If you have not go ahead, open a new window, and search. I’ll wait for you…
What did you see? No it was not the Official White House Photo of First Lady Michelle Obama. Unbelievable huh? No your eyes did not deceive you. What you saw was a racist caricature that depicts the First Lady of the United States as a chimpanzee. Somehow the slogan, “you’ve come a long way baby,” is not the first thing that pops into my mind.
For all of the post-racial America talk that has been swarming since the election of President Obama, this caricature sums it all up. Don’t get me wrong. I am all for free speech and freedom of the Internet, as long as no children, the elderly, or animals or harmed. However, does this have to be the first image that pops up on your computer screen when you Google the leader of the “free” world’s wife? What must the world think of America when they see this? Or maybe they’re just use to the chicanery and foolishness that goes on here in the name of democracy.
To quote one reader over at the Search Engine Roundtable, “I can’t believe the people of the US don’t respect the members of their first family.” All I can say is stick around, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Can someone say 2010 midterm elections?
Nevertheless, this needs to be addressed. WhiteHouse.gov offers a great sampling of photos that depict our First Lady in all of her fabulousness. So get a clue Google and fix it. Some how I find it hard to believe that an obscure, hodgepodge of a blog like BUZZ Pics (no, I am not going to link to them), with a handful of reader comments, has gotten so many hits that those little Google spiders can’t help but find it and rank it as the number one image of the First Lady. And here’s a hint Google, we don’t care either way. FIX IT!
If any of you vigilant Michelle Obama Watchers are interested in sharing your thoughts with Google click here.
Let’s see how long it takes them to FIX IT! I’m starting my countdown today. And another thing, shouldn’t the Official White House Photo Gallery be the first thing that comes up in a Google search? I’m just saying, that would be the safe bet to keep away from all Simian primate depictions of the First Family.
Posted by Aminah Hanan
25 Comments, Comment or Ping
pepper
I’ve heard about the pictures on google that’s why I never bothered to look. When I want to look for a Michelle “friendly” site I only go to links on black blogs. I never do a search on a search engine.
By the way, do you know that this site is on the blog role of Hillbuzz. You know those so called feminists that only love white women. They have written a lot of hateful things about Michelle, even though the clam to be pro women, because they believe Barack stole the election from Hillary, when he won fare and square. I think you should pay them a visit. You will think its a white supremacy site. They complained when Hillary and Sarah received this type of treatment but will do it to someone else. I really don’t understand these “women”. That’s why no one takes them seriously.
Nov 15th, 2009
Aminah Hanan
@Pepper We don’t have to search there, but the world does. Google is a highly ranked search engine used by millions, if not billions, of people. It’s unacceptable for this to be the first image of our First Lady. I’ll say it again, what’s wrong with the Official White House Photo. For heaven’s sake she’s been the First Lady for 10 months now.
As far as the Hillbuzz, they may be a white feminist supremacist site, but that’s their right. They pick their fights and we must pick and win ours regardless of what any one else does.
Now what are we going to do about this Google Image search?
Nov 15th, 2009
Tia
I have seen this image before on google during the primaries. At first I was angry by it then I did a google search for Hillary and ugly images came up as well. Personally, as I a Black woman I said let the image stay. It serves more as wake up call to all minorities living in America and abroad that racism is still alive. By drawing more attention to it you’ll make it more popular with racist groups.
I’m sure Michelle is well aware of these images of her and Barack being put out there by racist. It comes with the territory of being the first Black couple to live in the White House. When you break barriers of any kind the haters will come out.
Nov 15th, 2009
digitam
I’m appalled that this is the very first image to appear when using Google’s image search. I’m not surprised that images like this exist, but I’m shocked that it’s the first image. Aren’t these things ranked by popularity? If so, that means more people want to see pics of Michelle as a monkey than anything else. This is further proof that racism is alive and well in America.
Nov 15th, 2009
pepper
I agree somewhat with both of you. While I hate the image and these so called “women”, us black women need to realize what is out there and what we are up against. Too many of us see back or even join in (Nia Henderson) when something negative about Michelle is said or done. But in fact this is what many American’s think or say about us behind our backs. My hope is for little black girls (including myself) to be able to attain the confidence Michelle has in spite of all the negativity shown her way.
Nov 15th, 2009
BC
Well said, Pepper. I couldn’t give a rat’s rump what people waste their time doing. Michelle is living the time of her life and will go down in history for more than her race or what people percieve her to look like. Let the hater’s hate, they obviously have way too much time on their hands.
Nov 15th, 2009
Aminah Hanan
@Tia The primaries is one thing. Michelle Obama as a First Lady was just a “fairy tale” then. 10 months later it’s a reality and respect is due. I don’t understand what Hillary Clinton has to do with Michelle Obama today.
As a so-called “minority” I think it is important for us to call attention to images like these. Ignoring them is not practicing some sort of passive aggressive protest. Burying our heads in the sand will not make racism go away either.
@Digitam Thanks for leaving a comment at Google. That’s all it takes is a simple comment and it doesn’t cost us a penny. I agree with you, the fact that it exist is not the issue. The fact that it is number one, or even on the first page, is the issue.
Do we have an insult level at all? If this is the first image of the First Lady for the world to see, ordinary little Black girls and women, don’t stand a snow balls chance. It’s in vogue to be arm chair revolutionaries now. Let’s try it and see what happens.
Nov 15th, 2009
Nathan
Its a nasty image, made by halfwits.
Let them post there racist images because there suffering a worse fate, wasting there lives being ignorant racists.
Nov 15th, 2009
pepper
@Aminah Hanan
I left a message so hopefully it is changed. And I like your phrase “white feminist supremacist” it explains them to a tee. I will use it more often.
