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Well, as you all must know by now, Michelle Obama is at the heart of a media storm. That warm, friendly, hugging woman has really gone and done it this time, by touching Queen Elizabeth. I am so not kidding. There are photos and media clips (see here and here) to confirm the touch.
The way the story goes, shortly after meeting for the first time, the Queen placed her hand on the small of Michelle Obama’s back. Michelle Obama reciprocated, wrapping her long, covered arm around the queen’s shoulders. By various estimates, the exchange of touchings played out over less than 10 seconds.
Some folks are in high dudgeon about this appalling breach of protocol on Michelle’s part. Others are simply gobsmacked that the Queen, who never touches anyone (which might explain a great deal about Prince Charles), made what seemed to be a spontaneous gesture of affection. Spontaneity in and of itself is simply not the done thing amongst the royals, with the possible exception of Prince Harry, whose spontaneity trends toward the randy.
This is not a small issue, this touching thing. And as I carefully reviewed the photos, I noticed (as likely you will as well) that the small of Michelle Obama’s back apparently extends down a fair distance. Yes. You read it here first. There is photographic evidence that Queen Elizabeth was patting the First Lady’s tush. If ever there was a breach of protocol, surely that was it.
Nevertheless, I am prepared to cut the Queen some slack, which likely will be a great relief to her. Here’s why.
Elizabeth and Phillip are little people. Miniatures, almost. Their petite size stands in great contrast to the tall, strong, athletic builds of the Obamas. So I believe it is possible that, with her gaze focused forward and feeling blind, the tiny queen reached out for whatever she could grab, which happened to be Michelle Obama’s butt. And that’s okay. I think that’s what Michelle was signaling to her majesty when she reciprocated, going high to avoid making a similar gaffe.
Royals do not touch. Anyone. Ever. (The matter of royal births is a great conundrum. I choose not to go there.) Even at home in Buckingham Palace, it appears that the Queen wears gloves and carries her purse at all times. I expect that she has gloves, hats and purses that match her jammies. And that’s okay, too. It’s about tradition, you see.
I would love to believe that Elizabeth and Phillip had a good chuckle over their postprandial brandies last night about all the fuss. I rather doubt that happened, however. I do not see much evidence of humor amongst the royals.
And what about Michelle and Barack Obama, on the heels of this international incident? I imagine there was a great deal of eye-rolling during the kicking off of shoes. And further, I envision Barack promising Michelle, “I’ve got your back, Babe.” Fist bump.
(cross-posted at the Clothesline blog.)
20 Comments
What I really want to see is Angela Merkel sneaking up behind Barack Obama and giving him a surprise neckrub.
Been watching Angela around the periphery. I think she’s getting ready to make her move.
There is a very fascinating photo on this general topic which I wish I had saved. It is riveting.
The shot is from behind a row of beauty contestants who seem to be mounted like trophies on a flatbed trailor or a float. Two are radiating to the foreground, very friendly as they pretend to be (”Oh, I really hope you kick my keester in the finals!”) but one has her arm draped under that of the other and her hand is falling low so that she seems to be actually grasping the flanks of her rival.I look to see signs she is consciously kneading her friend. Now is this just a coincicence, this hand at tush? Or is it a very subtle means of disconcerting another contestant in the ongoing head games that never stop, at least by report.
Loved the picture anyway.
Well, you know that thing about in the eye of the behindholder….
Yeah, but what about in the separate minds of each contestant?
The spontaneous moment and still photo capture a very darling thing. the Queen went first, and Michelle is obviously a person with excellent interpersonal skills. It was a genuine moment. Plus the Queen asked for the iPod and the Obamas gave her one. They seem to like each other. If the Queen is going to “reward” anything, it’s going to be excellent manners and respect.
Things went according to Hoyle for the actual posing for official photographs. No touching there.
Michelle is appropriate in every way.
Others are just being jealous and, well, touchy!
I agree with you, of course. It’s incredible to me that folks got so exercised about this very tender moment. Sheesh!
I would rather see a picture of our First Lady hugging the mother of hungry children outside their ‘home’ in Tent City, America.
