Why is the new first family so darn tacky?

reply to post by jtma508


Wanna bet? Look how bad poor Chelsie got it. I thought she was a cutie if awkward, but a beautiful smart successful woman now. Women get it bad in politics and the children are not an exception.
Notice how few female statues there are around DC? If any?



I am around a lot of black people and they always look sharp and trendy. And they change their look, even if it is just their hair, quite frequently. Then I show up everyday in my pony tail, lol. Makes me reconsider what I am doing.

So I wouldn't be surprised if you see their styles change quite frequently.

Ridiculous thread but it brought to mind an interesting question.

Is America not ready for the first family to know what it means to buy clothes from a regular retailer? To have a bad hair day? To not be amazed by a supermarket scanner? To let their kids be kids?

If the Obamas appear to live like normal people, I think that is a good thing.

Please people Please. No need to worry any longer about the new first family being tacky. So, the girls wear Garanimals. Big Deal.

Now that the election is over, Oprah is in full gushing mode. Oprah will soon unleash her hoards of servants upon the White House and a new first family will be born again all awash in Oprah's favorite things. It should be an amazing transformation.

reply to post by HypnoAsp


I don't care much about fashion... mine are some of the plainest clothes sold...

...however...

...Vanity Fair also disagrees with OP...

Vanity Fair - The International Best-Dressed List

If you step back for a moment , the discussion is quite interesting as to what is transpiring in the country.

America is facing it's second Great Depression, and it will be painful because of our attitude that image is more important than integrity, lack of savings, and I might add, worship of celebrity and conspicuous consumption.

Perhaps instead of needing a makeover, we need a spiritual renewal. And maybe that is what people were voting for -- an end to a period of moral decline where it is actually considered valuable and contributing to criticize the first family for not having a greater display of wealth.

Are you kidding me? In this economy? In a political environment polarizing the elite versus main street? Who could possibly think that is something desirable?

I think their conservative clothing rightfully reflects the attitude we need to foster in the US. We need a first family that represents the middle class, not one that represents some dream we hope to one day aspire to achieve.

The election of Obama will likely be seen as the end of a culture obsessed with gaudy displays of wealth. . . the Era of Bling. Thank God.

Botox, Bentleys, designer handbags and $600 shoes are over.

We are through with television shows devoted to people like Paris Hilton who have done nothing other than being a socialite and partying, celebrities showing off their mansions, cootchies and ostentatious display of wealth, and an across the board shallowness where virtue is equated with thin, white and rich.

In the past decade, it hasn't mattered how kind you are, how smart or how capable; it's been about how you look, what you wear, which car you drive and how much wealth you display (whether really your's or not). Frankly, I'm sick of it.

We're hitting hard times and we're going to have to adopt a posture of frugality and humility.

I think the first family is leading by example and I applaud them for it.

reply to post by MaxiMillion


Well said. I hate that kind of thing - it reminds me of one thing and one thing only - the media. I feel so sorry for celebraties - when i was a child, a thought crossed my mind, as it does - imagining yourself as a celebrity when you grow up. I made a descision which stuck there and then, i descided although the lime light seemed very glamourous, the fact i would not be able to go on holiday without paprazzi, or have lies told about me or my style critised, would be to much and would feel like a jail sentence for life. It didn't appeal after i thought that, i was about 7, quite odd i suppose looking back now for someone so young - i always felt like i did know better, ha,ha.

If the OP had made an observance and it looked as if they were being conditioned or told what to wear, then that is something else altogether.


[edit on 10-11-2008 by MCoG1980]

Huh.
I've never paid attention to fashion. Never have, never will. I prefer to get my clothes from he thrift store, it's cheaper that way.
To me, the presidents clothes, as long as they're fairly respectable, are not important. Neither are those of his family, so long as they are not rags.
Of all the things to have a problem with... it's their clothes?
You think they are not dressing the part... that's... pretty funny really. Not fulfilling the typeset...

reply to post by HypnoAsp


I believe I saw a picture posted with holes in the soles of Obama's shoes.
And - there was that odd choice of a red and black dress that the Mrs. wore.
Frankly - these are two of the things I like about them so far.

Originally posted by HypnoAsp
Hmm... I really do not know how to put this without seeming prejudice or superficial. Let me first state that I did not vote for Obama, however I am routing for him. My decision had nothing to do with his race. Now that he has won I am very proud to be an American at this moment in time.

