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Politics

Hardly Any Men Were Interested In Michelle Obama’s Speech Last Night


Michelle Obama’s speech on behalf of the president last night was an unqualified success — it was moving, funny, inspiring and genuine. The Washington Post‘s camera captured many convention-goers applauding, nodding, and smiling along with the First Lady’s words. But out of the countless reaction shots in the 25-minute speech, very few of them came from men. It seemed like an editorial choice on the part of the camera operators, which is a little frustrating. Michelle Obama may be the First Lady, but it’s not as though the content of her speech was directed purely at female voters. To assume so gives men too little credit.

In addition to making fun of Obama’s post-college hoopty of a car, Michelle also talked about the meaning of fatherhood and work for her father and for the president — certainly issues relevant to men as well as women. Her overall message of the importance of education and opportunity for current and future generations was certainly a resonant one for both sexes. So why did so few guys get the reaction shot treatment? Here’s an accounting of all the cuts to male audience members in Obama’s speech, which you can see below:

0:06: Joe Biden and Dr. Jill! They share a shot, so this one doesn’t count. Joe is psyched.

4:24: Our first non-Vice Presidential male audience member makes an appearance, and he is a mustachioed, 10-gallon hat wearing older gentleman straight out of the Republican Convention. He looks great.

6:08: Applauding man (but he shares the screen with his lady. Doesn’t count).

8:29: Serious man with a mustache. A lot of mustaches in the Time Warner Center tonight.

9:44: There’s a guy in this shot, but I think it was an accident and he was just blocking the awesome lady with bright purple eyeshadow.

10:30: Men waving signs.

12:04: Kindly-looking man who is talking (hopefully in the “Yes, I agree” way and not the “I also talk through movies” kind of way).

12:05: Veterans! Nice.

12:28: This dude just walked through a lady’s reaction shot. Rude.

12:49: Uh, Idris Elba? Sort of? From a certain angle? He’s also sharing the screen with a lady.

13:04: The same guy from 6:08 again, this time in a lady sandwich.

13:07: Biden again. Still psyched.

13:12: Dad with daughter on his shoulders. Amazing.

13:22: Unimpressed baby. This doesn’t prove my point one way or the other, but I do think it’s hilarious that the Washington Post made sure to get a baby’s reaction shot.

13:53: Another vet, with a young guy next to him.

13:58: Back of a dude’s head.

14:12: Another man.

14:37: Politely golf-clapping man who’s sharing the screen with a woman who may or may not be his mother.

14:55: Man gets to his feet. See? They liked the speech too. More equality in reaction shots, Washington Post!

17:20: Another distinguished-looking mustache.

18:25: A nodding man who’s very relieved to learn that Michelle loves Barack more now than she did four years ago.

19:06: Another mustache, plus another regular guy.

19:40: The MVP of all of these reaction shots/the convention, resplendent in a bright red newsboy cap.

20:09: A man nods, sharing the shot with another lady.

20:50: Guys waving flags.

22:48: A man in what I initially thought was an elf’s hat, but I think it’s actually a Robin Hood cap? I’m still not sure that makes a ton of sense.

24:26: Hey man, nice tie.

24:51: Nice tie guy is feeling it; gets to his feet.

24:53: Joe and Dr. Jill bring it home for us.

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  • Anonymous

    The Democratic Party makes no secret that they have no place for strait employed men. Notice how the media never talks about the Democrats gender gap.

  • Spud

    I’m a 64 yr. old, white male, USMC veteran, and I was interested in Mrs. Obamas’ speech. She sure made Mrs. Romney look wooden and stiff…just like Mitt.

  • Anonymous

    Actually, that’s all in your racist, homophobic mind. My guess is that you are underemployed and are looking for someone to blame for your shortcomings.

    There are millions of us straight, employed males actively supporting the Democratic Party. It’s a big tent, unlike the xenophobic, racist, sexist Republican party.

  • Anonymous

    Yep, sure sounds like a big tent to me.

  • Anonymous

    Who would actually take the time to measure male reaction shots? That says a lot right there. I couldn’t help but notice some less-than-friendly camera shots at the RNC by pool cameras. I could have sworn one of them was a scowling Tommy Christopher.

  • Sarah Devlin

    Well, it’s more of a “fun exercise” than a serious commentary — although the Mediaite article does feature interesting discussion about demographics!

  • Anonymous

    I’m a white female. Her speech sounded like a bunch of gushing blather to me, but then, I guess it was just to rally the girly base. Sorry, I’m past.

  • http://twitter.com/Ty_Kinase Tyrosine Kinase

    She is a hideous, affirmative action clown. That’s why no men were interested in listening to her speak.

  • Anonymous
  • Anonymous

    My 75 year old white husband thought it was terrific and watched every minute of it.

  • Anonymous

    I think we know who the clown is and I’m 74 years old and white and have never heard a women in my life give a better speech…

  • Anonymous

    And I can bet you are a fat old slob, and you are calling the beautiful woman hideous. Lady Michelle Obama is no affirmative action. She is a brilliant Harvard graduate so please go away.

