October 8, 2015

"There’s a particularly mean meme about presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson and his wife, Lacena, aka Candy, circulating around social media."

Writes Demetria Lucas D’Oyley at The Root:
In the meme, President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama are striking at the China state dinner Friday. President Obama is dressed in a well-tailored tuxedo, and the first lady has long, side-swept hair and an off-the-shoulder, custom-made Vera Wang gown. The contrasting picture of the Carsons was taken in May, on the day Carson officially announced his candidacy for president in Detroit. He is dressed in an unremarkable but still presentable blue suit. It’s Candy Carson’s appearance that makes the meme funny to some (but not me). She is wearing a hairstyle and patriotic ensemble that is unflattering, ill-fitting and dated. The meme caption is a play on a popular DirecTV commercial that clowns its cable competitors for being subpar...

[The un-P.C. part of my mind is] mature enough not to laugh at Candy Carson’s expense, but it’s still asking why she came out of the house looking like that when her man is announcing his presidential bid...

79 comments:

Hammond X. Gritzkofe said...

Nice pic. The Carsons are holding hands, faces slightly pointing toward eachother. Compare & contrast to Obamas.

madAsHell said...

Writes Demetria Lucas D’Oyley at The Root:

D'Oyley??

The Root??

I'm never going mushroom picking with you!! Who knows what you would find!!

Deirdre Mundy said...

She looks like a Grandma going to church on Sunday. Is she a Grandma yet? She seems sweet and warm.

First ladies don't have to be glamorous. If she was a Democrat, they wouldn't be mocking her.

damikesc said...

You mean Dr. Carson's wife doesn't have world-class designers giving outfits worth tens of thousands of dollars to her?

You mean the complaints about how "showy" and "expensive" Ann Romney's clothes were are simple total hypocritical bullshit by Progressives?

Color me stunned.

The Obamas have NO clue what it is like to be black in America. None. Most black folks don't have hospitals giving them make-work jobs of turning away poor people to get money from the state Senate and then deciding the job isn't worth refilling once their benefactor goes to Washington.


...also, feminists, you can kindly shut the fuck up about how women are unfairly judged on your clothes since you fuckers are the ones who DO it.

Leeatmg said...

Blogger Hammond X. Gritzkofe said...
Nice pic. The Carsons are holding hands, faces slightly pointing toward eachother. Compare & contrast to Obamas.

That was the first thing I noticed too. Warmth and love versus...disaffection. Maybe it was just a bad photo.

Either way, I'll take love over disaffection.

Ann Althouse said...

"D'Oyley?? The Root??I'm never going mushroom picking with you!! Who knows what you would find!!"

Not sure what you're trying to say, but you made me Google "D'Oyley" and:

"So it seems that d’oyley became doyley, which picked up an ‘oi’ and was also rendered as doily, doiley, and doilie, and the last was returned to its origin with the addition of an ‘, becoming d’oilie.  Fascinating."

damikesc said...

First ladies don't have to be glamorous. If she was a Democrat, they wouldn't be mocking her.

If the wookie wife of Obama was a Republican, the cost of her ill-fitted attire (how can one make The Hulk look pretty?) would be a front page mention regularly.

damikesc said...

Nice pic. The Carsons are holding hands, faces slightly pointing toward eachother. Compare & contrast to Obamas.

Ben doesn't need a beard.

Just sayin'.

After all, Dems SWORE, under Clinton, that ALL Presidents and powerful men had affairs.

But Obama --- he doesn't.

Wonder why.

It's not because of his animal masculinity by any stretch.

YoungHegelian said...

I think what the catty people want to say, but just can't come out & say it, is that Mrs Carson is just not a particularly physically attractive woman. They can't say that out loud, so they pick on her clothes. If attractiveness is a prerequisite for the job, the electorate should have let FDR substitute Lucy Mercer for Eleanor Roosevelt.

