April 12, 2009

"After the first lady drew criticism for looking angry..."

"... her high-arched eyebrows were reshaped with a softer arc that gave her a friendlier appearance."

Just one of the details in this story about why Michelle Obama has full-time makeup artist.

(I don't like the term "makeup artist." I'd like something more frank and descriptive. Maybe face wrangler. Something like that.)

70 comments:

rhhardin said...

Beauty is in the eyebrow of the holder.

AllenS said...

Face renovator.

DaLawGiver said...

First Jack Wrangler dies then you talk about face wranglers. Is this some weird subliminal message you are sending out to inflame your army of right wing commenters on Easter morning? A Vortex within the vortex prime erupts on the queen's command.

traditionalguy said...

The next election campaign has started.

AllenS said...

Happy Face Emoter.

Peter V. Bella said...

Face wrangler? Thank you. I thank you, and the dog thanks you. We thank you for making me spew my coffee all over the computer and the dog.

Daryl said...

I remember Gov. Palin took a lot of flak for spending money on a makeup artist during the campaign. It was used as evidence that she's a stupid frivolous bitch who couldn't be taken seriously.

I see Michelle Obama, who has never accomplished anything,* gets a free pass on that.

* aside from passing the bar exam. Aside from that, it's all affirmative action for being a black woman or a politician's wife.

vet66 said...

Almost as vapid as the college thesis she wrote...

Plucking her eyebrows will not make her any less angry. We will see how she interacts with the pooch Beau (Didley)!

Ron said...

Facescaper.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Obama has a Teleprompter and Michele has a typist.

rhhardin said...

Superciliator.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

that's from type - she's not the type?.. never mind.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Obama is change you can believe in.. Michele is the mascara of Zorro.

Stephen said...

We shouldn't mock the make-up. It's conventional wisdom that Nixon lost to JFK because he lacked a face fixer (although only a miracle worker could have softened that scowl or that jowl). It doesn't much matter anyway--four years from now, when we know her much better, Michelle's personality and character will influence our perception of her "beauty" much more than eyebrow liner. In that light :) I consider Laura Bush extraordinarily beautiful.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Obama is the face of change..

Michele is just the long face ;)

Bissage said...

Seriously, you don’t want to draw criticism for looking angry.

Just ask this guy.

He knows.

KCFleming said...

1. So she wasn't angry, she was just drawn that way?

2. Palin + clothes + cosmetics = evil
Michelle + clothes + cosmetics = good.

3. Clearly, cosmetics companies and cosmetologists should be nationalized.

Peter V. Bella said...

If Jeremy were here he would say it is Un-American and un-patriotic to make fun of this First Lady; real Americans do not do that.

How about facial rehabilitation specialist?

I'm Full of Soup said...

Happy Easter gang!

I seem to recall Althouse coined the phrase "blog wrangler" a long time ago.

KCFleming said...

William Blake: "the eye altering, alters all"

Michelle Obama: altering the eye, all is altered


I'll stick with the Brit.

Charlie said...

For the first time in her adult lifetime, Michelle is really proud of her makeup.

sohereiam said...

Daryl --

The story makes clear that the Obamas pay privately for the makeup artist, unlike Governor Palin, whose clothes and makeup were paid for by the RNC.

dbp said...

IIRC Asimov said something along the lines of, Cosmetics make cosmos (order) out of chaos.

Always liked that.

Beth said...

Does GayPatriot actually read this blog?

KCFleming said...

"The Obamas privately paid for the travel expenses of the styling team,"

It might be true.
But they're from Chicago.
Prove it.

dbp said...

"After the first lady drew criticism for looking angry, her high-arched eyebrows were reshaped with a softer arc that gave her a friendlier appearance."

Rather than trying to BE less angry, she has figured out how to keep the anger, but loose the look.

The new Michelle Obama: Now with all the anger, but only half the scowl!

john said...

"The Obamas privately paid for the travel expenses of the styling team,"

Shit, it's a team now, not just an artist? And why full time, why can't the first lady be taught proper makeup techniques?

BTW sohereiam - assuming that none of our tax money goes into it, the RNC funds are also private.

john said...

For Chrissakes, the First Family has only been in the White House for 84 days. Can't you LEAVE HER ALONE?

Ron said...

Sure, I'll leave her alone -- when I don't have to hear about her arms, see her wax figure, hear about the kids school, and their (and Biden's!) choice of dog all over the so-called "news" channels, I'll be happy to leave her alone.

rhhardin said...

@dtp IIRC Asimov said something along the lines of, Cosmetics make cosmos (order) out of chaos.

kosmos = order
kosmein = to arrange
kosmetikos = skilled in adornment

KCFleming said...