  • Orestes Ippeau

    The real point here is how grossly misleading the headline is to this post. The headline says one thing – men not interested in FLOTUS’ speech – implies something broader – Merkin men not interested, presumably on some reliable measuring tool – and delivers a highly subjective, therefore arguable at best, completely imaginary at worst, suspect for sure, in-building camera shot listing.

    What … did Sarah Devlin fail some test to get thrown off Mediaite Central, and so is not trying desperately to cobble together Drudge-like sludge to get back to The Show?

  • http://gamewhen.com/ Michael T

    A misleading headline and a purely fabricated criticism smacks of bias and further evidence that Mediaite (in general) and Sarah Devlin (in particular) frequently shade their articles with a right-leaning bis.

  • Anonymous

    I am a 72-year-old white man. Michelle Obama gave one of the best speeches i’ve ever heard in my life. She is a phenomenon, and anyone who criticizes her is almost certainly a racist.

  • Anonymous

    Loved Michelle’s speech, the only one I watched beginning to end, fabulous!

    That being said, and I could be wrong here, but I think Sarah’s point might have been that the media selected very few men comparatively speaking in their audience shots during the presentation.
    Therefore, I take the article’s title as a facetious one, pointing out the media’s apparent belief that women were the only ones watching and interested since a woman was speaking?
    I could be wrong, but this just might be an observation requiring us to think beyond our customary right/left boundaries.

  • Benny

    You’re an asshole now stfu.

  • Anonymous

    NO! NOT A BIAS!
    Gee, we’ve been told this Wookie and “the best husband ever” were told a few things from a “bias” left leaning media for, what…4 1/2 years?
    Fit, international style icon? No, our lying eyes tell us she is a fat arsed silly woman that dresses in too tight clothes, camel toe and xxxxxs sweaters…with the occasional fab boob belt, crooked wig hat and tranny eyebrows.
    And that “best husband, etc.”… On the DL and everybody knows it.
    But do keep being outraged at the bias as these two are finally vetted.

  • http://twitter.com/Cleasa Cleasa Von Clusen

    What an ugly person you are. Interior-wise, I mean.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_NR7WKWCD3O4HD3EWQOYMSHLZ4A what

    I see Michelle still has the “sleeveless thing” going on.Lets face it, its a “look at me” thing with her. Yes, we know she has the money and the time to work out with a personal trainer, She also has 24 assistants tohelp her look the way she wants. However she does not look like a Frist Lady anywhere, either here in the US or in Europe. No First Lady dresses like her, always showing off. Its pathetic and immature.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000894438466 Charles Miller

    this is a really weak “story”. In light of the fact the the First Lady has gotten rave reviews from nearly all corners, this attempted dig is not even sophomoric. Just lame.

  • Anonymous

    Well….I’m not all gaga over it like the lamestreamers “best FLOTUS speech in the history of the world” according to MSNBC. It was OK, she was OK just like Mrs. Romney was OK and her speech was OK.

    A FLOTUS speech isn’t going to make a hill of beans difference in the voting booth; so the media can stop licking her feet now. Honestly, they are embarrassing themselves the way they are falling all over her. Mrs. Cult Leader to the so-called “news” people, I presume.

  • http://www.facebook.com/roseanne.chapman Roseanne Chapman

    What a spin you are putting on this one! She spoke to everyone.

  • Anonymous

    It was an editorial decision. They decided not to air the reactions of the men who were watching ESPN on their phones.

  • http://twitter.com/LHAPS Marcia Breithaupt

    She is a Harvard graduate that cheated on the Bar exam and got her law degree taken away from her. Yep, real brilliance there! Even the POTUS had to give up his law degree for some unknown reason and is nothing more than an instructer. Get your facts straight.

  • Anonymous

    Correction: “Intelligent people, regardless of gender, race and/or sexuality not interested in what Wookie McAffirmativeaction has to say about her failure of a husband”. Piss off Mooch.

  • Anonymous

    Because white men are scary and evil and yucky poo. I find it odd that any heterosexual white man with a job would cast a vote for Democrats… EVER.

  • Gayle Loveland

    ….And this, ladies and gentlemen, is what today’s democratic party has become—a bunch of bean counters! I’ve never read such a load of drivel in my life—ten-gallon hats? Facial hair? I’m embarassed for the author……

  • Caribou “QUIT” Barbie™

    That is a lie. I waited all night for MO speech.

  • Anonymous

    You must be a FOX News watcher. What you are saying are pure lies.

    President Obama and Lady Obama was not practicing law so they made their license expire. Santorum did the same thing. Many Lawyers who are not practicing law, instead of paying their yearly fees they let them expire
    President Obama and Lady Obama were brilliant students.http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=5BKsHCR2Ma8

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrEezQhG7YA&feature=related

    Her status is
    “Voluntarily inactive and not authorized to practice law”, which is
    far from disbarred. It also states “public record of discipline-none”
    (disbarment is public discipline), and

    “pending
    proceedings-none” Don’t let the “not authorized to practice law”
    fool you. “Voluntarily inactive” simply means she has let her license
    expire, and thus, “not authorized to practice law

  • Anonymous

    She fake stutters. So irritating.

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