So would I. Because that’s the kind of thing that really matters. Not this manufactured, superficial, FAUX News crud. Ah, jeez. I didn’t even look there. Dare I? Oh, ick.
We really haven’t had time to evaluate the true person inside either Michelle or Barack Obama. I hope that we have reason to become ever more proud of them.
In my lifetime I’ve seen the first ladies Eleanor Roosevelt, Bess Truman, Mamie Eisenhower, Jackie Kennedy, Lady Bird Johnson, Pat Nixon, Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush, Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush, and now Michelle Obama.
Excluding Michelle O and Hillary, IMO the only True Woman in the lot was Eleanor Roosevelt. The rest were just robot Stepford wives; all made of ticky-tacky and all look just the same…
It took centuries for the peasants to overcome feudalism; I’m against it in any form – be it Brit or American elitism.
Oh, honey, we are old as dirt, aren’t we?!
I have a feeling about Michelle Obama. Make of that what you will. But she seems to be . . . real. Not manufactured. Not cloned. Real. And as such, a role model for people who give rat’s arse. Likely that excludes most (though not all) Republics. And they’re gonna hate her for being likeable. She’s got a thousand miles of unwarranted criticism to travel.
The last time we saw a presidential couple in love? Lord help me for saying this, but it was Ronnie and Nancy. Different, though, because Nancy was blindly loyal to the public image of RR. I think Michelle Obama is going to be one of Barack’s greatest assets with respect to keeping him grounded and tuned in.
There are pictures all over the internets of Michelle Obama hugging people at soup kitchens and homeless shelters. She is famous for giving hugs. To anyone. At anytime. At any place.
Remember – all the Obamas spent the day serving meals at a soup kitchen for Christmas. Michelle handed out plenty of hugs there.
If she gets to a tent city I have no doubt there will be hugs all around there as well. And given her apparent nature – I will not be surprised to see her there in the not-too-far-distant future.
Yes, there are. And don’t you get the feeling that this transcends mere photo-oppery? The dreaded community organizing requires (hear this, Republics) being out in the community in a real way for more than 30 seconds. Honestly, I see this as one of the biggest differences between Dems and Reps. The theoretical-tops down-out of touch vs. hands-on, hearts-in activism. Activism, as in actually DOING something. Hmmmmph.
but no mention of this, I mean it was only Auschwitz
My sentiments are along the lines of acquarius74 @7 and cbl2 @8.
Like the diary. Thanks.
Barbara, what a cool diary! You funny.
Just when my faith in Mr.Obama is severely shaken, his Better Half steps in with a morale builder.
As republicans (with emphatic small “r”), all Americans should INSIST on our representatives ignoring aristocratic protocols. To a real American, princes are just regular folk like everyone else.
The self-proclaimed aristos have their problems. They are obsolete, and all that quaint pride in their inbred lineages has got them nothing but the usual spoiled brat behavior, a tendency to hemophilia, and those grotesque ears all the Brit royals all seem to have.
Given all that, poor Mrs. Windsor (good republicans don’t recognize “queen” as a title, of course) looked like she needed a hug. Mrs. O applied it.
This is the right way for an American to behave. Leave the “protocol” and the rest of the smarmy fawning to the neo-monarchist Reagan/Bush-era Conservative thugs.
This is very poignant. Given differences of age and style and suffocating protocol, I wonder if Mrs. Windsor might not envy Michelle Obama’s ease and grace and freedom to be who she is. Thanks for pointing me there.
Driving home from the tall timber was soiled by Rush Limbaugh mocking this moment. Mr. Sunshine insisted on listening to see how he reacted to Jon Stewart’s easypass smackdown last night. Not a word we heard.
The Obamas are both the best of what America can be. The one-ton sandbagger is the dregs. A truly pitiful human being, and I’ll bet he envies the Obama’s “ease and grace and freedom to be who” they are.
I hope so, Prairie. But I’m not sure the Whooshing Rush is capable of getting past party and skin tone to see the truth here. Reckon he’s not much in the habit of envying anything because he is Alpha Male Dude on Ego-boosters. Or Viagra. Whatever.