Is the Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama Comparison Racist?

Why are some people outraged by the comparison between First Lady Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey? By the tone of the post from Tina Brown and the Daily Beast, perhaps she was attempting to compliment the First Lady. As a fairly new blogger I have been introduced to tags, trends and headlines. Perhaps Brown knew that the Oprah factor would increase traffic to her blog.

Several people have commented that they wonder why Mrs. Obama was compared to another black women as opposed to past first ladies such as Hilliary Clinton. Clinton and Obama are both attorneys. Instead, she was compared to another popular African American woman. Their sentiments are congruent with many African Americans who have experienced tokenism.

Tokenism occurs when a person is expected to represent an entire group of people who share the same or similar characteristics. Once a person or member of that category is hired or accepted into a mainstream group, that person becomes the standard and sometimes the stereotype. At times, that person is pigeon holed by not being promoted or allowed to function in a capacity other than the one that was originally prescribed for him or her. He or she also becomes the only person with those characteristics who is accepted into the mainstream group. This person is usually not a member of the majority or the mainstream. On a macro level, this applies to people who are considered to be in the minority or groups that have experienced chronic, institutionalized discrimination. As opposed to the micro level in which a member of the mainstream is placed in a similiar situation, but on a temporary basis.

So why is controversy surrounding this comparison? Some members of the community view the comments as insensitive due to the fact that Oprah Winfrey is one of the wealthiest and most powerful people regardless of gender or race. Several people are comparing the First Lady to Jackie Kennedy or to the French First Lady. Others compare her to Princess Diana.

The comparison to Oprah gives the appearance that when one sees the First Lady, one immediately sees a black woman. The hoopla relates to the fact that the Daily Beast puts the two icons in competition as though there can only be one African American women on top. I think the recent cover of "O" magazine says it best. Until Mrs. Obama, Winfrey didn't share the cover with anyone. The cover conveys the message that there is, can be and will be more than one powerful African American woman.