Conservatives Write Sexist Fanfiction For Obama And The Danish PM

Written by Matt Gertz

Published

The right-wing media is using a photo from Nelson Mandela's memorial service to fabricate a sexist depiction of President Obama and Michelle Obama.

A photographer from Agence France-Presse took a series of photos of the Obamas and Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt, who was seated next to them at the December 10 service.

The New York Post seized on one of the photos to produce this cover for its December 11 edition: 

NY Post cover

Fox & Friends picked up the angle later in the morning. “I remember the last time I was sitting with the Danish prime minister,” co-host Brian Kilmeade quipped. “She caused trouble in my relationship as well.”

Fox and the New York Post used the image to concoct a sexist narrative that suggests that the only reason President Obama could possibly have to be friendly to the prime minister of Denmark is because he wants to flirt with her, and that portrays Michelle Obama as jealous. 

But the photojournalist who took the pictures rejected the interpretation that his photos showed Michelle Obama was angry, writing of another photo, the “selfie” that President Obama took with Thorning-Schmidt and British Prime Minister David Cameron:

I later read on social media that Michelle Obama seemed to be rather peeved on seeing the Danish prime minister take the picture. But photos can lie. In reality, just a few seconds earlier the first lady was herself joking with those around her, Cameron and Schmidt included. Her stern look was captured by chance.

Indeed, via Twitter, here's a photo of Michelle Obama smiling as President Obama and Thorning-Schmidt converse:

The Obama's and Thorning-Smith

This fabricated story is reminiscent of a similar right-wing media freakout over a 2009 photo of President Obama meeting with junior G8 delegates at a summit. Conservatives claimed that the picture showed president Obama leering at a young woman: 

But video of the incident showed that Obama was just walking down some high steps while reaching back to help someone else do so as well. As Fox News host Greta Van Susteren said after airing video of the event, “Yes, a still picture can lie. And this one does.”