He seems like a very smart man. Now, why in the world is his family so tacky? I chuckled when he suddenly began turning grey and his children went from cornrows to straightened hair.Image is obviously on his mind. I personally feel let the children have cornrows it doesn't bother me. They should send the message that they are proud black Americans.

I began to notice his wife's lack of taste and style with a little help from my girlfriend. Now it is all I notice. Shes puts her children in horrible dresses that look like they were purchased from Walmart and the old lady at the door smacked some bows on them on their way out. Why the hell did she not look put together during his victory speech? She looked like a crack whore in a thrift store frock or worse, hired help. If you are dumbfounded by concerns just compare her to Mccain's wife. Any questions?

The media has termed them the new Camelot. Uh, on what planet? The greatest success of our fabled Camelot was the illusion of taste, style and culture. An image Jackie worked hard to portray on the world stage. The family's candid shots are even worse. Jackie always made sure even the candid shots (they were always staged) looked pristine. When the cameras left the children could get into their real less attractive apparel.

This is bothering me more every day and I am a male!!! The world is watching, chop chop ! How embarrassing for our country and how embarrassing for black America. Did she not realize her husband just might be elected and that those pictures are going to be held on record long after they are dead? He is the first black president for gods sake. Don't the tasteless hire stylists or something? What's next pink flamingos and tire planters on the White house lawn? Even I have to look put together when I go to work and "play" the part. I am going to be really upset when other countries start coining phrases like "The ghetto house".

Concerned,

~Hyp

Is this really an important issue of the world? But since it matters, and I don't really think it does, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Trust me, I've worked in the fashion industry for over 12 years.

John McCain would have won the election had he only worn a suit that fit him!

Where is "Queer Eye for the Black Guy" when we need them?

This is NOT a one line post.

Different people, different taste, I think Michelle is a gorgeous woman, more natural than Palin

I like that the Obama family doesn't seem shallow and materialistic. It sounds to me that some one doesn't like that the price of Palins wardrobe had gotten out to the public.

As long as he doen't wear his Muslim garb I'm pretty OK with whatever ;-)

Oh, and for the record, he's not muslim. And I'm a meat popsickle.

Go NWO, I'm tired of carrying worthless currency in my pockets.

Let me begin by saying that I understand how important aesthetics are to some people, and that I respect those people and their opinions.

That said, I've never understood why that is the case. Aesthetics don't matter to me in the least. I don't care how someone dresses, whether they are color coordinated, "stylish," or "classy" looking. In my mind, making judgments about someone's choice of clothing is just as saddening as making judgments about the color of their skin.

What if that's how someone wants to dress? What if they like it? What if it's comfortable? What if, for them, it is fashionable? Aesthetics seem totally arbitrary to me from one person to the next (just like taste in anything else, be it art, weather, certain sounds, certain shades of color, etc.) Just because something is subjectively "tacky" in one person's eyes, or even the eyes of a huge majority, doesn't mean it's objectively so. In fact, unless fashion Gods really exist, I don't see how truly objective fashionable-ness (is that a word?) could ever even be definitively discerned.

For these reasons and many others I've always simply opted out of the whole concept of fashion and aesthetics. Fat or thin, designer or rags, color coordinated or random; I just don't care. As I said, I know many people do, and I do respect those individuals' views. Expecting everyone, even a president and their family, to conform to them however, is a stretch in my personal opinion.

I say all of this despite the fact that I did not vote for Obama.

Originally posted by dodgygeeza
Personally, the first ladies fashion sense is at the very bottom of my list of concerns...........

It escapes me how anyone could get hung up on something so trivial.

Not that I give two craps about how the first family looks but your comment made me laugh...

I would imagine there are about 1,000,000 single geeks in the US who think the same way.. "appearance is trivial" and they will always be.. single. (not assuming you are here.. it was just funny to me)

Just a thought.

edited for attrocious spelling...

[edit on 11-11-2008 by gormly]

I can't believe we are still in a society where how your hair, makeup and clothe's is important to ones status in life.

As with everything some people will agree with you and others will not this is the way life is, for myself I believe they are a fine family just the way they are. No one should dress to impress others you should only do it for yourself if you choose to do so, from Presidency down to street people.

The only merit this thread has is the ability to reveal which members are shallow and petty and which are not.

If ever a thread was ripe to be moved to BTS, this is it.