Progress is Still Relative, and Terribly Unflattering to Boot.

A "Fashion Face-Off"?  A "Syle Summit"?  Someone please just stab me with a Manolo Blahnik stiletto.

News organizations are breathlessly reporting on the earth-trembling meeting between Michelle Obama and Carla Bruni, the wife of the French president.  The broadcast chatter and the online  headlines are hovering over the shallow end of the pond during the Obama's "European tour," focusing on an imagined bloody and dramatic "fashion duel" between the designer label-wielding ladies, and contrasting Bruni's former "playgirl" ways to Michelle Obama's grounded nature, which are apparently somehow clearly evidenced by their respective ensembles.  I cannot recall the last time a male who is notable on the world's political stage, was labeled predominately for his past dating history during legitimate news coverage of a weighty global event (that is typically left to the tabloids, if it is discussed at all; it certainly never creeps into the narrative of global summits and policy discourse), much less his outfit.  

Yet when it comes to the coverage of high-profile women, the focus on appearance and personal reputation clearly has not ended with Hillary Clinton's pantsuits and prowess.  The American media stubbornly insists on reducing prominent, intellectual and socially effective women to walking garments (or occasionally a hobbling hairstyle).  Our media's notion of "progress" needs the services of a reliable tailor who will craft the news with a more snug fit to the important figure cut by the world's notable women, a cognitive-bias-cut if you will.  Certainly there is nothing wrong with being stylish or looking one's best, the question is why is this headline-newsworthy as it pertains to women in the political spotlight, whatever their role may be?

[Look for a commentary on themes from the Gospel of Mary which should be brought forward and discussed in light of this story later.]

Also today the front page of The Huffington Post gasps that "Oscar de la Renta Slams Michelle Obama's Buckingham Palace Outfit."  Arianna Huffington is a woman with a powerful voice in the American and international media who impressed me with her oratorical command and quick wit at last Tuesday's CNN Speaker Series moderated by Anderson Cooper at Radio City Music Hall.  And although it is understandable that she has an elite readership to whom she must cater in support of her media platform (who may hold de la Renta's discerning eye in high regard) I cringe at her choice to allow a fashionista to weigh in on the value of  Michelle Obama's presence and her impact on this important moment in history.  Does anyone else detect the chilly presence of an apparition of the proverbial older white male (read: oppression via trivialization) being resurrected by a liberal female?   As long as irony is taking a catwalk to a whole new level on this occasion, I may as well join in: it's a good thing flats are back in style, because credibility is teetering on its 4-inch heels today.

Earlier today, a female CNN reporter lamented, "I can't believe I'm doing this" as she answered Wolf Blitzer's questions about the significance of color-coordinating for Mrs. Obama with Mr. Obama.  And right now, another cable news reporter is describing a desperation-tinted run on J. Crew's pieces that are fashioned after the First Lady's style.  Another CNN reporter called the greeting between the two women the "kiss heard 'round the world," but not because it was an interesting occasion to mark a meeting of minds, or even a parley of personalities; sadly, it had more to do with the shades of lipstick.  

Photo: dreamstime.com