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Michelle Obama Meets Japan's Emperor, Awkwardness Ensues
Last week we noted that even as low-income Americans conspired to ruin what might have otherwise been a perfectly good March UMich Consumer Sentiment print, there were still plenty of signs that some folks are doing ok such as the fact that the President still gets to spend $4 million in taxpayer dollars on jet fuel to go to Honolulu for Christmas. In what looks to be further evidence that the first family won’t be needing to take out a deep subprime loan from Santander Consumer anytime soon, Michelle Obama touched down in Tokyo yesterday in high style. Here’s more from the Huffington Post:
Wearing a lime green printed dress from Kenzo's Fall 2014 collection, it was a great outfit choice considering the luxury brand has strong Japanese roots.
FLOTUS accentuated the Kenzo dress with a metallic gold wide belt that drew attention to her waist and black leather heels, toning down the busy ensemble.
It's pretty clear that green and interesting prints are Mrs. Obama's travel style go-tos, but this full-skirted silhouette that harkens back to the '50s is one of our favorites.
What’s also “pretty clear” is that US diplomats still haven’t quite figured out how to greet Japanese officials and as you can see from the video below, the old “trip-handshake-bow” still doesn’t play particularly well, especially when the height disparity is so great as to be virtually impossible to politely ignore:
More from DailyMail:
The First Lady, dressed in a florid combination of a blazer and skirt, dwarfed the Emperor in her silver stilettos, while he maintained his composure and smiled politely. She then squatted slightly while shaking his hand, seemingly trying to disguise the difference of height between them.
Mrs Obama, who is 5ft 9in tall, also caused embarrassment earlier in the day when she grabbed Akie Abe, wife of Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, in a hug-and-handshake combination while the Japanese First Lady was trying to bow.
Excessive physical contact is frowned upon in Japan, and strict traditions govern the practice of bowing. Despite intensive etiquette coaching, successive U.S. officials have famously got it wrong.
In 2009, President Barack Obama was was photographed bending to nearly a 90 degree angle when he greeted the Japanese Emperor at the Imperial Palace.
His efforts were widely mocked. The Drudge Report ran a banner headline reading 'Obama bows before Japan’s emperor', and the LA Times ran a story headlined 'How low will he go?'
In another example of over-enthusiastic bowing, the President was pictured bowing to a robot in 2014 while the Japanese people around him remained upright.
In 1994, then-President Bill Clinton went to the other extreme, causing offence by inclining his head and shoulders forward and mysteriously pressing his hands together when he met the Emperor.
...and then there was this, which looks to be the First Lady's own interpretation of the classic "gut-punch-handshake-hug"...
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Look, he has naturally put on weight since the 'operation and drugs' and does not play football anymoar.
She reminds me of my first sofa.
Genuine Hurculon.
A big strong black man in a flower dress visiting Japan,..we got a winner!
ASTONISHING.
Up until this specific administration, the State Department's Office of the Chief of Protocol would grill ALL senior
officials from the executive and legislative branches on proper behavior when visiting foreign countries. Don't flick
your ear, bow only as deep as your host, do not show the soles of your feet, do not eat with your left hand, do not
wear white, blah, blah, blah.
You might not like previous Presidential Administrations, but America has been well known in diplomatic circles for
their caution and attention to these details.
The fact that there have been so many blunders by the O'Bummers over the past 7+ years while jetting around the
world is itself a national embarrassment.
While it is easy for foreign leaders to rightfully dismiss them as insensitive, uncultured ghetto street trash (which they
are), their view of an American public stupid enough to elect him twice is not so easily dismissed.
One
Big
Ass
Mistake
America
.
Politics follows biology.
Don't believe me, believe South Africa.
No agenda but isn't Divine Wind the translation of Kamakasi into English? Just asking as it's curious
People need to lighten up.
It was a wookie mistake
As Limb Bizkit sang : I did it all for the wookie
ta dump da *ting!*
I bet you could see Wookie's ass from the International Space Station...
Moochelle gets a banana for this one. LMFAO!!!
So the Wookie punches the Empress in the gut.
looked more like moochelle was trying to cop a feel.
They have less than 2 years to go in the Whte House, so they have to pack in as many multi-million dollar vacations as they can.
They're never going to invite us back. Didn't Bush 1 ralph all over them?
Atomic bombs, Bush 1 and now this; that's 3 strikes even in Japanese baseball.
As graceful as a buffalo.
Do the Obamas and the "coloreds" on their staff know that the country is laughing at their incompentence and lack of sophistication?
I'm pretty sure they are protected by their total obliviousness
Ignorance can be a beautiful thing.
Dead people don't know they're dead. They only disturb those remaining. Same with stupidity.
I wonder will Bill wear a dress too?
