sexymoma: So no better ladies for naija ba

Polio:

What has Somalia or Ethiopia got to do with the thread?!

Why are you such a nob head?!

sexymoma: 8. Problem solved and everyone is happy!

redsquare: That was very childish of Michelle to wear such a look in a public outing just because her hubby was flirting with another lady. By virtue of Obama's office as US president, it is expected he would chat with other world leaders in such gathering. There are other ways to call Obama to order without letting the whole world know she was jealous. I don't like people being over possessive. And she even swapped seats! She just disappointed me.

Yemlizzy:
I'm wondering same too,the fact that his wife was present ought to give no room for flirting.Michelle dey vex die!

seangy4konji: but seriouslyThat was low of michelle in a public place...Obama is a man of dignity and has always being faithful to her so talking and laughing with another world leader is what?is he meant to keep mute because my wife is there and not relate with other women?this guy meet different people every day as he is the united state president and must always show that poise and charisma...She Bleep up by even swapping seat.did she not know the world is watchingi still like you but what you did is what we call in yoruba language O KU DIE KAA TOOOO!!!

sexymoma: 8. Problem solved and everyone is happy!

blaise26.abj:
Unbecoming behavior from a president at a memorial. I like the way the wife called him to order ( if it is true sha).

BTW Michelle looked like she would spank Obama when they get back to their hotel room. The same way Mothers look when their sons misbehave publicly . The african mother look of " I will beat the living daylight outta you when we get to the car".

seangy4konji: but seriouslyThat was low of michelle in a public place...Obama is a man of dignity and has always being faithful to her so talking and laughing with another world leader is what?is he meant to keep mute because my wife is there and not relate with other women?this guy meet different people every day as he is the united state president and must always show that poise and charisma...She Bleep up by even swapping seat.did she not know the world is watchingi still like you but what you did is what we call in yoruba language O KU DIE KAA TOOOO!!!

Presbulg: She don spoil parole







but the honest, the timing of this act was very wrong.

femmyb: Michele Obama is just the typical black America woman, always having unnecessary attitude. No wonder 70% of them are single, bitter and unmarried with a bunch of kids with no man around, who wants to be around Women with such bad attitude.

redsquare: That was very childish of Michelle to wear such a look in a public outing just because her hubby was flirting with another lady. By virtue of Obama's office as US president, it is expected he would chat with other world leaders in such gathering. There are other ways to call Obama to order without letting the whole world know she was jealous. I don't like people being over possessive. And she even swapped seats! She just disappointed me.

deols:

Just expressing this as an attempt to neutralise the 'outrage' on his 'non-sad' mood, taking pix with that Danish PM like they were at a party, etc as carried by some US dailies.

prymesolution: [img]http://2.bp..com/-wnxOc7N7p2w/Uqk5mWTPVpI/AAAAAAAADjg/OMY0fkab9BU/s576/obama-selfie.JPG[/img]

The saying "a picture is worth a thousand words" is true. However, we don't realize is that those 'thousand words' may be true or completely false. So we should be careful about the assumptions we make based on a photo. Sometimes it's just not what it seem.

That's the case of the Obama selfie photos taken at Nelson Mandela's memorial service held on Tuesday, December 10, 2013. Of everything that happened at the event, the 'most important' news that made headline on various media outlets was President Barack Obama taking a selfie with UK Prime Minister David Cameron and Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning Schmidt while first lady Michelle Obama seemed peeved as the three leaders took the picture.

Roberto Schmidt, the photographer who took the viral shot posted this article online regarding media obsession with the pictures:

So here’s the photo, my photo, which quickly lit up the world’s social networks and news websites. The “selfie” of three world leaders who, during South Africa’s farewell to Nelson Mandela, were messing about like kids instead of behaving with the mournful gravitas one might expect.

In general on this blog, photojournalists tell the story behind a picture they’ve taken. I’ve done this for images from Pakistan, and India, where I am based. And here I am again, but this time the picture comes from a stadium in Soweto, and shows people taking a photo of themselves. I guess it’s a sign of our times that somehow this image seemed to get more attention than the event itself. Go figure.

[...] So Obama took his place amid these leaders who’d gathered from all corners of the globe. Among them was British Prime Minister David Cameron, as well as a woman who I wasn’t able to immediately identify. I later learned it was the Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning Schmidt. I’m a German-Colombian based in India, so I don’t feel too bad I didn’t recognize her! At the time, I thought it must have been one of Obama’s many staffers.

Anyway, suddenly this woman pulled out her mobile phone and took a photo of herself smiling with Cameron and the US president. I captured the scene reflexively. All around me in the stadium, South Africans were dancing, singing and laughing to honor their departed leader. It was more like a carnival atmosphere, not at all morbid. The ceremony had already gone on for two hours and would last another two. The atmosphere was totally relaxed – I didn’t see anything shocking in my viewfinder, president of the US or not. We are in Africa.

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.

I took these photos totally spontaneously, without thinking about what impact they might have. At the time, I thought the world leaders were simply acting like human beings, like me and you. I doubt anyone could have remained totally stony faced for the duration of the ceremony, while tens of thousands of people were celebrating in the stadium. For me, the behavior of these leaders in snapping a selfie seems perfectly natural.

I see nothing to complain about, and probably would have done the same in their place. The AFP team worked hard to display the reaction that South African people had for the passing of someone they consider as a father. We moved about 500 pictures, trying to portray their true feelings, and this seemingly trivial image seems to have eclipsed much of this collective work.

It was interesting to see politicians in a human light because usually when we see them it is in such a controlled environment. Maybe this would not be such an issue if we, as the press, would have more access to dignitaries and be able to show they are human as the rest of us.

I confess too that it makes me a little sad we are so obsessed with day-to-day trivialities, instead of things of true importance. - Richard Schmidt | AFP

See more pictures and other Obama-Michelle moments that never really got talked about.