Cosmopolitan: Response to Melania's plagiarism is example of white privilege.

[pnwmom]

The writer of this article, Brittney Cooper, is an assistant professor at Rutgers University.


http://www.cosmopolitan.com/politics/news/a61559/melania-trump-michelle-obama-plagiarism/

Melania Trump owes Michelle Obama an apology. On Monday, Trump plagiarized several lines of Obama's 2008 Democratic National Convention speech. Not only did Melania Trump claim that she wrote the speech, "with as little help as possible," but the Donald Trump campaign has doubled down in support of her, suggesting that the lines she borrowed included "common words and phrases," and therefore represent nothing particularly unique or remarkable about Obama's own words. I guess this is what Melania Trump, and generations of white women, mean by "help." It seems to mean that they rely upon black women's labor to help them look good, sound good, and gain influence, while treating that labor as wholly expendable.

Obama had a lot riding on her 2008 convention speech. Early in her husband's campaign, she had been roundly disparaged and condemned by the public as being angry, untrustworthy, and unpatriotic. After Barack Obama won the Iowa primary, Michelle Obama told an audience that for the first time in her life, she was proud of her country. Right-wing critics feigned outrage at her supposedly unpatriotic remarks, and suggested that her willingness to reference even indirectly America's history of racial discrimination and injustice was divisive.

When Obama stepped to the podium in 2008, her speech was not only a referendum on her husband's fitness for the presidency, but on her fitness for the position of first lady. Trump labored under no such pressure Monday night. Yes, the wives of powerful men are always under extreme scrutiny about their dress, comportment, intelligence, and performance of femininity. Trump is no exception. She has and will face sexism. But even the brouhaha over exposure of her nude photo shoot in British GQ has fallen out of the news cycle. Trump did not have to prove the worthiness of white women to be granted the status of ladyhood, in the same way that Obama had to do as a representative black woman in 2008.

SNIP

Now the wife of the Republican nominee boldly steals the thinking and words of the current first lady. And now pundits and commentators on the right and the left suggested on morning news programs that we should feel sympathy for Trump. I believe that Trump's speech suggests at some level that she identifies with and admires Obama, but I have no sympathy for white women who appropriate and steal the intellectual labor of black women. The idea that white women are always sympathetic, even when they have lied, cheated, or stolen, is morally repugnant and offensive to black women who are often viewed as untrustworthy even when we are at the top of our respective games. Taylor Swift has also profited from this vulnerable white femininity narrative by trafficking in ideas that she was being picked on by Kanye West, even when he clearly obtained consent to make reference to her in his music. In black feminist circles, we refer to this never-ending procession of sympathy for white women in the face of clear offense as "white lady tears." Black women are afforded no such kindnesses.

Ask Michelle Obama.

[Bok_Tukalo]

1. Seriously?

That piece was absurdity.

[pnwmom]

2. Here's the proof that the piece was correct. If Michelle Obama had stolen the same words

from a speech of Nancy Reagan's, do you think she would have been treated with the same sympathy that has been accorded to Mrs. Trump? Of course not.

The standards were always higher for Michelle, and they remain so. Michelle faces a barrage of criticism for wearing a sleeveless dress to a State of the Union -- but nude photos turn up of Melania on a bearskin rug and the reaction is, "meh."

[Hortensis]

7. I was on a mixed forum in 2008, and a favorite

theme of the ugly right was how Michelle was such a sloppy eater that she always had food all over the front of her clothes. The story of what happened when she tried to get spaghetti in her mouth was a real scream, but they also professed to be distressed because she was embarrassing our nation so badly. We're talking about the kind of people who undoubtedly loved the trash the convention served up last night.

I was proud of Michelle, but she could never meet conservative bottom-feeder standards.

[GulfCoast66]

30. Of Course Not

"I was proud of Michelle, but she could never meet conservative bottom-feeder standards"

Of course she couldn't. Haven't you noticed, she is not white? Non-whites seldom meet conservative bottom-feeder standards.

Hell, I am a middle class and aged white guy and I saw that even before the election in 08. The whole Tea-Party thing did not surprise me. They are the modern day poor white share-croppers who will behave as long as they feel they are better than every single black man(person) that has ever lived. When that black man was an athlete, minor politician, preacher or actor it could be written off or ignored. Once we had a black man as president they went ape-shit.

