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News, Reviews & Commentary on Lesbian and Bisexual women in Entertainment and the Media

Michelle Obama celebrates the right to bare arms

Gay women know good arms. In fact, they’re kind of like our cleavage. We love them uninhibitedly and stare at them unabashedly. At times, they are even capable of temporarily turning off large portions of our cerebral cortex. So as a professional arms assessor, I feel that no matter your party affiliation or political views we can all agree on this particular point: Michelle Obama has hot arms.

There, I’ve said it. The first lady of the United States has rocking, stupendous, enviable, drool-inducing arms. The unveiling of her official White House portrait last week (seen above) was the final, unequivocal proof of her arms supremacy. They are fantastic and that she bares them with such frequency is even more fantastic. How frequently?

At the inaugural ball? Bare arms.

At her husband’s first address of a joint session of Congress? Bare arms.

At the first formal White House dinner? Bare arms.

At the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song celebration for Stevie Wonder? Bare arms.

On the covers of Vogue, People and Newsweek? Bare arms, bare arms, bare arms.

Since the inauguration, she has gone sleeveless with such regularity that I’ve had to check my calendar. Yep, still winter. Heavens, if this is what February brings then I can’t wait until August. Bare arms are fast on their way to becoming Michelle Obama’s trademark. You know, sort of like Nancy Reagan’s red dresses and Barbara Bush’s pearls, but so much hotter.

The press has made much of Obama’s arms. The New York Times called them “rippled and gleaming” while The Washington Post deemed them “post-Title IX arms.” The Irish Times, meanwhile, suggested that her arms spoke volumes, saying: “I’m too serious a woman to show off my legs or my breasts. My arms show that my focus is on achievement and self-control.”

The first lady’s call to arms has the rest of the world taking note of what queer women have known for ages. Strong arms are sexy. Still unconvinced? Hello, Jennifer Beals, Rose Rollins and Dara Torres.

Now, all this heavy breathing over Obama’s arms is in no way meant to merely objectify the first lady or trivialize her many accomplishments. Nor do I consider the noting of appearance to be a requisite or even necessarily appropriate when discussing women. But Obama’s bare arms bear notice for their exemplariness and singularity among the pantheon of past American first ladies.

Plus, admit it, if you had those arms you’d never wear sleeves either.

eboshi12's picture

?

The only thing we've heard in the news about this woman in the last month and half is how she looks and how she's dressed. Maybe she'll do something soon to give the media something to talk about other then what's in her closet.
awesome_possum's picture

Agree 100%

Yes, I understand she's a beauty, but I can't believe that this is the only thing we hear of her! Hopefully this will change in the near future, because she is an amazing woman.
jumper23's picture

i'm thinking the same thing.

i'm thinking the same thing. i'm damn sick of hearing about it.
FrozenGrape's picture

Good to know...

"Gay women know good arms. In fact, they’re kind of like our cleavage. We love them uninhibitedly and stare at them unabashedly. At times, they are even capable of temporarily turning off large portions of our cerebral cortex."

And I seriously thought that I was a little weird.

Thanks for letting me know that I'm not alone. xD

"We come spinning out of nothingness, scattering stars like dust."

-Rumi-

ColetteLala's picture

Curtain Head

Yes, she looks radiant and her arms are fabulous, but that official portrait has a lot of problems.

As a photographer, I can't help but be completely turned off by the curtain coming out of her head and the flower blocking her hand. How could the photographer not notice these things? I'm assuming you have to be pretty good at your job to get a gig like shooting the first lady so how on earth do you make such silly (and easily fixed) mistakes? So disappointing because Michelle looked amazing that day.

Ira's picture

She's certainly very

She's certainly very beautiful. And those arms, they're definitely... noticable. Very nice, nothing to add. It's hard to underestimate her looks.
On top of everything, she's charming. Just like her husband. They're quite a radiant couple.
But just like other commenters above me, I agree that beauty shouldn't be the only thing that comes to mind when one hears her name. But hey, even me, one of the devout pessimists out there (although I prefer to call myself a realist, of course) believe that she'll do good stuff for the benefit of Americans and probably even other countries as well. I mean, she's certainly very, very accomplished and well, evolved and I'm certain soon her looks will be only a small part of the good things to say about her. She'll definitely get busy very soon and will be remembered for her deeds in the first place.
Jamie's picture

Valid. And on a side note,

Valid.