Anyone care to guess what gender is circulating around that "particularly mean meme"?

damikesc said...

I think what the catty people want to say, but just can't come out & say it, is that Mrs Carson is just not a particularly physically attractive woman. They can't say that out loud, so they pick on her clothes. If attractiveness is a prerequisite for the job, the electorate should have let FDR substitute Lucy Mercer for Eleanor Roosevelt.

But they try to pretend our First Sasquatch Understudy is gorgeous.

Sure ... when compared to spectacularly ugly slugs.

HoodlumDoodlum said...

The Roberts' kids were too well-dressed & put together; Dr. Carson's wife isn't well-dressed or put together enough. There's a fine line, I guess, but I'll bet it's easier for people who know that any harsh criticism of their appearance will automatically be condemned as racist, sexist, and so on.

Big Mike said...

I don't think Carson is going to be the nominee, though his candor on the issues is remarkable -- and welcome!

Leave it to women to pick on Carson's wife. Even you, Althouse, can't avoid slipping in the knife in your last sentence. Admit it, madam, the 19th Amendment was a huge mistake.

Danno said...

Your inner "coastie" is coming out here, Ann.

damikesc said...

The Roberts' kids were too well-dressed & put together

Let's never forget that the media had no problems making fun of young kids if they didn't like their parents.

tim in vermont said...

Not our class dear.

ndspinelli said...

Mrs. Althouse is a racist like most liberal elites. This is how a liberal elite failed attorney turned professor expresses her racism.

ndspinelli said...

Cowardly, that is.

Peter said...

Writes Demetria Lucas D’Oyley at The Root: Candy Carson is not cool; there shall be no place for her at the cool kids table.

William said...

Mrs. Carson doesn't look glamorous, but she looks good natured and comfortable with the processes of life. Mrs. Truman and Mrs. Eisenhower weren't particularly stylish, but the country survived.......The writer's high minded way of making mean spirited comments is especially off putting. Black conservatives have a tough life.

FleetUSA said...

progressives are snobs

JAORE said...

"why she came out of the house looking like that when her man is announcing his presidential bid... "

My, my.....

Perhaps it is because Dr. Carson is running on his own ideas rather than the shaped, polished and crowd tested image of million dollar consultants.

Perhaps.

FWBuff said...

The most interesting fact in that otherwise-disparaging article is that Mrs. Carson is an accomplished violinist!

ndspinelli said...

And Condi Rice an accomplished pianist. Both are mocked by liberal elite white racists.

Deirdre Mundy said...

Yeah, I found the professional violinist thing interesting as well! Which makes me think her wardrobe is probably "Black skirts with white shirts" and "A few brightly colored outfits for Sunday."

Seriously, she looks like someone you'd feel comfortable asking for help if you were lost. Or who you'd offer to help with her groceries. Or who you'd stand at the fence talking to for an hour. She just looks sweet and neighborly. And she's talented and intelligent too, which means she's probably also humble and not self-absorbed.

How are these bad things? We want a first lady, not an empress!

How much do you want to bet her 'cause' would be something like "Music education in inner city schools" or something else totally sweet and wonderful and awesome?

MaxedOutMama said...

She looks fine to me. She looks like a nice cheerful woman, and I do think the outfit is intended to be patriotic.

The Carsons, no matter what you think of them, have done very real and very important with their lives and their money. She doesn't waste it on Vera Wang dresses.

I'm applauding her. I admire her. She's got her head in the right place! I'm sure if she ended up in the White House she would play the game to some extent, but I find it quite a relief to see these two looking like average people of their age, rather than some primped-up wanna-bes pretending to be NYC socialites.

We could use that attitude in public life. How is this different than Scott Walker going around boasting about his cheap shirts?

Hey, in this election, middle-class is IN. Only the hedgies haven't figured that out yet. And remember how popular Barbara Bush was?


JAORE said...

Lord that article a pile of passive-aggressive bilge water.

