by Mark Silva
There comes a time when all the fashion and popular magazines' obsessions with the arms of the first lady become, well, secondary to the White House's own portrayal of the sleeveless new occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Michelle Obama, who has graced the cover of first Vogue magazine, in a photo shoot by Annie Liebovitz, and now People magazine, sans sleeves, clearly is proud of the workout her arms have gotten.
But when the White House itself produces an official photograph of the first lady sleeveless (pictured here at the right) it's clear that it is not merely the photo editors at Vogue and People who think the president's wife has something going on with her arms.
This is a White House, of course, that wants to keep arm's length from lobbyists who might carry the persuasions of their former, or future, employers into the administration.
But this also is a White House in which President Barack Obama has appeared in his own shirtsleeves, sans suit coat, to the chagrin of the former Bush administration, which, of course, had its shirtsleeve moments as well.
This also is a White House that hoped to set a new "tone'' in Washington.
It starts at home, with the toning of the limbs, perhaps.
Nothing wrong there.
The popular magazines will produce only the photos for which their models are willing to pose, remember.
Consent granted.
And the White House has complete control over the photos of the first family that it releases.
Executive consent.
And what does this all mean?
Well, nothing.
Except...
Thank God it's Friday.









Comments
Big Deal. Shrub Jr and Darth Cheney wore a suit and tie every single day while they were busy screwing over the country every which way but sideways, torturing, comitting war crimes and shredding the constitution.
Posted by: Hulk Smash! | February 27, 2009 8:07 PM
Michelle-cover up those arms. They are not attractive. No matter how much you work out, they will never look good.
Posted by: jack | February 27, 2009 8:26 PM
Michelle-cover up those arms. They are not attractive. No matter how much you work out, they will never look good.
Posted by: jack | February 27, 2009 8:26 PM
I beg to disagree.
Posted by: DaveB | February 27, 2009 9:43 PM
Michelle-cover up those arms. They are not attractive. No matter how much you work out, they will never look good.
Posted by: jack | February 27, 2009 8:26 PM
Putz! Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?
Posted by: bill r. | February 27, 2009 9:58 PM
Our First Lady is delightful and her arms are lovely. Gee, an articulate, humorous, intelligent woman in the White House, and she actually is proud of keeping herself 'in shape' and people complain?
Posted by: kclaf | February 27, 2009 10:01 PM
"Michelle-cover up those arms. They are not attractive. No matter how much you work out, they will never look good."
It's usually those shaped like the Pillsbury Doughboy who go around envying the taut physique of others.
Posted by: Diane | February 27, 2009 11:06 PM
Beth, changing your name to Jack is the oldest trick on this site. How about you keep using your same name and I get to keep calling you a catty b!tch.
Michelle looks hot for a first lady. I'm sure her arms look much better than yours. Surely they look better than your hero wench Laura's. Or what about that hottie Barbara. Now there's a dish. Oh, but you would not think of criticizing her right? You women are nuts.
Posted by: Xcellentform | February 27, 2009 11:28 PM
I am so damn fed up, sick to death of the wonderful Michelle and her wonderful arms. The official portrait is one "sleeveless" photo too many. It does not speak to her health and vitality, it speaks to her outsize ego, it speaks to her sense of "look at me, look at me, look at me."
Posted by: Lizzie | February 27, 2009 11:55 PM
Stone cold gorgeous and brilliant as well.
Wow, smart, good looking people in the White House that aren't reformed drug addict serial killers.
How refreshing!
Posted by: Bubba ✔ | February 28, 2009 12:26 AM
Michelle-cover up those arms. They are not attractive. No matter how much you work out, they will never look good.
Posted by: jack | February 27, 2009 8:26 PM
Jealous are ya Jack? You'd rather look at Mommy Bush's flabby arm pits wouldnt you?!
Posted by: Scot S. Blakeley | February 28, 2009 12:35 AM
The First Lady looks absolutely gorgeous!!! No wonder all of the Republican critics are jealous!
Posted by: T. Muse | February 28, 2009 12:38 AM
I wish I looked that bad! I don't get it! Why all the hate of sleeveless dresses?
Posted by: lochnessmonster | February 28, 2009 6:52 AM
Mrs. Obama is young and refreshing, enthusiastic, visible, and caring. I applaud someone who shows her arms - she is young and in good shape and why not flaunt it.
Posted by: Patricia Hamman | February 28, 2009 7:30 AM
The recent photos are beautiful. I love the dresses and I wish I had Michelle Obama's arms! When I was her age, I started having hot flashes. Sleeveless became mandatory. I have no idea whether that could be happening to her. Regardless, no one can pull off sleeveless as well as she can. I am proud of the First Family more for their substance than their beauty. But beauty they have.
Posted by: Pamom | February 28, 2009 7:42 AM
She's gorgeous! I dont see the problem with her dress, it looks beautiful on her.
