There's been a lot of back and forth in the office today about the proper way to appreciate a woman's, er... 'assets'. Naturally, it was brought on by the pictures of Presidents Obama and Sarkozy apparently staring at the rear end of a comely young lady who was passing by during a photo op. I think Gawker did a great job debunking the whole Obama Ass Ogle Scandal of '09, making a great case that our sainted prez wasn't ogling anyone inappropriately at the G8 summit. (GMA also had a funny video letting Obama off the hook.) However, I doubt one can say as much for French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who was fairly craning his neck (and popping his eyes) to keep the lass's lower half in sight.So, the question is, Is there an ethical (or unethical) way to admire a fine-looking member of the opposite sex?
Consensus among the women here at the office was, Sarkozy made them shudder. There's a way to be discreet and still get your fill (if you must), they agreed, without offending anyone. But the resident male who was close enough to chime in said, "it's not sleazy, it just means he's a heterosexual man who loves women..."
Personally, I think it all lies in the consciousness of other people's feelings by the person doing the ogling. I enjoy being admired, but I don't enjoy being harassed. I don't want to feel preyed on, disgraced, objectified or humiliated, so if that's what's in your head, have the grace to hide it in your behavior. I'll do the same when I'm checking you out.
And when it comes to world leaders... well, I hold them to a higher standard, frankly. If you're going to be representing my country on camera at a multi-national summit, don't shame me by leering at a teenaged gal's derriere, no matter how shapely it may be. Your behavior reflects the morals and values of an entire nation. Hear that, Sarkozy?
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Don't lose respect for either! Wake up and understand male-bonding, "hey that's good!", and "hey, that stinks!" It's in every normal guy- only an "unnormal" guy with questionable gender could miss that passing by!!! None of us buys everything we see on a menu!!
He was gawking, no doubt of it. Had that been a Republican, you would have heard the stuck pig squeals from everyone from Barney Frank to Nancy Pelosi. I believe he disgraced himself, shamed his small children and disrespected his wife.
I did not vote for the man. I would not vote for him. He most definitely was scoping the young girl's stuff. I find it amusing that so many otherwise vain and self-important people have bent over backward to throw their dignity on the ground before Obama lest he be stained.
Bull. This is one of the few things he's done that doesn't make me want to unelect him. I don't think he intentionally ogled the young lass. The move was reflexive and involuntary. He'd have had to be thinking "don't look at her ass, don't look at her ass!" to avoid looking. He was distracted by other things and thus fell victim to his instincts. It's so seldom that anything genuine ever comes from Obama, that this is refreshing. I hope once Cap and Trade and the healthcare debacle crashes and burns, he starts acting like a regular guy and, more importantly, people start treating him like one.
I agree that the video exonerates Obama (and indicts Sarkozy!). It's great to see such a great illustration of how pictures can, in fact, sometimes lie.
I just want to note that I don't think the typical straight male naturally intends to be demeaning when responding visually to attractive women. It may be that culture teaches men and boys to bond over ogling women who seem to be unattainable - perhaps as a means of coping with the unattainability. (I don't think this is exclusively male behavior either; women and girls are also more likely to ogle in an obvious manner when in groups.) Turning it into an unequal power dynamic is not okay, and it's more so when the overall social inequality makes such antics symbolic of the whole. But the simple instinct to notice and enjoy some eye candy is fine.
The ironic thing is, the more insecure (and thus usually more harmless) an ogler is, the more "demeaning" it might feel to the ogled, since the insecure ogler is less likely to actually make eye contact and approach with conversation. It's usually the ones who know how to turn a glance into a potential encounter with some banter who present more of a real risk.
How can you honestly say Obama was NOT?
Come on now...
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