And here comes my first thought now!
When I think of sex symbols, I don’t normally think, “Yeah, Congress.” But if one thing has become clear from this election, Barack Obama is one of the most interesting sex symbols today. The sexualization of the Black figure has a long and complicated history. And the Obamas are not exempt. Their relationship has been analyzed, observed, and speculated upon by everyone from YouTube slideshow artists, to bloggers, to relationship guru-extraordinaires.
But an article in the Huffington Post yesterday really made me stop and examine how the image of the Obamas fits into the long narrative that has shaped our ideas of black sexuality, and in turn reproduced it. (Does that count as a pun?)
The article, entitled “Obama Expected to Have Sex in White House, Insiders Say,” was a satirical piece that reflected on the desexualized political figures of the past and the decline of marital sex in the White House. The article raised some good points. Like how, when it comes down to it, there’s very little that’s sexy about either of the Georges Bush. And although sex has been closely tied to presidential identities before, namely JFK and Bill Clinton, they “did not have the sex they are famous for with their First Ladies.”
Which made me think: Barack Obama’s sexuality is closely tied to his role as a husband. Does that mean he is famous for the sex he has with his wife? And why? Isn’t that supposed to be the most accepted, most un-marked way to do it? Another article I read used the fact that Barack Obama is “a married man who is not afraid share a PDA with his wife” as evidence that he will be a very sexy President.
It’s refreshing to have a break in the image of Black men that constantly links their sexuality to violence or deviance. But at the same time, it seems too accessible. In an extraordinary book entitled Black Sexual Politics, Patricia Hill Collins examines the black caricatures created to contain, explain, and exploit black sexuality. They are terms that are not only familiar they are still used today in various settings: Welfare Mothers, Uncle Toms, Gold Diggers, Mammies, Gangsta’s, Freaks, etc.
So trying to insert the Obamas into such a list sounds like a serious insult. But I think making a big deal of their sex lives or sexual potential is not too far off. It sets the sexuality of the Black masses in opposition to what they have, making it seem exceptional. It also ushers the public into a space that should be private, opening up the possibility for new caricatures to be created—like the “emotionally chilly” participants of a “Vulcan mating ritual” the Huffington Post article describes who have sex because of a “seasonal urge” that can’t be controlled (…which doesn’t sound all that new). Or the portrayal of Michelle Obama as the one who “will attempt to satisfy the urge” once her aides add it to her schedule.
It is hard to say what space is appropriate to redefine the definitions of Black sexuality, but I think it is a topic that requires more sensitivity than it has received. And definitely more honest and thoughtful discussion. As Collins notes, “when reclaimed by individuals and groups, redefined ideas about sexuality and sexual practices can operate as sources of joy, pleasure, and empowerment that simultaneously affirm and transcend individual sexual pleasure for social good.”
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