The reason that this is a make or break election is that we are getting close to having some whites realize that they have more in common with blacks than they do with their white overlords(OK, hyperbole!). This has been the fear of the rich whites in the south for 400 years and they used institutional racism to enforce that schism.

Have a nice evening. Things are really getting better, it is just hard to tell when we are in the fray. We are seeing the death throes of the old white power structure. We just need to limit the damage.

[Hortensis]

32. I agree except that this kind of bigotry is seen

in all levels of society. Country clubs and board meetings have full shares of ugly conservatives. You can send a pig to private school and buy him into the Ivy League, but you can't turn him into a person of integrity and honor, aka "a mensch."

The reverse is true also. Many poor people are as decent as bigots are indecent.

Btw, I especially agree with that last. America's election of a black president precipitated a backlash by people both in and out of power against minorities in untold communities and untold numbers of incidents across the nation. Many thousands have been hurt some badly, and some have had their lives destroyed and even taken by the vicious responses of angry bigots to society's great advance.

Last night I watched a convention hall crowd obviously heavily made up of these people repeatedly leap excitedly to their feet to shout, "Lock her up, lock her up, lock her up,..." Political bigotry is as real as racial, though not always as activated--as it is now. But all around them were empty seats that are usually filled at a convention. Although this type of person will always be among us, sure you are right and we are witnessing the death throes of a Republican Party that has degrades itself into a white supremacy mob.

[Bok_Tukalo]

10. She has not been treated with sympathy

Except by Republicans and conservatives in general; that's just politics. This has been characterized by more than one person in mainstream media as a "debacle." It has gotten intense scrutiny and in a piece in The Atlantic, the author believes this possibly takes her out of campaigning entirely. Hardly "sympathy."

That aside, the piece is almost satirical caricature, it is so absurd. You think she honestly looked at the First Lady's melanin content before deciding to crib from her? That is just silly. This piece is silly.

[pnwmom]

11. Wrong. The almost universal reaction on the multiple networks I was watching

was that it wasn't Melania's fault, that everyone knew she didn't write the speech herself, and that some speechwriter's head needed to roll.

But, they said, in the extremely unlikely event she wrote the speech herself, then someone else should have vetted it and that person's head needed to roll.

No one blamed her, though more than one black commentator pointed out how differently Michelle would have been treated if Michelle had stolen words from Nancy Reagan.

As to your last question -- no, I don't think Melania -- or whoever wrote the speech -- cribbed from Michelle because Michelle was black. It was because Michelle gave a classic intro speech that was widely lauded. But the difference in how a plagiarizing Melania was treated, as opposed to Michelle, if she'd plagiarized, is an example of white privilege.

[Cha]

20. It was melania's fault she lied to matt lauer which her protectors even here are

conveniently ignoring.

Of course, it's privilege.. but she will forever wear the whiff of lying and plagiarizing.

[randome]

13. You're looking at things far too directly.

There are things such as subconscious elitism and racism. By your direct way of thinking, since most slaves were fairly well off, their owners couldn't possibly have been bad for them.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]No squirrels were harmed in the making of this post. Yet.[/center][/font][hr]

[Bok_Tukalo]

18. Slaves?

Okay.

[trof]

15. Here she is in a steel bikini:

[mcar]

21. So, so true

[joshcryer]

3. JPR is that way ->

[baldguy]

8. You think African Americans are not treated differently by the media than European Americans?

Or Europeans?

Seriously? The very idea that they aren't is absurd.

[lapucelle]

27. For more about Dr. Cooper, see this.

http://www.salon.com/2014/12/17/listen_when_i_talk_to_you%E2%80%9D_how_white_entitlement_marred_my_trip_to_a_ferguson_teach_in/

[niyad]

31. please be good enough to show us what is absurd about it, and why.

[glennward]

4. Marvelous, insightful piece. nt

[KitSileya]

5. Others may deny it, but this piece is right on.

White privilege is a thing. Denying it exists won't make it go away. Michelle Obama was and is working against centuries of stereotypes that all say black women aren't "ladies", and aren't capable of being "ladies". It is why feminism *must* be intersectional - what is feminist for white women is not necessarily feminist for black women. For white women, breaking with the idea that women should be dainty, feminine, and let men take care of them is revolutionary, while for black women, who have never been regarded as feminine because they were meant to work hard and take care of everyone, the opposite can be just as revolutionary. That is why for many black women, being a Mrs. can be as liberating as being a Ms. can be for white women.