It's SOoooooooo unfair to judge her by her appearance. [BUT] Isn't she so dowdy, what a rube, out of place, not ready for prime time. How un-Michelle can you get.....

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Bob Ellison said...

I have a plain-looking alpaca that wouldn't win even a participation trophy in competition. But he's a nice and generous guy who protects his herd, even standing up to and rushing a big German shepherd. He's worth more to his herd than some namby-pamby show alpaca could ever be.

ndspinelli said...

JAORE, This blog is written by the Queen of Passive Aggressive Land.

Wince said...

I first saw Candy Carson in a TV interview the other night.

She came across smart, down-to-earth and engaging with a sweet if imperfect smile.

I said to myself she could be his secret weapon.

No wonder she's a target.

And we're supposed to like how the Obamas appear together in that photo?

That Carson-Obama juxtaposition looks like a negative political ad against Obama.

Michael said...

The presidents wife looks like a whore in a dress bought by her client.

Bill said...

President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama are striking at the China state dinner Friday.

Some great writing there. For a nanosecond I pictured the two holding picket signs.

Birches said...

Just want to point out that Althouse offered no commentary on this article--the words were all O'Dyley's.

I was expecting a much worse outfit--like those old 90s wide doily collars or something. She's a bigger woman and she's older. Meh. That's how older, bigger women dress.

Anyone care to guess what gender is circulating around that "particularly mean meme"?

Yep, the mean girls are out in full force.

avwh said...

The Obamas look like they can't stand each other and hate being at this event in that photo.

The Carsons look like they care about each other and are having a great time.

But let's pick on the clothes Mrs. Carson is wearing....

exhelodrvr1 said...

They strayed off the plantation - they deserve to be mocked!!

damikesc said...

The Obamas look like they can't stand each other and hate being at this event in that photo.

In their defense, both Obamas are thoroughly unlikeable.

Titus said...

The outfit is absolutely hideous-and that face?

Wow!

Melissa said...

She looks fine in these pics (found in the article's comment section):

https://c.o0bg.com/rf/image_960w/Boston/2011-2020/2015/07/07/BostonGlobe.com/Metro/Images/150707_kdb_ben_carson_0001.jpg

http://worldtribune.com/life/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/The-Carsons.jpg

Levi Starks said...

I know which couple I'd invite to my house for dinner.

Steve said...

I'm glad that making fun of a candidate's appearance is OK now. I plan to make fun of hair plugs. And I am sure there is a Taft's bathtub joke out there just waiting for Hilary.

And you just know that shaved Wookie, Michele Obama, has a calendar counting down the days til she can divorce the mom jeans president. I picture her with someone that wears flannel and carries an ax to work. Is a lumberjill in Michele's future?

Ann Althouse said...

The Obamas are a beautiful couple and they look great at gala events.

You don't have to agree with their politics, but at a purely aesthetic level, they are fabulous. Your credibility about their policies would be better if you would admit that.

Nichevo said...

Why do you insist on saying that? Please don't answer "because it's true." That has never been your mark.

Melissa said...

I agree that Michelle is very attractive. She doesn't seem to have very good taste though and tends to pick or allows herself to be dressed in clothing that is inappropriate for the occasion in my opinion. President Obama however is not handsome at all. He does wear a suit or tux well because of his lankiness, but fabulous? --I don't think so.

pdug said...

This is why women shame other women for sweating, and blame the patriacrhy. I was amused by this

"Are there sexist and, in this case, racist underpinnings that make appearance matter more in certain circumstances? Absolutely. But until those “isms” are dismantled, women absolutely need to look as if they at least tried, especially when they’re up for a role they really want."

Maybe the only way to dismantle the ISMS are to NOT play the game? Nah....

chuck said...

I blame the election of JFK for making presidential politics hinge on appearance. Not to say that good looks haven't contributed to Democrat successes, but it hasn't helped the country.

