The Montana Primary
As if picking a school and a puppy weren't enough—oh, yes, and fixing the economy and dealing with two wars—Barack Obama now has to decide whether to let his daughters appear on one of their favorite TV shows, Hannah Montana.
I do not know Barack Obama. I can only guess, as a father, what his reaction (not to mention Michelle's) probably is: Hell, no. Followed by a faint feeling of dread at having to tell them that.
It's nothing against Hannah Montana. But I would have to imagine a parent is going to be anxious about the kids suddenly entering a life where the doors to the candy store suddenly burst open, with every Billy Ray Cyrus tossing out unsolicited tribute. You want a guest shot on your favorite show? It's yours! Want the Jonas Brothers to come to your house? Name the date!
But whether they appear on the show or not, their parents will still have to deal with the fact that their girls have already been drafted as media stars. And on top of all that, they will do that as the first black First Family, which means that they have also been drafted collectively as media symbols. Fairly or not, every move they make will be a counterweight to every image of African Americans in the media to date. Every shot of the kids going to school, of Michelle making an appearance, of the President meeting with a world leader will be counterpoised, consciously or not, with a history of movie and TV images of dropouts, welfare moms and black men as problems. As Ta-Nehisi Coates wrote about the Obamas' image in his Atlantic blog, "I don't think a lot of folks understand how hard black people take their portrayal in mainstream media. We probably spend more time bemoaning the latest R. Kelley affair, than bemoaning racism."
Obama didn't run against R. Kelly. He ran to be President, not a symbol, and his family didn't run for anything at all. But the symbolism comes with the house keys. It's not fair, of course, but neither is the whole having-to-fix-the-economy business. That said, I expect the Obamas will want to pull back on their kids' media stardom where they can—which may, sadly for Sasha and Malia, include Disney Channel appearances. But at least they can still count on the puppy.
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1
Personally, I think the Obamas should NOT allow their girls to appear on this or any TV program. The thrill for these girls would be to meet Miley Cyrus, see the Hannah Montana set, take some pictures, etc. and they can still do that without a token appearance on national television. If Michelle Obama is smart (and she sure as heck seems to be), she'll keep her kids under wraps as much as possible. They are adorable little girls right now, but in 4 years the older one will be a rebellious/hormonal/confused (you pick) teenager. It will be hard for her to live in the spotlight.
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2
I'd probably say yes to having the Obamas hang out with Miley Cyrus, but no to hanging out with Hannah Montana. I think it would be great for the two daughters to be able to meet Miley in person, but I don't think they should go on the show or make a guest appearance. Let them meet their idol, but avoid all the spotlight stuff.
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3
Oh sure and expose them to more Hollywood common sense like...
THE LEIBOVITZ AND THE HANNA MONTANA TEARDOWN
Was that ONLY inappropriate behavior?
http://pacificgatepost.blogspot.com/2008/04/leibovitz-and-hanna-montana-teardown.html
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4
obviously , they shouldn't do it. No question about it. Now their Dad is the prez -to-be and everybody wants to be their 'new best friend' du jour, exploiting their acclaim by association. No way José.... they shouldn't even do a Meryl Streep movie ( for instance) until they are at least 18, let alone some cable tv show. Would they have been asked had their Dad not gotten his new job? Case closed.They will be glad they said no down the line... In the entertainment industry , getting the Obama girls on their show would just be a case of "stunt casting " as in publicity stunt. Which speculating about is also!!!
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5
Does anybody else feel like "The Cosby Family" is moving into the White House?
I've heard too many people say TCF wasn't realistic depiction of a black family in the 80's and then others say TCF gave them great hope and aspirations.
I hope the Obamas inspire the latter in all our disadvantaged youth.
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6
I agree that there are going to be lots of folks who want to exploit these girls, and that Barack and Michelle should put a high priority on protecting them from it - especially while they're this young. As the kids get older, and get used to being in the spotlight, the family as a whole will be better equipped to decide how to harness the media help the girls achieve their goals and dreams for their futures. In the short run, the girls might be sad to miss out on the excesses of childhood stardom, but in the long run they'll more than likely appreciate having their childhood protected as much as possible.
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7
Hmm, I was all excited when I saw "Montana" because I've lived here all my life, but then I find out it's yet another article about Barack Obama. It's gonna be a long 4 years.
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8
@chelsea15jk: Don't worry, I wouldn't mind the Obamas hanging out in Montana. That's fine in my book!
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