Yikes! Holy
Monstrosity...
and what about the guy, why not criticise him?
for one thing he is just so damn tiny....
and another thing he is an emperor...
never a good thing....
That is a fucking man....no doubt about it. Shaq O'Neil got a smaller ass. That's one ugly Dude. W T F Tent and Awning company made that hideous thing she's wearing.??
Shaq has more class, too.
Michelle's fashion team is still having a lot of fun with her.
We don't get many tranny basketball players here in Japan.
I am 100% sure Michelle is actually Michael, has a penis, and dresses in drag.
This is a dude.
No shit - I agree. That is a Dude and I don't give a shit who says different. WTF.
P.S. Fuk the japs anyway. Name what they have done to make a positive influence outside Japan. One charity, one mission of aid? You know - a Drs without borders type thing
Well, thanks to them we no longer have to buy american cars.
Someone with an ass the size of the International Space Station should not be allowed to dictate national school lunch policy.
I'm not sure if it's tranny or not, but it's definitely ape-like.
Sweet Jesus H. tap dancing Christ on a Popsicle stick, I'm speechless. What is it with this Wookie and her constant need to paw royalty? What next, is she going to French kiss Prince Albert? Dry hump the Pope? Personal bubble, Chewie! Personal bubble!
...can a female dry hump??
There's a fault within that syllogistic logic ...
Trannies can!
Why didn't the Wookie wear flats? It's very common in Japan.
Nouveau riche> trashe'
Ever notice that she usually does? Like for example, when she went to Saudi Arabia. Wore flats, bare arms and .... oh, never the fuck mind.... another protocol shit howdiedoo hoedown.
Black redneck!
She looks like one half of the twin towers. I'm guessing she doesn't need to wear a strap on.
I never realized the " Monopoly Guy" was Japanese... Go figure?
and then there was the time George Bush Sr. vomited all over the Japanese Prime Minister at dinner. Classic.
"It's Boooooshes Fault"
that was so awesome
"Horry Fuck.
We make dress for fist Wookie, have to tlipple ass size...make ass rook rike whole jungle."
Okai Watsamada
My side is beginning to split already...
...maybe I should stop reading the comments at this point...????
Poor Michelle.
m
This just in... An enormous hibiscus has climbed the tallest building in Tokyo and swatted a passenger jet out of the air.
and how much did Chewy trip cost the taxpayers?? They ever heard of Skype!
In her case it's called Skape
Skyank.
The Japs have 900 rules just for how to wrap a gift, never mind protocol.
They must have been horrified and very, very frightened.
Stop Poking Me.
Never noticed to now, that she have a body of a man, quite impressing !
In "Memorable Moments of the Obama Presidency" coffee table illustrated edition this should make the top ten.
What a Bab...Bab...BaFOON....
A week in the bath house ain't gonna get that smell off. You could just see the pain in that jap chick's cringe.
Chubaka Luv Sushi. Barack does my junk show in this skirt?
God that dress makes it look like she is 2 meals ahead and 3 shits behind....
Does this jap make me look fat?
For a second I thought that were meeting in the hallway in Willy Wonka's factory.
Did Michael try to slip her his tongue? Maybe he should have done the Motor-Boat on those Emperial Tities! Michael you old Motor Boat Captain you...
did you see the grimace on that japanese womans face?
A fucking flocked canned tomato spaghetti sauce grandma's wallpaper floral print Wizard of Oz flying monkey skirted ensemble - meant to DETRACT from the huge and ever-growing ass, worn with the perfectly paired 1980's silver lamé disco ball evoking pumps?
Fashion Police Alert...
These crudios are too dumb and arrogant to know they need help.
Andy Warhol lives.
I would cry real life tears if I was forced to wear those heals and that upholstery fabric nightmare out in public. That may sound dramatic, but your shoes say a lot about you! Those silver patent leather pumps with stiletto heals scream, "I'm so cheap, I'll suck the chrome off of your trailer hitch for a buttermilk biscuit." And in the 80s, my mom had a couch with that same print in green.
Honestly, she dresses like a tranny- like how a burly man would dress to pretend he was a fashonista. "Hell yeah! Then I'll pair all these orange flowers with shiny silver, pointy toe pumps with the sharpest stiletto heals ever! But only three inch! I want them to know how classy I am! Should I wear the gold-tone Tupperware lid belt too? No, I'll save that to wear with my purple and lime green caftan."
Too boku, too boku. 10 dorra to boom boom soul brotha
I guess she is a man after all.
I always imagine whenever Michelle touches down somewhere, he/she is greeted by this song:
The Pixies, "Here Comes Your Man"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPgf_btTFlc
Should read:
Barack's first man visit's Japan's Emperor.
http://americanoverlook.com/viral-video-claims-to-have-evidence-michelle...