J. Farmer said...

@chuck:

"I blame the election of JFK for making presidential politics hinge on appearance."

Wasn't it television that did that?

exhelodrvr1 said...

"they are fabulous."

They are an attractive couple, but hardly fabulous.

MayBee said...

I find Michelle Obama attractive. I don't think President Obama is handsome or fabulous.

MayBee said...

The Rubios are a beautiful couple.

MayBee said...

" You don't have to agree with their politics, but at a purely aesthetic level, they are fabulous. Your credibility about their policies would be better if you would admit that."

This is a hilarious argumentation style.

Hammond X. Gritzkofe said...

Althouse said: "The Obamas are a beautiful couple and they look great at gala events."

Yes, they both show clothes well; both are ectomorphs.

What Obama photos I've seen typically show him with an expression bordering on disdain. Michelle's typical expression is somewhere between the dis-interested zombie stare of a fashion model strutting the latest garish avante-garde offering, and that of someone just becoming aware they stepped in a large pile of dog shit about five paces back.

A couple??? No. He should hire someone from an escort service for State events.

Sprezzatura said...

A lot of Seventh-day folks don't like to be flashy. Lasciviousness is a sure way to end up in hell until the end of time. Candy doesn't want that.

Leora said...

I'd rather have a first lady who dresses like Mamie Eisenhower than like Beyonce.

The Godfather said...

". . . at a purely aesthetic level, they [the Obamas] are fabulous. Your credibility about their policies would be better if you would admit that." Anyone, Althouse included, who considers the Obamas aesthetically fabulous, has such poor judgment that her opinion on their policies [sic -- I didn't know that First Ladies had policies] should be ignored.

No, I go too far. If Althouse wants to think that the Obamas are aesthetically fabulous, fine, that's her right as an American. What disqualifies her opinion from serious consideration is the assertion that their aesthetic fabulousness matters.

Were Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln aethetically fabulous?

BN said...

Middle school is fun! Don't you just love it?

avwh said...

Lincoln couldn't have gotten elected with today's media, TV, and "aesthetics", between his gangly, unattractive looks and high-pitched voice. (He was tall, so he did have that going for him)

Forget the clothes and look at the body language in those photos in the article and tell me who's having a good time and who isn't.
That's what my earlier comment was referring to.

Birkel said...

I do not find either Obama attractive. I also find some movies you like unenjoyable. We probably have different preferences in music. You like some art I find pedestrian.

Those statements are essentially equal. Anybody who would claim their opinion a fact is foolish.

Althouse should be ashamed.

Steve said...

"The Obamas are a beautiful couple and they look great at gala events."

If it's OK to make subjective judgments about a candidate's wife's appearance then Katie bar the door. She is a giant and the scale of the frail looking beta male and the overbearing wife is evident. Putin would never let his wife be physically dominant. Dang, this is fun.

"You don't have to agree with their politics, but at a purely aesthetic level, they are fabulous. Your credibility about their policies would be better if you would admit that."

Not everyone votes for a president based on the crease in their trousers.

ndspinelli said...

Birkel, I've heard tales about presenting opinion as fact from some former students of Mrs. Althouse that make these pompous know-it-all opionionish facts quite tame.

BN said...

"Althouse should be ashamed."

Lol. Because she thinks the Obamas look good? Excuse me while I head off to confession.

Merny11 said...

The attractiveness of the Obamas is entirely subjective. I find him to be homely and geeky, she to be sour faced with an ugly shape. So what? Whether you see them as Ann does or I do, what in H does that have to do with their qualifications to govern?

BN said...

..."pompous know-it-all opionionish facts quite tame."

I thought that was her shtick. You mean it's real?!

Whatever, I'm only here for the pastries.

CStanley said...

Love the way she tries to present this article as a defense of Mrs. Carson.

Drago said...