Elvis Costello: You're Not Angry

"You're upstairs at the White House
while I'm left here to listen.
I hear you calling Barack,
I hear the stutter of submission.
I could see your eyebrows
made you look too sore.
So you found some makeup artist
who could fix your roar.

You're not angry, you're not angry anymore.
You're not angry, you're not angry anymore.

Ooh, I know what you're doin'.
I know where you've been.
I know where,
but you don't care,
'cause there's no such thing
as a Democrat sin."

Methadras said...

Lem said...

Michele is just the long face ;)


Lem, Sarah Jessica Parker was there first.

John Althouse Cohen said...

I don't like the term "makeup artist."

I don't like this whole focus on whether first ladies are being sufficiently graceful, ladylike, etc. For that matter, I don't like the focus on first ladies in general. It's sexist and outmoded, and especially hypocritical when liberals like the Obamas go along with it.

(When it comes to female politicians, though, I think it's fine to focus on their appearance -- same as with male politicians.)

ricpic said...

She Who Must Be Appeased

Michelle's not angry? Whew. What a relief!
It's almost worth it placating the race-racket thief.

ricpic said...

More pigeon tracks from the inscrutable chink.
Hey Chan, who gives a flick what you think.

Synova said...

I think it said full-time make-up artist when she travels.

I'm surprised this isn't always done. What did other first ladies do? Get someone different each time?

To me this is a big "so what" or even "duh!" something like the super-duper play set installed for the girls. What are they supposed to get? A second rate play set?

(And it's entirely stupid to criticize Palin for hiring a professional to do her hair and face, and stupid to criticize Clinton for having a super amazing lady do her make up for television and debates. Seriously... DUH!)

David said...

Face Wrangler?

How about "Mask Maker."

She ought to get Barack's mask maker. He's got one of the best in American history.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

The story makes clear that the Obamas pay privately for the makeup artist, unlike Governor Palin, whose clothes and makeup were paid for by the RNC.

So what? If the RNC wanted to pay for those things it is within their purview. Palin was running for office and the money voluntarily donated to the RNC was intended to further the Republican Candidates. Why should you care?

Now then, having the extorted taxpayers pay for frivolities like weekly cocktail parties, taking pointlessly large groups of people on overseas junkets and and and ....oh...oops Nevermind.

Michelle is not an attractive woman by many standards, but I don't see anything wrong with trying to do the best with what you have.

David said...

Did Laura Bush have a make up artist?

My guess is no, but it's only a guess.

Does it make any difference?

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

So Jac are you telling us that the Washington Post-ABC News survey showing her favorability ratings at 76 percent are of no political consequence to her husband?

And neither was this appearance I suppose?

IMHO, If she is going to be polled and campaign for her husband then she's fair game.

Synova said...

Palin was criticized for the tanning bed she paid for with her own money.

Don't anyone pretend that's the issue with her being criticized for make-up people or clothes or that there is some Virtue in criticizing her and not criticizing Michelle.

Either is stupid. It's entirely appropriate for these ladies to make sure they look as good as they can.

ricpic said...

The Ultimate Racket

Michelle, Michelle, what a credit to her race.
Top of the heap with a horrible brain and face.

David said...

Ripic, that's just plain ugly on your part. You are just jealous because you know that Michelle would kick your butt.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

It's entirely appropriate for these ladies to make sure they look as good as they can.

That would not be a fair contest Synova.. let me remind you that Palin has been in the trenches.. Yes Palin was in a beauty contest.

As far as I know Michelle is a beauty dodger ;)

David said...

Dust Bunny: "Michelle is not an attractive woman by many standards . . "

She is by mine, and by Barack's, which is the only standard that counts.

Michelle has some attitudes that I don't particularly like, but Jesus (it is Easter, people), why all the ugly criticism? Get a grip.

rhhardin said...

Obama saved from immediate drop into Jimmy Carterdom by the US Navy.

He should take credit for it, and maybe it would begin to change him for the better.

Jason (the commenter) said...

If we keep complaining that her hair isn't big enough can we eventually get her to sport a beehive?

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Hey.. we finally freed that American hostage off the coast of Somalia.

Yey.. One for the good guys.

John Althouse Cohen said...

So Jac are you telling us that the Washington Post-ABC News survey showing her favorability ratings at 76 percent are of no political consequence to her husband?

No, of course I don't believe with that. I don't know how you inferred that from my comment.


IMHO, If she is going to be polled and campaign for her husband then she's fair game.

