sensationalism, or why American news sucks

Poor Michelle Obama. This morning she appeared on the Today Show (along with a dog that knows over 1,000 words and Russell Brand - what a motley crew) and while I felt that her answers were predictably PR, I found Matt Lauer's questioning to be bordering on the absurd. Maybe it wasn't Lauer's fault - he probably didn't write the questions and he wasn't the originator of some of the ideas he asked about. But he still asked them.

Lady O was supposed to be appearing to talk about the "Let's Move" campaign, which is a year old now (correct me if I'm wrong on that). Lauer mentioned school lunch legislation for about a second before bringing up the supposed hypocrisy she is accused of for initiating and promoting "Let's Move" while also allowing buffalo wings, beer, burgers and more to be served at the White House Super Bowl party. NOT BUFFALO WINGS AND BEER. Good god, anything but buffalo wings and beer!! Apparently people are equating this to the Obamas saying drugs are bad and then stuffing a kilo of cocaine up each nostril.

WHY IS THIS NEWS?!?! Encouraging healthy eating in schools and raising awareness about the dangerous levels of childhood obesity does not mean you are shackled into a life of only eating celery sticks. There is no hypocrisy here. Michelle and her family are all healthy and in shape. If they want to have buffalo wings and beer on the one day when it is basically un-freaking-AMERICAN to do so, they can!! (Except Malia and Sasha of course, on the beer).

Speaking of the first daughters, Lauer also had this to say:

Matt Lauer: I was thinking, I was trying to do the math here a second ago—if your husband is fortunate enough to win reelection, that's six more years in the White House for your family. Sasha will be 15, Malia will be 18, she'll be ready not only to leave the White House, but to leave the house. This is their only childhood, and I know you've said to me in the past that you're making it as normal as possible, but you don't get a re-do. At the end of six years, you can't go to someone and say, now I want to re do this in a quieter and more private way. Does that concern you?

DUDE. Chill the hell out. Lauer makes it sound like the girls are growing up next to an active crackhouse, or worse - as a tween star on the Disney Channel (see: Miley). Sure, Sasha and Malia are experiencing an untraditional childhood but they aren't losing their childhood. There are millions upon millions of young girls in horrible living situations, who don't have enough to eat or a safe place to live or the comfort of a real family. THE OBAMA GIRLS HAVE BARBIES IN THEIR IMAGE. They are going to be okay.

Ole Matty also brought up the fact that the girls aren't allowed to be on facebook, per the Secret Service. OH MY GOD THEY ARE SO DEPRIVED HOW WILL THEY EVER LIVE OR BE NORMAL OR EVEN EXIST???

All of this, on the heels of the brouhaha Oscar de la Renta kicked up about Michelle choosing to wear a non-American designer (Alexander McQueen) to the gala for the Chinese president (GOD FORBID the most stylish First Lady since Jackie O wear a designer who isn't you, Oscar), is just absurd.

Let's talk about issues, people. Let's not talk about buffalo wings and beer.