Michelle's Handlers Can't Keep Her Out of PETA's Reach

PETA’s been in the news this week, criticised by First Lady Michelle Obama for using her image in the new PETA campaign without permission. President Obama’s also unhappy, finding himself on a giant billboard in Times Square, wearing the Weatherproof jacket from a famous public domain photo on his China trip.

Writing for the Washington Post, Robin Givhan recaps the style details in PETA latest to use an ad with an Obama without permission.

The First Lady appears in a foursome photo that appears to be part of a stepped-up campaign by PETA to move beyond the world of celebrities and models and into using women with platinum credentials and ‘ethical’ credentials because of their positions and/or reputations.

PETA did use Princess Diana in a campaign without her permission. Michelle Obama’s campaign company includes Oprah Winfrey, Carrie Underwood and Tyra Banks, each having a prior relationship with PETA. Banks posed in an ad; Winfrey was the organization’s 2008 person of the year (not because she’s a vegetarian) and Underwood was voted sexiest vegetarian.

Givhan reports that PETA is eyeing Sarah Brown, wife of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, because she refuses to eat veal or foie gras, and French first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, who publicly denounced fur in a letter to PETA. Both Brown and Bruni-Sarkozy embrace controversial issues, whereas America’s First Lady has no opinion on any controversial issues.

We can attest to the growing popularity of the anti-fois gras campaigns. The issue has been in our Top 10 articles for the last three weeks.

It was Sarah Brown’s Twitter account that brought Sudan 365 - A Beat for Peace to my attention yesterday. Not only did I retweet, but posted in three places on A of C. Sudan is a former British colony but it didn’t keep Sarah Brown from getting political about brewing problems (again) in Sudan.

There’s no way that Michelle Obama (who’s not allowed a Twitter account) would send such a Tweet.

Sudan 364 - A Beat for Peace

Carla Bruni-Sarkozy already gave Pope Benedict a piece of her mind about no birth control or condoms for poor women. I’m sure that Bruni-Sarkozy will gladly do a piece for PETA.

It’s not possible that Michelle Obama would endorse an anti-fur campaign. Presumably it could cost votes and hurt Democrats seeking reelection. When you see what’s happening to Harry Reid for commenting ‘privately’ and positively about Barack Obama’s electability, I understand no Twitter account for Michelle.

Admittedly, I’m fascinated with Michelle’s ‘handlers’ and narrow speaking platform, compared to women like Brown, Bruni-Sarkozy and Queen Rania. Perhaps being 110% politically correct isn’t as important in these countries.

Our First Lady’s tightly-monitored speaking points parallel’s America’s poor showing — now 31 from 17 in 2005 — when measuring women’s advancement around the world. America is soon a mediocre player on women’s rights.

We’re no Middle Eastern nation but we’re not progressive either, compared to other countries. (Note that Hillary Clinton IS sending a great message about women’s rights far and wide.)

There’s no little downside to a no-fur campaign, unless the Dems get big donations from the fashion crowd. I daresay more Democrats belong to PETA than Republicans.

The concerns for the Obamas — understandably — is that their image not be strewn all over Broadway, with the appearances of endorsing a wide range of products. America still thinks big, and the Obamas represent a merchandising opportunity.

Indirectly, Calvin Klein model Eva Mendes inspired this post.

After checking out her new Spring 2010 Calvin Klein ads,  I discovered Mendes talking about her introduction to PETA on YouTube. The tactics PETA used on ‘seducing her’ to their point of view on wearing fur, are not what we hear about the organization.

Eva Mendes Tells PETA Why She Is Fur-Free

The infamous story about PETA is one of walking into a New York City restaurant and throwing a dead animal on Anna Wintour’s plate. Somehow, I never thought of PETA as an organization that sends flowers. Eva Mendes sets us straight.

On the subject of First Lady Michelle Obama’s disapproval of her inclusion in the PETA ad, the organization was equally displomatic saying: “The fact is that Michelle Obama has issued a statement indicating that she doesn’t wear fur, and the world should know that in PETA’s eyes, that makes her pretty fabulous.”Anne