Not Even the First Lady is Off Limits…

Not again. Not even the First Lady is off limits from body gossip.

I came across this on MSN today. Apparently, a teacher was suspended for a “fat butt” comment he made about First Lady Michelle Obama. Here we go, yet again. According to the article, a teacher from Alabama made the offensive remark, during a debate-type discussion about current affairs in his class. He blamed the school’s low-calorie lunch offerings on “fat butt Michelle Obama." He also added, “Look at her. She looks like she weighs 185 or 190. She’s overweight." Because of the remark, this teacher will be banned from all teaching and coaching responsibilities. He’ll also need to meet with the school system’s personnel director. But the words cannot be unsaid. This latest incident adds to a string of negative remarks concerning the First Lady. According to the article, the following incidents have also targeted her physical appearance: “Rush Limbaugh, the conservative radio host, has called her Michelle “My Butt’’ Obama, and Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) was heard saying “she lectures us on eating right while she has a large posterior herself.’’ The Atlantic also ran a story in December 2011 titled, “Why Fat Conservatives Love Calling Michelle Obama Fat” in which it labeled calling the First Lady fat one of the right wing’s 'top political memes.’" Really? This kind of discussion is allowed? Appropriate? Warranted? The First Lady is a wonderful example of a positive, healthy female role model. Regardless of your political views, she still promotes a positive message about health, exercise and integrity. What about the garden she’s created at the White House? What about the emphasis on changing attitudes on health and exercise? And even if she never did those things, why, oh, why, is it EVER okay to make a negative comment about a person’s body? This teacher, to me, did not make the comment to improve the situation. For, if he wanted to improve things, he could have taken constructive action. And I have a hard time believing doing so would have involved the First Lady in any way whatsoever. But he didn’t make that choice. He chose the cheap easy comment, the putdown. There’s a theory which state that if you cannot rise to another person’s high level, then there’s the ugly alternative option to try to drag them down. It’s called “leveling.” It’s the stuff of gossip, defamation of character, slander and abuse. What good can come of it? Plus, it’s not scripturally endorsed. After all, once again, regarding our words, our powerful words… “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” Ephesians 4:29 “Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.” Romans 14:19 “Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.” Romans 15:2 “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11 This teacher, in my opinion, was not concerned with doing just that. In my opinion, his intention was to level her. The words have been said. He can apologize (I don’t know if he has, in the article he said he “misspoke”). But those words are out there. And they influence males and females. Judgments, decisions and opinions from all who are in earshot are affected by the remark. And some of the possible results, unfortunately, may be that of disordered eating, misogyny and domestic violence. Once again… “But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.” Matthew 12:36 That’s what these kinds of comments are. And they’re unfounded. The First Lady is a beautiful, healthy woman; she’s a wife, a sister, a daughter, a mother.

Is it ever okay to make a horrible comment like that to anyone’s wife, sister, daughter or mother? If the answer’s “yes,” we have a bigger problem. What’s the antidote? How about the scripture of Philippians 4:8? “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” “If anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” And how about speaking on those things as well? We have a long way to go; the body gossip needs to stop! Copyright © 2013 by Sheryle Cruse