# Michelle Obama's portrait unveiled. Someone's got a sense of humor. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 1, 2009, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle-obamas-portrait-unveiled-someones-got-a-sense-of-humor/487912 "2009-03-01T20:56:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Scruloose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@Scruloose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scruloose)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle-obamas-portrait-unveiled-someones-got-a-sense-of-humor/487912/1 "2009-03-01T20:56:00Z")
[New portrait.](http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2009-02-27-MrsObamaPortrait.jpg) It’s a nice picture, but the art in priceless. ---
**Author:** ![Jeeves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/73ab20/32.png) [@Jeeves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeeves)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle-obamas-portrait-unveiled-someones-got-a-sense-of-humor/487912/2 "2009-03-01T20:59:03Z")
What am I missing? I can’t tell who the portrait on the wall is supposed to be. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle-obamas-portrait-unveiled-someones-got-a-sense-of-humor/487912/3 "2009-03-01T21:00:10Z")
I don’t get it. Are you referring to the fact that you can see a portrait of the slave-owning, black-woman-loving Jefferson in the background? ---
**Author:** ![katie1341](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/91b2a8/32.png) [@katie1341](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/katie1341)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle-obamas-portrait-unveiled-someones-got-a-sense-of-humor/487912/4 "2009-03-01T21:02:35Z")
Looks like Thomas Jefferson. And it’s a great portrait. What a beautiful woman she is. ---
**Author:** ![Hakuna\_Matata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@Hakuna\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hakuna_Matata)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle-obamas-portrait-unveiled-someones-got-a-sense-of-humor/487912/5 "2009-03-01T21:54:12Z")
> [@katie1341](#): > > Looks like Thomas Jefferson. > > And it’s a great portrait. What a beautiful woman she is. I agree she is a beautiful woman, but the placement in the portrait seems off to me–way too much space above her head, the chair cut off in the background, etc. Seems there could have been better placement for her in the backdrop in my opinion–having blue come out of the top of her head isn’t exactly the right placement! ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle-obamas-portrait-unveiled-someones-got-a-sense-of-humor/487912/6 "2009-03-01T22:13:35Z")
> [@Hakuna\_Matata](#): > > I agree she is a beautiful woman, but the placement in the portrait seems off to me–way too much space above her head, the chair cut off in the background, etc. Seems there could have been better placement for her in the backdrop in my opinion–having blue come out of the top of her head isn’t exactly the right placement! It looks like a photo my mother would have taken: cut off the legs and make it look like there’s a growth on her head. It should have either been full length or head & shoulders, and with a better backdrop. Also, stop leaning on the table. Was this photographer a professional? ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle-obamas-portrait-unveiled-someones-got-a-sense-of-humor/487912/7 "2009-03-01T22:25:54Z")
Yes, the blue drapery leaping out from her head does look… odd. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle-obamas-portrait-unveiled-someones-got-a-sense-of-humor/487912/8 "2009-03-01T22:26:33Z")
Am I the only one hearing Thomas Jefferson doing Quagmire’s voice while staring at her? “Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…right!” ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle-obamas-portrait-unveiled-someones-got-a-sense-of-humor/487912/9 "2009-03-01T22:32:26Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Yes, the blue drapery leaping out from her head does look… odd. It’s like a cliche of a badly composed photograph, with an object in the backdrop looking like it grew out of the person’s head! She looks good in it, though. ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle-obamas-portrait-unveiled-someones-got-a-sense-of-humor/487912/10 "2009-03-01T22:41:55Z")
I’d hit that. ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle-obamas-portrait-unveiled-someones-got-a-sense-of-humor/487912/11 "2009-03-01T22:46:48Z")
uh… ok. I guess I’m missing the “power is an aphrodisiac” gene or something. She’s as attractive as Laura Bush, I guess. But Jefferson in the background isn’t that big of a deal to me. If it was totally posed and fake they’d probably have Lincoln back there, but she’s living in a city named after a slave owner. Not many of our presidents have been saints. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle-obamas-portrait-unveiled-someones-got-a-sense-of-humor/487912/12 "2009-03-01T23:15:32Z")
> [@Bobotheoptimist](#): > > uh… ok. I guess I’m missing the “power is an aphrodisiac” gene or something. She’s as attractive as Laura Bush, I guess. > > But Jefferson in the background isn’t that big of a deal to me. If it was totally posed and fake they’d probably have Lincoln back there, but she’s living in a city named after a slave owner. Not many of our presidents have been saints. Well, Clinton had at least one worshiper on her knees. ---
**Author:** ![Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8c91f0/32.png) [@Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bam_Boo_Gut)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle-obamas-portrait-unveiled-someones-got-a-sense-of-humor/487912/13 "2009-03-01T23:27:54Z")
What the hell is that growing out of her hand? ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle-obamas-portrait-unveiled-someones-got-a-sense-of-humor/487912/14 "2009-03-01T23:57:41Z")
Do you mean the flower or her wristbone? ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle-obamas-portrait-unveiled-someones-got-a-sense-of-humor/487912/15 "2009-03-02T00:04:25Z")
I don’t like the pose, and the composition stinks. That window in the left background really looks bad. I’d expect better from the junior high photo club. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle-obamas-portrait-unveiled-someones-got-a-sense-of-humor/487912/16 "2009-03-02T00:14:08Z")
> [@Hakuna\_Matata](#): > > I agree she is a beautiful woman, but the placement in the portrait seems off to me–way too much space above her head, the chair cut off in the background, etc. Seems there could have been better placement for her in the backdrop in my opinion–having blue come out of the top of her head isn’t exactly the right placement! Yeah, the composition is…questionable (big drape out of her head, big white space in the top left corner, flower in front of hand,etc.) Pretty poor, if I may be frank. However, the expression looks natural, and the lighting is competent, so that saves the photo, although I wouldn’t call it a great photo by any stretch. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle-obamas-portrait-unveiled-someones-got-a-sense-of-humor/487912/17 "2009-03-02T00:19:26Z")
The only good thing about the photo is Michelle. That photographer is worse than half the shutter monkeys on Flickr. ---
**Author:** ![Bites\_When\_Provoked](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bites_when_provoked/32/18073_2.png) [@Bites\_When\_Provoked](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bites_When_Provoked)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle-obamas-portrait-unveiled-someones-got-a-sense-of-humor/487912/18 "2009-03-02T00:21:12Z")
The photo gives her one big eye and one little eye, which seems a little weird. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle-obamas-portrait-unveiled-someones-got-a-sense-of-humor/487912/19 "2009-03-02T00:24:58Z")
> [@Bites\_When\_Provoked](#): > > The photo gives her one big eye and one little eye, which seems a little weird. Thank you–I thought I was going crazy. It’s a badly framed pic and she looks to me like she needs to hold onto the table for support. I’m sure she doesn’t, so wth? ---
**Author:** ![Lungfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d78d45/32.png) [@Lungfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lungfish)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle-obamas-portrait-unveiled-someones-got-a-sense-of-humor/487912/20 "2009-03-02T00:54:35Z")
She is one hot FLITF. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/michelle-obamas-portrait-unveiled-someones-got-a-sense-of-humor/487912.md?page=2)