dozens of other examples of blogs and news organizations citing "some critics" who are upset with the sartorial decision.

It's entirely possible that  "some in the media" were a little shocked to see Obama wearing shorts and wanted to report on it. August is a slow news month, and covering people who are actually shocked and outraged about health care can only fill so many minutes in the Twitterfied news cycle.

But why hide behind an anonymous attacker? Why not just come out and say, "Michelle Obama wore shorts, which most first ladies haven't done before," (Is this even true? Five dollars says there's a photo of Eleanor Roosevelt in short pants somewhere in the national archive).

Because if there's not controversy, it's just the American public gawking at a woman's form. This is something that happens all the time, but needs to be cloaked in social relevance when the woman is not a traditional target for public consumption. Models, actresses, even athletes can be the subject of objectification, but to ogle the first lady on national TV requires a bit of news-related window dressing.

By reporting on "some critics," journalists allow themselves to be the heroes. They're coming to Obama's rescue by defending her right to wear whatever she pleases—a right that was never questioned in the first place, and a right that almost everyone in America is OK with. In the process, they are able to yet again comment on her body, making her legs, her hips, her thighs, and her belly just as much a part of public discourse as her husband's health-care fight.

Never mind the fact that all this talk about people supporting Obama's shorts makes it seem like society gets a say in how one woman chooses to dress. The decisions women make about their clothing and bodies isn't something for which we need "approval" and support"—and yet we're conducting polls to reassure one another that we're ok with a grown woman exposing her legs.

Michelle Obama does not need to be rescued. She does not need you commenting on the finer points of her body. And she most definitely does not need our permission to wear shorts. 

Learn more about Michelle Obama's history—not her hamstrings—by visiting our Life of Michelle Obama photo gallery.