Nov 15th, 2009
admin
This is some great reporting Aminah. You should consider expanding on this post and submitting it to POLITICO as an OP ED BWAHA! I mean you would think Nia Malika Henderson would have done a story on this.
Keep up the good work bringing up original content you can’t anywhere else but here. .. until they steal your post and repackage it as their own.
Nov 15th, 2009
ari
i thought that picture was remove at one point because i no longer saw it when i googled. it must have been recently put back on
Nov 15th, 2009
Gygaxis
What I find least palatable about this isn’t that google has mistakenly let this image become the first search result, but that due to the way their search algorithms place results it’s much more likely that this is one of the most clicked images on an image search for the string “Michelle Obama” and that this exact image is what a significant quantity of people are actually looking to find when they search on Google.
Nov 15th, 2009
A. Darton
The picture is a disgrace. And Google shouldn’t allow anything like that to be put up.But I don’t kid myself, I know these kind of people are out there. It’s just like ex-President Jimmy Carter said. The dislike, the hate of the Obamas is because of their race. But what makes me so proud, is the First Lady will not let these racists ignorent fools like that bother her. And who’s in charge of Google?
Nov 15th, 2009
SouthernGirl2
If you think that photo is bad. Take a look at what these ignorant haters had to say about Michelle & our President. It took all my strength not to register there and tell them what I really thought of them. They’re so deep into hating our President & First Lady simply because of the color of their skin.
http://s1.zetaboards.com/Liestoppers_meeting/topic/2526767/1/
“This appalling lack of manners is yet another sign of Obama’s low class. He is black trash – like the hillbilly eating at Versailles who loudly spits the bones onto the floor for the dogs to eat and is genuinely curious as to why the King isn’t spitting as well. Like his black trash wife (so stupid she orders her clothes out of a catalogue), black trash Obama is bewildered and at sea in an elegant, cultured world he has no experience in and no clue about. He is a gauche fool stumbling through the palaces of the world, smashing the plates, spitting on the carpets and peeing in the corner as the media pointedly looks at the ceiling and refuses to notice the obvious”.
Nov 15th, 2009
Lynn
Less than an hour ago, a Google employee agreed “this image is clearly offensive and in very poor taste. Appropriate action will be taken after a speedy review. Thanks for the prompt, detailed reports that brought this issue to my attention!”
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Web%20Search/thread?tid=348c3e78fa6cd9e1&hl=en
Nov 16th, 2009
Aminah Hanan
@Lynn This is a step in the right direction. Let’s just hope that their “appropriate action and speedy review” leads to the image being taken down.
Nov 16th, 2009
pepper
Great job everyone. Hopefully they will take the picture down.
@SouthernGirl2
These people are just jealous. Why would they spend so much time on someone they don’t like. They obsessed with her.
Nov 16th, 2009
Katie
A Google Employee replied that it’s up for review. Good job bringing this to their attention!
Nov 16th, 2009
SouthernGirl2
Pepper,
You’re so right about them being jealous. I’ve been on one board fighting back hard against the hate. Nah Nah Nah, I AIN’T gonna let them say vile things about our President & lovely First Lady and get away with it.
Their hate is runs deep because a black man is running the country. These ignorants are ranting because the President bowed. I responded…
“President Barack Hussein Obama is showing respect. If you had any brains, trash, you’d learn a thing or two! But what can I expect from trash? *snicker* I mean really”!
Nov 16th, 2009
G
A Google employee….what is the name of this employee, and if a name is not available, where is the source of *this* status?
Nov 16th, 2009
Monica Rowland (deltavogue)
Thank you for writing this article. After reading it.. I responded to Google via your link, and I also started a petition on Twitter. We have 78 signatures right now… in less that 24 hours. I hope that it also helped to bring it to Google’s attention. In the petition I reference and give the link to this article.. so hopefully more people are now reading your blog as well. Please log on to twitter and sign our petition. This needs to go! Here is the link..
http://act.ly/19t
Sincerely,
Monica Levy-Rowland
@Deltavogue on Twitter
Nov 16th, 2009
Mozell
Google knows what is going on. I mean really. The caption underneath the picture says Barack Obama, not Michelle Obama. So if it’s all about urls and algorithms or whatever, then why am I clearly typing in Michelle and getting Barack? Notice that all of the other pictures have her name listed underneath. The fact that you notified them the morning of Nov 15 and it is now Nov 17 says everything we need to know about them. I propose we take it back to the old school. When our grand parents and great-grand parents wanted results they hit ‘em where it hurts. Let’s all remember there are several other search engines besides google. If we all stop using google search engine for everything, I’m certain they will take notice. By then it will be too little, too late.
Speaking of it not costing us a penny. Here are some search engines you might want to replace google with on your tool bar: blackwebportal.com, yahoo.com, altavista.com, lycos.com, ask.com just to name a few. I did an image search on each of these pages and within the first five (5) pages not one of them came up with this image. Let’s remember the people came up with the phrase “google it”. They don’t have a monopoly on internet searches, they have a monopoly on our minds. So let’s make a different choice. If we put the dollars into other sites, they will be as powerful as google and run as well or better as they obviously are already.
Nov 17th, 2009
killacaravagio
this isn’t the only issue… the real problems the flair up of racist ideals and use of substatutivete terminology… and maybe we think that there are not millions of racists on the internet everyday trying in this kind of stuff. and do we really want to start censoring the internet and make it like any other media?
Nov 17th, 2009
Dee
Mozell, I’m in agreement.
I arrived here courtesy of altavista.com, today.
Nov 18th, 2009
Blessedbrilliant
In agreement
Nov 18th, 2009