Althouse: "[O]nly the color of [Michelle Obama's] dress paid direct homage to China..."

January 20, 2011

"[O]nly the color of [Michelle Obama's] dress paid direct homage to China..."

"... red symbolizes good luck and happiness."

And Communism.

29 comments:

Kirby Olson said...: She should have bound her feet for good measure.; 1/20/11, 11:00 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: Should have worn green.; 1/20/11, 11:02 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: Ha ha. Or white. Okay, not really; that wouldn't be very diplomatic. Unless the message was that she was dressing for our funeral.; 1/20/11, 11:04 PM
chickelit said...: For the first time in my adult life I am really not proud of a First Lady's dress color choice.; 1/20/11, 11:13 PM
Just me said...: Ah! So, that's what the blue state/red state thing means. Damn red communists.; 1/20/11, 11:22 PM
Irene said...: Many persons who share a WWII history of the sort my parents experienced will not shop at one department store because it's symbol is a *red star*.; 1/20/11, 11:25 PM
Irene said...: its.

F-ing auto-correct.; 1/20/11, 11:27 PM
victoria said...: I thought it was fabulous!!! If anyone thinks it was more than that is an idiot and just looking to hate.
Do people hate on Tiger when he wears red on the Sunday during a tournament for good luck. Sometimes a duck is just a duck, anymore than that is just stupid

Vicki; 1/20/11, 11:31 PM
NotWhoIUsedtoBe said...: Big Trouble in Little China.; 1/20/11, 11:32 PM
Irene said...: In China, a duck is never just a duck.; 1/20/11, 11:35 PM
Ann Althouse said...: I thought it was a very nice dress, btw.; 1/20/11, 11:40 PM
chickelit said...: I thought it was fabulous!!! If anyone thinks it was more than that is an idiot and just looking to hate.

As if it wasn't a deliberate, thought-through choice of color.

BTW, their term is officially half over now isn't it?; 1/20/11, 11:45 PM
David said...: Red is a great color for Mrs. O. She looks good in it. I give her credit for that.

I also give her credit for persuading the President not to wear that red tuxedo.; 1/21/11, 12:00 AM
vanillabeans said...: I have a friend from China. He said the color red has meant good luck in China long before communism. He also said perhaps this is one of the contributing reasons communism became so popular there. I think it was fine for her to wear red. Personally, I think she looks wonderful in red. I'm very jealous of women who can wear red without looking like a tomato, as I often do!; 1/21/11, 12:03 AM
Fred4Pres said...: Red is not a problem for the Obamas.

Other than Republican election red.; 1/21/11, 12:30 AM
Chip Ahoy said...: Beautiful dress. The first choice of fabric was deemed to be in poor taste for a state dinner.; 1/21/11, 12:35 AM
Mark said...: It's not the dress, it's the occasion.

Britain's Prime Minister can't get an Oval Office photo op. (Does get a cheesy DVD collection that won't play on European DVD players.)

Meanwhile, Hu gets a state dinner.

Craven is the least of it.; 1/21/11, 12:48 AM
bgates said...: I agree with Victoria. Quit hating, you stupid idiot teabagging Nazis!; 1/21/11, 2:15 AM
Unknown said...: Since Hu is what little Barry wants to be if he ever grows up, it's understandable he wants to ape him in all things.

Ann Althouse said...

I thought it was a very nice dress, btw.

On someone your size, perhaps; I thought it made her look like a moose (not being nasty, but it made her look like a linebacker next to Hu). And the bright red was the final straw.

Irene said...

Many persons who share a WWII history of the sort my parents experienced will not shop at one department store because it's symbol is a *red star*.

Same one shared by many Filipinos and Chinese, as well as a fair number of Americans?

tinydancer said...

I have a friend from China. He said the color red has meant good luck in China long before communism. He also said perhaps this is one of the contributing reasons communism became so popular there.

Hmmm. I've read orange is the good luck color there and white is terribly bad luck - corpses are dressed in white.

Since I doubt Communism is all that "popular" there (power comes out of the barrel of a gun, after all), I'm wondering if someone is just trying to put a good face on a bad idea.; 1/21/11, 5:49 AM
Clyde said...: Historically, places that have endured communist rule have had neither good luck nor happiness.

Just count the bodies if you don't believe me.; 1/21/11, 6:32 AM
Shanna said...: Did you see the HillBuzz guys compare her dress/hair to Ursula the sea witch? Heh.; 1/21/11, 7:00 AM
MadisonMan said...: will not shop at one department store because it's symbol is a *red star*.

I won't shop there 'cause it's not Marshall Fields.; 1/21/11, 8:00 AM
Peter Hoh said...: Edutcher, Chinese culture has a thing for red. It really does predate the communist revolution.

The non-communist country of Taiwan features a lot of red on its flag, for instance.

And how exactly do you connect Irene's story with the experience of Filipinos during WWII?; 1/21/11, 9:12 AM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: Michelle actually looks very nice in this dress. (for a change) It fits her very well and she looks classy.

Red is a good color for her (She is a winter in color pallate dressing terms).

For once I agree with Victoria from Pasadena. It is just a nice dress.; 1/21/11, 9:56 AM
Unknown said...: peter hoh said...

Edutcher, Chinese culture has a thing for red. It really does predate the communist revolution.

The non-communist country of Taiwan features a lot of red on its flag, for instance.

And how exactly do you connect Irene's story with the experience of Filipinos during WWII?

As I said, orange is supposed to be a good luck color - Chinese babies were (maybe still are) washed in orange juice. As for red, the current PRC flag apes the Soviet flag; the Nationalist/Kuomintang flag of Taiwan is also reminiscent of the US flag, which has a lot of red in it.

Red is, after all, the color of Communism

If Irene meant the red star on every Japanese soldier's cap and helmet cover, it relates directly to the Filipinos, who lost a million people during WWII.; 1/21/11, 10:19 AM
Peter Hoh said...: I was not aware that Japanese soldiers wore red stars on their caps.

I'm pretty sure that Irene was referring to Soviet troops in her comment.; 1/21/11, 12:17 PM
michaele said...: It was refreshing to see the First Lady wearing something that looked stylish and made to fit her instead of those goofy skimpy sweater things.; 1/21/11, 5:46 PM
MayBee said...: There is a lot of pr out there right now about Michelle's dress. CNN has been talking about how beautiful she looked for 2 days.

Look out. The reelection campaign has started. Here comes Michelle the fashionista and Sasha and Malia, the adorable moppets.

(red is the color of fortune in China. It is also the color of communism At a political dinner, the red was a mistake. What next? Islamic green when an Islamic country's leader gets his big night? She is the *American* first lady. Why do Westerners always think they need to make a fashion "nod" to another country's cultural dress? It's a little patronizing); 1/21/11, 7:45 PM
Unknown said...: Say, aren't there RED stripes on the American flag?; 1/24/11, 8:14 AM