Photo courtesy of www.hollywoodreporter.com

Monday night at the USA basketball team’s exhibition game in Washington, D.C., President Obama and the first lady were caught on the customary game night “Kiss Cam” not once but twice. The first time with tons of cheering from fellow game-watchers, Mr. President, looking a wee bit embarrassed, simply embraced his wife.  This shifted the preceding cheers to a din of booing. Allegedly, they were unaware that they needed to kiss until their daughter inquired into why they had not done so. The second time, he planted a gentle and loving kiss on Michelle and applause erupted yet again. You can click here to see the kiss that started it all.

Of course it didn’t end there even though it should have. A stream of negative press followed claiming that the First Lady rejected The President’s initial smooch attempt. Reporters (can you even call them that at this point?) even bandied theories of who snubbed whom and dared to allude to marital disharmony! There were reports criticizing The Pres for even participating in the game time gimmick at all. And what further cracked me up is that this “debacle” even garnered a snarky, “PDA is not for everybody” remark from habitual line stepper over-er, Kobe Bryant, of all people. YOU… just have a seat, sir.

Really, folks? Barack and Michelle Obama couldn’t possibly have, oh I don’t know, a shy moment like the majority of human beings do when coerced into PDA? No, they’re marionettes whose strings are controlled by the applause and/or razz of the people. Give me a whole entire break, and please, give them one too.

I remember when people just COULD NOT believe that The Obamas were as in love as they exuded in every photograph, interview and press conference. There were a dizzying number of comments flung at them suggesting that they tone down their NORMAL, loving interactions with one another. But now, because of an embarrassing missed Kiss Cam opportunity that they made up for, she’s dissing him? There’s trouble in paradise? They’re putting on a facade? Geez, they are damned if they do and damned if they don’t. However, this isn’t a new realization.

I keep hearing people murmuring about Michelle Obama’s way of dress, President Obama’s impromptu renditions of his favorite songs and great comedic timing on late night talk shows, and the plethora of pictures of the first couple jumping rope, dancing, laughing and playing together. Is it wrong for the President and First Lady to be ordinary, humorous and likable people, or do they have to be and act like robots to appease people? Why do small moments have to be overly analyzed as people not taking their jobs seriously, being tasteless because they enjoy wearing shorts, or a reason to question their parenting skills? If they are in love and show it tastefully (or NOT if they don’t feel like it), is there buried someplace deep within the United States Constitution a law or amendment or tenant that expressly forbids The first family to be everyday people?

To me it’s part of their appeal to the rest of us everyday people who work, dance, laugh, play and sing. And no disrespect to former President and First Lady Bush (both sets), but I’d rather see my President make a tasteful move on his wife than to see an obviously cold marriage feign happiness for the sake of holding up a front for the American people. Let the Obamas be real. They do it the best because it’s who they are.

La Truly is a late-blooming Aries whose writing is powered by a lifetime of anecdotal proof that awkward can transform to awesome and fear can cast its crown before courage. Armed with the ability to purposefully poke fun at herself and a passion for young women’s empowerment, La seeks to encourage thought, discussion and change through her writing. Check out her thoughts/jokes/rants on Twitter: @AshleyLaTruly.  

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