Malia and Sasha Obama become trendsetters, I feel nervous
Last week, after arguably the most historic election of our lifetimes, Americans immediately turned their attention to the issues that really matter-you know, like dresses, puppies, and how much the losing team spent on their campaign wardrobe.
We at Shine reported on these stories, yes, because they were news and, especially for a blog about fashion and beauty, some of them were relevant.
However, one story last week gave me pause. The Wall Street Journal reported that Malia and Sasha Obama's election night dresses had sold out within 24 hours and that, because of this, the girls were being deemed "trendsetters." When I read the story, my first instinct as an editor was to create a slideshow depicting all of the outfits the girls wore on the campaign trail, how adorable they are, and how they're the first young children to live in the White House since Amy Carter in 1977.
But then I realized that by doing this I would be feeding into a media frenzy I don't entirely support. It's a little scary that a 7-year-old and a 10-year-old are being written about solely for what they're wearing. It's the way the media covers celebrity kids and those celebrity kids often grow up to be maladjusted, fame-confused freaks (imagine how weird it would feel to have people critiquing your clothes before you even hit puberty). I don't want to treat the Obama girls the way we treat Shiloh or Suri or Miley or Prince Harry or any other inappropriate coverage of the underage you can remember. It would be excellent if these two girls get to live childhoods that are as fun and innocent and grounded as they can be under the circumstances. And this can only be achieved if the press exercises a bit of respect and restraint.
So, as much as I love them, over the next four years (or as long as Barack Obama is president), I hope to see as little of Malia and Sasha Obama as possible.
Cashing in on The Sasha Obama Connection
First Daughter Malia Obama - Fashion Trendsetter in the Making?