Big Hoochie mama ass - 1999 Sears drapes sale
What is the matter with these morons? How embarassing to watch uneducated, uncouth ghetto-rats pretend that they actually deserve any respect. The wookie is the biggest cow (or bull) that ever stuffed itself into a set of drapes sewn into a dress or moomoo or whatever that is. For all I know, wookie pulled the awning off of a building to wrap up in...
Where are the protocol people, and how hard is it to learn three or four simple steps when greeting the emperor and his wife? I guess you can take the monkeys out of the ghetto but you can't get the ghetto out of the monkeys...
Wow!
Wookie...
Drapes?
I can barely keep it together after that one, man.
Wookie...
m
OMFG! The comments here have me in tears, my wife is wondering why I'm laughing, and I think I pissed myself.
'
'
'
I know! I haven't laughed this hard in a long time!
I've emailed this to all my buddies!
I'monthefuckingfloorpissingmyfuckingpantslaughing.
I shouldn't be. Sorry Mick. I think you''re kind of hot.
•?•
V-V
At 20 seconds in, did he say "we fuck you in an hour"?
no he say, i pray everyday for the rest of time at the kami shrine if i no have to tongue punch her fart box
They probaly thought she was there to defeat Godzilla
She probably ate some Fukushima seafood, and the radiation grew her like the Incredible Hulk spontaneously.
http://d22zlbw5ff7yk5.cloudfront.net/images/stash-1-5115dc6db0182.jpeg
TAG
first "lady"
riiight
U.S. marines Gorilla warfare rabid reaction diplomatic shock trooper. Urbane camo outfit 2015.
my God, i thought it was just racist Republican hate.....but maybe she is a Tranny-not that I give a shit true clueL does she have an adams apple?
The anti-wookienism in this thread is unbearable and clearly violate ZH's "notice on racial discrimination".
Oh my, so offensive.
Ya, making free-speech a crime and punishable by jail time.
These people should go to the Eric Holder attitude adjustment camps.
Wookies just do not deserve such inhuman treatment.
Thank The Lord for small mercies:
At least Mama MO wasn't trolloping around in spandex hot-pants & 6" spikes.
I think he did a good job with his wardrobe.
Good thing he does not have to go thru the scanner at the airport or the jig would be up!
She has all the grace and refinement of a bar wench!
Shes there to warn them. You join the AIIB, I'll make sure the powers at be inflict more pain.
Kissinger was just in China meeting with Xi and I doubt they were talking simply about Sino/US trade. Probably there asking for full forgiveness and to remain super wealthy or simply to go to the Panda to provide a message from his Zionist masters.
Things are happening furiously behind the scenes.
Honest to God, my parents had a wing backed chair with that same pattern on it back in the 60s. I guess what goes around comes around.
You sure that's not your wing backed chair strapped to her ass?
Manute Bol meets Mr Miyagi
Jezzus H Christ, Is that Michael Jackson stuck up her ass? You could drive an 18 wheeler betwen those legs when she walks.
That gigantic ass has to be setting some kind of record. Can anybody figure out a way to measure it from the photo?
History says it's when the J. Emperor visited England that the J. gov. switched to european style dressing, under his order.
How ? Because the King took the Emperor by the arm and told him come on my fellow Emperor, we'll have a wonder of a breakfast.
This, as the Emperor should not only be touched, but even looked at. Suppodedly he realised the "frank" manners were not evil - on the contrary.
I'm French, my wife is Japanese, we work with both Europeans and Japanese people, we're often in Japan, I know about the J. etiquette, that I take care of.
But J. people have both a strict sense of etiquette and a great sense of humour, and a sense to switch to modernity.
I imagine the Japanese are actually laughing at such pics - without any direspect of the Emperor and the Princess.
BTW I'm just L size, and have no problem with XXL size coloured people - we'd rather laugh together.
suposedly, of course, a typo.
I thought being quite square about this question I know.
I do'nt like Obama and have no hope in his adsministration, but what's the alternative one ? Sarah Paulin ?
To the one that put a minus dot to my post, I would rather have an informetive comment if I made a mistake or what.
Your two responsibilites are: getting kids to believe they can live on a 650 calorie diet and go to social functions with class, step up the game dude.
lol too fucking funny...trying not laugh out loud.
Las time I was in Reno the bed spread pattern was the same as Tarfur's dress. Good God what a walking talking mess he is.
It's a man, man!
She-Hulk's dresses are hurting my eyes. I should sue for damages for pain and suffering.
Went to bed with tears in my eyes from laughter. Woke up still "crying" from this beautiful ZH commentary. You all rock. What a tremendous thread of entertainment amongst the lies and distortion spread among the algo bots.