Paging Ernie K-Doe! President Obama's mother-in-law is moving into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue with him. :
Marian Robinson, Barack Obama's mother-in-law, will be living with the first couple at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the transition confirmed today.Robinson, 71, was a regular feature on the Obama campaign trail, helping her daughter -- the new first lady -- to take care of the Obamas's two girls, Sasha and Malia.
Now, as Obama assumes the presidency, Robinson will be help make the move from Chicago a bit easier. It is unclear how long Robinson will be living there.
Mother Robinson will live in the White House as long as Mother Robinson wants to live in the White House. If the President knows what's good for him. Heh.
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Yes, I think laughing at things is good. Your glove box story had me laughing out loud.
I'm just not all that into laughing at people, especially when it seems really, really, really about them being black. I don't think that's hyper-politically correct.
The Obama's have two things in common with the Jeffersons -- they are black, and they are someplace some white people don't want them to be. But the "sassy, uppity black" stereotype does not ring true in any way with the Harvard Obamas. You want to compare Sarah Palin to the cop in Fargo? I'll laugh at that. Similar sort of cadence, similar attitude, there's some humor there. Want to make Texan jokes about Bush? Texans have their own culture, several actually, so make a gun rack joke and I'll laugh. But the only real thing the Obamas have in common with the fictional Jeffersons is skin color, and, well, a mother in law. They are not poor blacks who scraped their way into upper middle class capitalist society while never leaving behind the sensibilities they developed in the "ghetto". How about comparing Michelle Obama and Wheezy? Wouldn't Barbara Bush match "Weezy" better?
I won't say anyone laughing at the joke (or even making it) is a bigot, because not everyone thinks things to pieces like I do. But consider it for a bit, putting that joke out there reflects a racial prejudice in the whites of this country that "black" is ONE group of people. Look at the character on 30 Rock called "Twofer", that's a funny joke with racial aspects to it because it is specific to an individual and to a cultural type. There are two black characters on that show and there is racial humor all over both of them. But you can't interchange the jokes between them.
On the other hand, maybe that one thing -- being black somewhere black people aren't supposed to be -- is enough to make the comparison humorous. Maybe I am being too touchy. Guess I'm just getting a bit tired of everything about the Obama's from every side having to have a racial component, we can't even make a MIL joke without it being a black MIL joke. I think it's going to be a long, long four years.
I think it is utterly cool that the First Children will have their grandmother with them in the White House. But then, I've never understood MIL jokes, since my husband's mother, may she rest in peace, was so good to me, and also because most families I know don't exactly have MIL problems, they have one set of parents that neither of them gets along with, and another set that they both get along with. Is this the wave of the future?
I thought it was funny too. More importantly, I think it is wonderful - the next big trend is likely to be "family consolidating housing" - by absolute necessity, as foreclosures and job losses increase. Besides being good for his kids, Obama is pointing out here that this can also be good for families. I can't think of a better message to undercut the half century of narrative that says "everyone needs their seperate houses - family sucks."
Sharon
She took them to school, to piano lesson and dance lessons, cooked their meals, ran their baths and got them to bed on time. She was a critical part of the family’s effort to keep the girls’ lives as normal as possible in the midst of extraordinary times.
But Mrs. Robinson is also deeply rooted in Chicago. She still lives in the house where Michelle Obama grew up. And she has often expressed ambivalence about the notion of moving to Washington.
“I’ve never lived outside of Chicago, so I don’t know,’’ said Mrs. Robinson, hesitating a bit as she considered last year whether she was willing to move into the White House. “In the end, in the end, I’ll do whatever. I might fuss a little, but I’ll be there.”
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