[DonCoquixote]

12. please please make your reply an an op

I am Latino, and people have this image of latina women as sluts because they tend to dress flamboyantly. They do not realize that usually on dates little brother is made to tag along so that he can spy on every move, such as when I busted my late sister for smoking. For all the dressing up, most Latino families have very strict protections in place should any boyfriend get any ideas. The point being is that the "white" model of feminist womanhood is NOT what all aspire to. That does not mean there are not some hard universal absolutes, like making sure women have the right to work, be paid equally, never be hit, be put in leadership positions , have reproductive control, etc, where there should be no wiggle room or but, period.

What it DOES mean, is that some feminists who also happen to be "white" look upon the ways Brown and Black ladies express their feminine power, and sniff. Reference, Beyonce. When she was just another clean cut blonde with straight hair, she was adored. Lemonade comes out, and all of a sudden she is a heretic, despite the fact that controversial material in pop diva music has been a cliche since Madonna was Lady Gaga's age. Did people forget Janet Jackson and the "Velvet Rope" album, an album that was every bit as loaded with controversy as Lemonade? But of course, how DARE Beyonce do what she did at the Super Bowl? It says a lot that Janet Jackson is still branded thanks to the super bowl, because OMG she showed her breast...

The point being is that no, black and brown women may not feel the need to get into the man's face, because they already have a strong idea who they are already.

[sinkingfeeling]

6. Great article.

[coco77]

9. K&R!

[tallahasseedem]

14. I absolutely agree with this piece...

VERY well written.

There is a double standard going on here that Joy Reid summed up perfectly last night. Chris didn't want to see it, but I got what she was saying immediately.

Any Democrat involved in politics since at least 2000 knows this. The Dems could never say anything without being accused of treason, etc. while they systematically bashed Democrats, especially elected women Democrats. Look at what they did to Theresa Heinz-Kerry for the love of Jeebus. They have always been out for Michelle...we've all seen it.

[davidn3600]

16. So sick of this "privilege" talk

The worst way to get anyone to listen to your argument is to start out insulting them. Telling someone they are "privileged" automatically puts that person into a state of defense.

[pnwmom]

17. If you actually read the article you might not be so defensive. n/t

[uponit7771]

19. What words would you use? tia

[kcr]

25. It's so hard, isn't it?

Just terrible, being insulted so. Having to bear hearing about Melania's preferential treatment. The agony of such insults.

[LynneSin]

28. As a white woman...

I felt that article was spot-on accurate!

Had Michelle plagiarized her speech we'd probably be dealing with 8 years of McCain/Palin. The press is being too kind to Mrs Trump.

[davidn3600]

29. I'm not quite sure what you want the press to do

They've reported it.

Trump is not a typical candidate. It's been pointed out on the news today by several pundits that most of these Trump scandals would have derailed and scuttled practically any other political campaign. But when it comes to Trump, it seems to be like water off a duck's back. No one seems to care. It's not privilege that its happening. It's incredibly obvious that there is a large contingent of voters in this country who want a wrecking ball as President. They want to blow up the system. You have to understand the mentality of a Trump voter. Nothing is going to talk them out of that vote. If they are that angry at the system and this country, an act of minor plagiarism by his wife will not change a single vote.

[Skittles]

22. yes, I am sure Hillary would have been given the same consideration

[judesedit]

23. Can you imagine if Hillary or her running mate even hinted at a 20th of this blatant plagiarism?

And Hillary's white, too. The RNC clan thinks they are above all rules and laws. The only positive thing I can get from this is "imitation is the highest compliment". Thank you, Michelle, for guiding Ms Trump as she tries to emulate you.

[heaven05]

24. white privilege

Last edited Wed Jul 20, 2016, 09:34 AM - Edit history (1)

CNN, MSNBC FOX NEWS are going to make her a fucking hero to the reichwing. This election season is truly disgusting with the Reichmarshall and his wife vying for the White House. Truly disgusting, abhorrent, offensive and distasteful people. America how low can you go?

[SunSeeker]

26. K & R

[L. Coyote]

33. Imagine if the tables were turned.

[whistler162]

34. Yup 'cause look at how it was ignored

when President Biden's plagiarism was ignored in 1988 and he went on to win 2 terms as President!