Posted by: Angel | February 28, 2009 9:18 AM
The black rival to Jackie Kennedy.
Posted by: Georgio | February 28, 2009 9:22 AM
I think that Michelle and Barack are trying to be who they are. Michelle likes wearing sleeveless dress and so she does... It's really not that deep. I think that anytime you take a picture that will be cemented in history, you want to look like yourself and I believe that's why she chooses sleeveless things, because that is what she loves.
Posted by: Poppy | February 28, 2009 12:33 PM
Anyone who complains about Michelle Obama's arms is blind,clueless and has no life. Get a hobby!
Posted by: goldenchic | February 28, 2009 2:30 PM
Aren't the First Lady's detracters sounding an awful lot like diehard conservatives? I think she looks fresh and absolutely lovely. I would so hate to see her dumbed-down into a staid old lady like what we've had to look at over the past few years.
Posted by: purplehawk | February 28, 2009 6:25 PM
Hey excellentform! -- This is a Beth -- not sure if it's the one you're referring to, but I'm quite critical of Obama so it could be me. This is my first visit all weekend -- had stuff to do.
But may I say -- I"m pretty sick of Michelle Obama and her arms. I agree with whoever posted above that she never met a mirror she didn't like.
what an egotist. And she's lovely -- make no mistake about that -- but she has an ego as big as the US of A.
Posted by: Beth | February 28, 2009 8:55 PM
I think everybody should get a life and leave these people alone. There are more pressing matters to worry about. Why should you care what she's wearing or not. Her and her husband are being themselves. Let's see how they do with all the promises they make, then you could say something.
Posted by: jeanell | March 1, 2009 12:17 AM
Michelle has beautiful chocolate brown, toned arms. If she is comfortable in sleeveless tops then what is the problem? Unlike most people, at least she looks confident and comfortable wearing.
Posted by: Helen | March 1, 2009 1:56 AM
All I know is, those are some long arms! Bet she can wack Barack along side of the head and be halfway across the room.
Posted by: vla | March 1, 2009 11:48 AM
She does what makes her happy ,that is what really counts .
Do what your heart tells you ,then all will fall in line
Posted by: Preetha George | March 1, 2009 12:08 PM
She does what makes her happy ,that is what really counts .
Do what your heart tells you ,then all will fall in line
Posted by: Preetha George | March 1, 2009 12:09 PM
Michelle looks great in anything she wears. When Jackie O wore sleevlees gowns no one complained.
As for Republicans complaining about Obama wearing shirtsleeves in the White House - get over it. I don't care if he wears a jogging suit and a t-shirt. We finally have a President who can speak English and put sentences together in the proper form. Our president will not bend to the lobbyists. He will regulate the financial industry and not sit back while it collaspes around him. He will not look like a dufus who wears a flight suit on an aircraft carrier. He will not ignore his generals who told him there weren't enough troops to secure Iraq after the war. Obama wouldn't mumble to a world leader with a mouth full of bread. Bush may had worn a suit, but he was disgrace and embarrasment to our country. I jdon't want a GQ model with no brains in the White House. I want a man who's going to roll up his sleeves and work on getting this country back on track. For God's sake, with the mess inherited from Bush, stop thinking about style and think about substance. If that had occurred in the last eight years we our country wouldn't be in this dire situation.
Posted by: Randy Jansen | March 1, 2009 2:41 PM
With the recent departure of The Creature, the White House has finally become something other than a relentless source of horror.
The president, Michelle and their girls are just wonderful, and sleeveless dresses do seem a definite improvement over war crimes and sanctimony.
Posted by: William H. White | March 2, 2009 3:13 PM
If all the politicians and bankers had been forced to go sleeveless we would not be in this mess.
Posted by: jim | March 3, 2009 1:06 PM
Please get a life, Michelle has one. By now you should know she does not care if you like what she wears. She wears her clothes well so look for something else to focus on. Try focusing on what you can do to help get America out of the crisis and you will have your hands full with no time to focus on what our 1st Lady is wearing or not wearing.
Posted by: S Ammons | March 5, 2009 9:01 AM
She looks extremely good in those arms.Go on first lady be yourself .People like changing peoples identities and when you listen to them tomoro they will think they know better than you know yourself now that they can tell you what to do.You ve got what it takes to be a first lady.
Posted by: Phathiswa | March 16, 2009 10:39 AM
Michelle Obama has wonderful arms. She is a truly beautiful women.
Anyone who is critical of her, is so for ethnic reasons.
Posted by: Jude | March 21, 2009 8:42 AM
Michelle is a beautiful, personable, intelligent and very articulate First Lady.
She looks great and her arms are fabulous- She sets an example
for all women to love and appreciate their bodies.
Posted by: Maria | April 5, 2009 6:03 PM
Michelle Obama is perhaps practicing her right to the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution; the right to bear arms, and doing it with STYLE!!!
Posted by: Donald Hendrix | April 11, 2009 9:14 AM