 And on a side note, she's definitely the sexiest  first lady we've had in a while, and that's not just based on appearance.

 http://stuffqueerpeopleneedtoknow.wordpress.com/ 

hammy_mac's picture

i'm not weird either!!

I thought it was just me, women with good arms are so distracting!

Besides that tho, very beautiful woman who has a lot of presence and plenty to give - i like it. Being in the UK, I haven't heard too much about the glorious First Lady, but I agree - she definetly has something about her that speaks "I'm going to do something amazing, you just wait". 

But until then, I'm happy to look at her arms and feel happier when I see her smile :) There is change in the air!

--------

"Happiness is only real when shared"

“The core of mans’ spirit comes from new experiences.”
- Chris J McCandless

dandelion's picture

Yes yes the arms are all

Yes yes the arms are all very nice. But her hair. Look in the first picture. It's huge! Like Janeway from Voyager big - circa season 1 not one of the older seasons where it calms down :) I know shallow, shallow.
jumper23's picture

and another thing...

why is it okay for everyone to start drooling over her arms, but anytime someone mentioned sarah palins legs, it was the end of the damn world?
Lauren's picture

because it was sarah palin

because it was sarah palin
jumper23's picture

oh....

gee. thanks for clearing that up with such a well thought-out articulate response. i don't know WHAT i was thinking...
GreenBean2's picture

Yes great arms

But I'm starting to see why people are calling her the black sigourney weaver. There's definate parts that are similiar, not to say they actually 'look' alike at all. :D
nicole eggett's picture

hmm

she does kinda look like sigourney weaver...weird. but yeah great arms! :D
zephyr's picture

Beautiful arms and shoulders

The First Lady, Beals and Rollins all have beautiful arms and shoulders among other things.

Michelle Obama has been visiting the various government department headquarters around the DC area to get to know their staffs.  She's also made the people of the DC area one of her priorities.  The media has shown activities she's engaged in involving the local community.  The First Lady also said she intended to make military families a priority.  Recently Oprah and Gayle visited The White House and Oprah said she had a special project upcoming that her viewers would see because of that visit.  Well last week Oprah devoted a show to Walter Reed.  I'm willing to bet that was because of Michelle Obama.  If anyone remembers military hospitals such as Walter Reed and others were on the chopping block last year under the previous administration.  That was pretty outrageous considering the large number of soldiers with traumatic brain injuries, in particular, coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan.  Post traumatic stress and increasing suicide rates among returning soldiers are beginning to get more attention.  Hopefully those things will continue to get more attention with The First Lady's help.

music.is.everything.'s picture

it's soooo true

i love arms. i never thought about it, but it's true, it's a queer thing, i think. and i'm jealous of michelle obama's arms!!

and i don't hink there's anything wrong with us talking about her arms in a way that is slightly superficial. it's part of the human condition. besides, shes got plenty of time to wow us with that harvard law degree of hers.

 

 

and in our honesty, together we will rise. out of our nightminds and into the light at end of the fight...

Lunakiss's picture

The Michelle Obama Arms Wow Factor

www.myspace.com/lunakiss7.com

I think media has focused on  Michelle Obama's looks and style of dress b/c one she is young and she is an attractive woman who takes care of herself and body.  And ,two the previous first ladies had covered up their body as opposed to Michelle who has not. She too loves her arms else she wouldn't be wearing sleeveless outfits.  So why not admire them. I agree with Dorothy Snarker womyn with nice good arms are just hot.  A Lesbian knows a womyn like that is taking her of her body. A good arms tells a lot about a womyn.

   I enjoyed the pictures of womyn with hot arms.  Nice DS.!

A line taken from my poem "She" It is SHE who awakens my soul..."

thefemininedivine.blogspot.com

Yan's picture

Mrs.Obama is great!!

This first lady is amazing....A few weeks ago, she held a confrence at Howard University, with 8 young women. They discussed the issues African American women are facing in society. Her introduction was made by an undergraduate student, touched by her speach, Michelle Obama called the University and invited this young women to the White House for lunch!!!! 

This was never in the Washington Post or on MSNBC, but it doesnt mean she isnt touching the lives of a lot of people! She is an inspiration to all young women. We can all look up to her!