Althouse: "You don't have to agree with their politics, but at a purely aesthetic level, they are fabulous. Your credibility about their policies would be better if you would admit that."

Well. So, in any policy discussion it is now required that we start off by declaring the obama's "fabulous".

If one does not declare the obama's aesthetically fabulous, how can one criticize obamas Syria policies?

What a "fabulous" new rule. Not on the order of awarding a Nobel prize on the basis of....not being someone else..but not bad.

Drago said...

And don't get me started on the creases in their garments!

Hellooooooo, Heavenly!

Drago said...

Now sure, obama did lie repeatedly to our faces regarding obamacare, and just about everything else, but he did it with such aesthetic fabulousness!!

That HAS to count for something.

BN said...

And tomorrow, let's dissect the word "shallow" shall we?

Birches said...

If I had never seen Obama wearing his mom jeans, I'd probably agree with Althouse. Both Obamas looked fantastic at the Chinese State Dinner.

Drago said...

Birches: "If I had never seen Obama wearing his mom jeans"

Or seen him completely sissy-up a "first pitch", or seen this supposedly fantastic basketball player hilariously miss about 22 shots in a row, including layups (which is not going to impress his would-be boyfriend Putin), etc.

But hey, still fab-u-lous!

Birkel said...

Merny11,
I agree that Althouse's attempt to connect her opinion of the Obama's attractiveness with Mr. obama's ability to accomplish the tasks of his current job are ridiculous.

Professor Althouse should be ashamed.

Big Mike said...

You don't have to agree with their politics, but at a purely aesthetic level, they are fabulous. Your credibility about their policies would be better if you would admit that.

@Althouse, let me see whether I'm parsing this right. If I don't agree with your subjective view that the Obamas are "fabulous," then I have no standing to criticize the horrible botch Obama has made of the Middle East, no standing to criticize the Iran treaty, no standing to complain about the "L-shaped" economic recovery (i.e., no recovery at all)? Is that what you meant by that sentence?

Birkel said...

Big Mike:
"No standing" is overstating he case. But if you do not agree with Althouse's subjective aesthtics then your credibility is diminished.

The amount it is diminished, between zero and one hundred percent, is left an unanswered question.

Drago said...

"Brainwashed-Althouse-commenter-who-wishes-for-his-credibility-to-not-be-diminished-and-who-would-like-to-comment-on-Obama-middle-east-policy": "Barack and Michelle obama are the most beautiful, fabulous, bravest, warmest, most wonderful human beings I've ever known in my life."

"Now may I criticize obama's obviously moronic middle east policies, or would you prefer I simply play some solitaire?"

MathMom said...

Good grief. Why does Michelle Obama come out of the White House looking like this??

I'm on my laptop so I don't have at hand at least sixty photos of Michelle looking like a bag lady.

Laura said...

Clothes can be changed. Stylists can be hired. Wait, no, that didn't work for Mrs. Palin either.

Because the right $500 tennis shoes prove your intent to tend the garden yourself, not the dirty hands or knowledge of the soil.

Nichevo said...

Coffesnarf, MathMom, that needs a trigger warning!

Althouse, I wish I could think of a legal way to get you to stop being such a shit.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

You won't catch the Carsons spending a billion a year of other people's money on their personal lifestyle needs.

Obama fabulous? From the first time I laid eyes on him I he struck me as a huge pussy. So I guess he is striking after all. That wife of his could scare an actual cougar.

Rich accoutrements are often repellent. I think those two relish either reaction, according to who is reacting. Snobs and grifters the both of them.

Nichevo said...

AA likes what is repellent to the mass. It makes her feel special.

Did you think of any objective standard for their attractiveness, prof? Say, fuckability? Both appear unfuckable to me, unless possibly you would be allowed to murder them while you did it.

Mrs Carson is not offering herself as fabulous and so I leave her out, but I'd guess the good doctor would be ten times the lover Obama would be.

Of course Dr. Carson only likes girls.