Hard to know why the pubic is obsessed with First Lady’s arms? I don’t think so.

Michelle Obama is an educated, intelligent and professional woman. We have finally found someone with whom we can identify. All over the United States women, adolescents and young girls see someone strong so very close to power, and they are excited.

What we see is someone to emulate and imitate. And since we cannot be First Lady, or possibly even President for some time, we head to the gym. Already women are asking trainers for Michelle’s arms just as they asked for Jennifer Anniston’s hair. We cannot be her; we cannot be him, but we can have her arms.

Arms are for holding, lifting, carrying. Arms are also what we are using to show our strength in a world of nuclear weapons. But we are not encouraged to focus on inside strength, what it is to give up one’s career to follow a partner. Instead columnists are fretting about why she wears dresses without sleeves

Strength is again being reduced to looks. The right to bare arms. Her style is comfortable and confident, but not the most important part of the work she does to inspire others. She may symbolize freedom from slavery, and also, perhaps, from sexism and from the diverse uniforms of oppression many of us have been forced to wear. The point, as I recall, was for women to have a choice: being healthy is a good choice, but it is only about the body.

Perfectionism of the body is ripe for obsessions in a time when real social and cultural anxieties threaten our peace.

Photo Credit: Barack Obama Flickr