Kelly Challenges Obama’s Claims of societal Pressure on Black Women’s Appearance
A new book by former First Lady Michelle Obama is sparking debate, with conservative commentator Megyn Kelly publicly questioning Obama’s assertions about societal standards impacting Black women’s hair and appearance. the discussion unfolded on the november 4th episode of “The Megyn Kelly Show,” centering on Obama’s recently released memoir, “The Look.”
Obama’s book reflects on her experiences as the first Black First Lady,detailing the pressures she faced regarding her fashion and beauty choices. She specifically addressed the financial and time commitment many Black women undertake to alter their natural hair texture.”As women of color, the way our hair naturally grows out of our head is lovely, but if we struggle to make it look like the standard, that means we are spending thousands of hours and lots of money straightening out what is naturally curly hair, right?” Obama wrote. “And that takes time out of your life. It costs money.”
However,Kelly sharply disagreed with this assessment,characterizing Obama’s outlook as rooted in negativity. “What she’s saying is she’s bitter because society’s standards, in her view, don’t allow Black women to just walk around with their natural hair. that is bull–. Black women can walk around with whatever hair thay want,” Kelly stated. She further argued that Obama’s viewpoint suggests a belief that acceptance by White society is contingent upon conforming to White beauty standards, a notion Kelly vehemently rejected. “Only in Michelle Obama’s warped mind, do White people not like them, unless their hair looks like White hair.”
The podcast host broadened the discussion, contending that the effort women put into their appearance is a universal experience, not exclusive to Black women. “The nerve of this woman to pretend that Black women are the only women who have to spend a bunch of time getting their natural hair, to, quote, ‘conform to these alleged society standards’ because virtually every woman I know, every woman, spends a s- ton of time on her hair and wants it to look better than God made it,” Kelly asserted. “It’s not a Black thing. It’s a human thing, and it’s especially a woman thing, but she’s always reducing everything to race.”
Kelly extended her argument to include women of other ethnicities, questioning the premise that Black women uniquely face pressure to alter their hair. “So it’s a Black woman who you can’t tell how to wear her hair. Can you tell the White women? How about the Asians?” she asked. “How about Indian women? They have very thick hair. Lot of times it’s curly. It gets unruly. I’m sure they have to do the irons, just like you, Michelle, just like White women do too, incidentally speaking.”
“The Look” also details instances where Obama felt scrutinized for her style choices,such as the public reaction to a deep purple V-neck dress she wore to Barack obama’s first address to Congress. She wrote that the attention to her bare arms was used to “otherize” her, highlighting a double standard she perceived. Despite the scrutiny, Obama noted a positive outcome: “The upside was the number of women who told me they felt more cozy showing their arms after seeing me in these dresses or tops. I was honored that those people saw my arms as a symbol of strength.”
The exchange underscores a continuing conversation about race, beauty standards, and the pressures faced by women in the public eye, with Kelly offering a c