But I'm not saying she's beyond all criticism -- I criticized her in my comment!

I think it's shameful the way the Obamas have bought into the "first lady" mythos. I'd like to see more people like Howard Dean and his wife, who was basically irrelevant to his campaign because she had her own career and life.

John Althouse Cohen said...

I'd like to see more people like Howard Dean and his wife, who was basically irrelevant to his campaign because she had her own career and life.

Yikes, sorry for the unintentional rhyming verse!

jayne_cobb said...

How much longer are we going to have to put up with the media's attempts to turn the Obamas into the Kennedys?

It's become rather irritating.



Oh, and she still looks angry to me (whether she is is an entirely different question).

The Dude said...

David - how do you type with your head that far up Barry's butt?

That woman is a hideous prognathic gargoyle with an ass that wouldn't fit in a wash tub. But whatever - you loves you some Obamas, so keep ignoring reality.

Beth said...

I'd like to see more people like Howard Dean and his wife

Or the Bidens - say what you will about Joe, his wife was hardly a factor in the campaign, or since.

I wonder how much the role of race has to do with the Obamas' cultivation of the Kennedy-style White House. Do they feel the need to be the model family? I certainly saw many, many idiotic comments on the "angry black woman" motif during the campaign. I wish Michele Obama didn't have to react to that, but maybe she feels she must.

The Dude said...

Yeah, we completely misread Michell when she said she had never been proud of this country. She is not angry. Not one bit.

Chip Ahoy said...

Well! That does it. Do you know what that does? It causes me to look up the word prognathic, that's what.

* looks up prognathic *

Oh, dear.

Penny said...

Unending coverage of this "fluff-n-stuff" is one way to get a huge portion of our new voting public involved in what they believe to be "political dialogue".

Beau said...

Did Laura Bush have a make up artist?

My guess is no, but it's only a guess.


I hope not. Paying for that strained Joker look is adding insult to injury. Laura has nice ordinary features but I could never understand why she choose that particular look the makeup gave her.

Jason (the commenter) said...

I think it's shameful the way the Obamas have bought into the "first lady" mythos.

Yes, she should have stayed at her regular job of being a loophole for otherwise-illegal campaign contributions to her husband.

The Dude said...

Chipper - you made me laugh!

Megaera said...

Chip Ahoy: if you were inclined to check another word, try 'steatopygia'. That's a good one too.

AST said...

Maybe she was right about America being "downright mean."

Christy said...

Laura Bush's so called joker look comes from a face lift. Too bad she kept it so quiet, I'm sure her friends could have directed her to a better surgeon.

Michelle Obama is a lovely woman, but indeed must be a very angry woman. Cannot say that I blame her. Imagine all of her adult life she and her husband has associated with people like Bill Ayers who is walking around scott free while a black man accused of the same crimes would get life in prison.

Anyhow, what was it Lincoln said about our faces after we turn 40?

Jeremy said...

Every time I think the intellectual bottom has been reached here...Ann brings in something like this.

I wonder if Nancy Reagan did her own make-up. Or if Ronnie did his own dye job.

Anybody want to bet?

Jeremy said...

Christy - "Michelle Obama is a lovely woman, but indeed must be a very angry woman."

Yeah, she comes across as being "very angry."

Probably why she lugs around that 70+% approval rating via the American public.

They can sense the anger.

DUH.

Patm said...

I thought Michelle Obama was attractive enough, but honestly, this "full time makeup person" along with her "full time stylist" is a bit much. The press calls the Obamas "American Royalty" and it seems like the Obamas have bought into the hype. He's firing people he has no business firing, after first demonizing the "rich and powerful" then he's having pizza chefs to come cook for him, like he's a king. She's got a fulltime stylist.

And all this while Americans are losing their jobs and trying to keep it together.

But the BUSH's were out of touch. Right.

These two are tone deaf.

Stephen said...

De-Klingon-ator.

Paul said...

"De-Klingon-ator"

Bingo!!

LegalTender said...

Nice job by the MSM

NOW we learn that the Obamas while living in Chicago (and for years before running for prez) had both a professional makeup artist and a personal chef.

Oh yes, they're just like us! I'm sure ever other mid-level hospital bureaucrat has a personal chef and a TV station makeup artist, too.

Maybe they wouldn't have had to beg a felon (Rezko) for a handout to buy a mansion if they had a better handle on their day to day living expenses. Or maybe just buy what you can afford. They certainly economized over the years
by not donating to charity.

Now, at least, Obama's budget proposals make sense!

Swen said...

If this person can make Michelle look less angry I'd say "miracle worker" was the correct term..

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