A Still Picture CAN Lie!
By anniepa
@anniepa (27955)
United States
July 10, 2009 6:06pm CST
You may have seen the photo that's been all over the internet and all over Fox News where it appears that President Obama is ogling the butt of a young woman. I understand it was a Reuters photo which FreeRepublic put online without watching the entire video from which it came. Or maybe they didn't care what the truth was...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2289053/posts
Note the classy comments added by readers. Drudge then also posted the photo as did other right wing sites and apparently Sean Hannity had some words of wisdom about the state of the President's marriage. Another Fox News host, Greta Van Susteren did the right thing ad actually aired the video and then said, "Yes, a still picture can lie. And this one does."
http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200907100001
As you can clearly see, the President was walking down a steep set of steps and was assisting another woman doing the same. Apparently the rest of the crew at Fox don't watch Greta's show, or maybe they don't care about the truth either...
http://mediamatters.org/research/200907100014
Every picture may tell a story but it doesn't always tell the whole story - or the TRUE story!
Annie
4 people like this
14 responses
@Taskr36 (13963)
• United States
11 Jul 09
Let me preempt this by saying that I am not criticizing or judging Obama in any way. I'm a guy and I've sneaked a peek at many backsides. The key to doing it well is having a cover. Obama found that cover. His eyes were not on the woman he was helping, they were on Mayora Tavares's butt. He was smooth, the camera men were just a little bit smoother. I'm not faulting him, I'm just saying that I've used the same tactic before.
As Exhibit B please take a look at the other video in question.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knDusOm-cZw
Now Obama was VERY smooth in this one. Even I wouldn't say for sure whether he was really checking out the girl's tush. The man on Sarkozy's left however, is a clear amateur. Unlike Obama he fails to find a credible reason to look in that direction. He looks at his feet several times to make it seem like that was his goal when looking down, but anyone can see it's an excuse to get his eyeline closer to the girl's butt. He's either from a more tolerant culture or he's just clumsy when it comes to scoping out a nice tush.
2 people like this
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
11 Jul 09
SHAME on you, Taskr...lol! You know, I don't consider it a big deal if he really was looking at her butt and I'd say that no matter who the guy was or if it was a married woman checking out a good looking guy! It wouldn't have been a big deal for the picture to be posted online or shown on TV either, even knowing what the full video shows, if it was in a good-natured way. It was mainly the ignorant comments directed at Michelle and even some of the posts were racist and that just isn't cool.
Annie
3 people like this
@Taskr36 (13963)
• United States
11 Jul 09
I don't really know what comments were made. I only know about the photo because xfahctor posted it here. It wasn't mentioned at all on the O'Reilly Factor and I haven't noticed it on any of the news websites (I don't read blogs). Either way this thread renews my confidence that typical male tactics to sneak a peek at women's butts still work. This is a rare thumbs up for Obama. And just to be even more bad about it, I will say she did have a nice tush so who could blame him?
2 people like this
@piasabird (1737)
• United States
11 Jul 09
Yes, some of the comments on Free Republic were racist. But the way they manipulated the photo to where he was actually patting her on the behind was funny as heck!
The booty Obama was looking at is only sixteen years old. I looked at the photo and asked a co-worker, "Is he looking at her butt?"
She glanced at the picture and quickly looked away and sternly told me, "NO! He's going down some steps!"
I said, "If he's going down some steps then why isn't he looking down ahead of himself?"
The thing I find funny is that she wouldn't even consider that the Messiah was checking out a woman's fanny. Typical Obama fan. I'll plug up my ears and cover my eyes because I don't want to hear or see anything bad about Obama!
I happen to agree with Tasker. He was checking out that young woman's a$$ and thinking that he was covering his actions. The funniest thing was the look on Nicolas Sarkozy! 
I hope Michelle buys that he wasn't looking because as much as I don't like Barack that wife of his scares the heck out of me.
I hope Michelle buys that he wasn't looking because as much as I don't like Barack that wife of his scares the heck out of me.1 person likes this
@xfahctor (14118)
• Lancaster, New Hampshire
11 Jul 09
Yeh, but it was still a funny shot, c'mon...lol. even if it DID depict exactly what many claimed....would it still be so bad? I posted the pic here yesterday with the title "hey, the men are only human..." So why don't we just laugh at it and move on....incidentaly....here is another shot...at TWO OTHER former presidents.....check this pic out....
2 people like this
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
11 Jul 09
I knew someone would "rebutt" (pun intended)the photo. Although I was disappointed as it was one of the few times I saw something in the media that did not make me suspect Obama was up to one of his self serving usual media love fest propaganda events.
2 people like this
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
12 Jul 09
X, I agree with you, it was funny and it wouldn't be so bad at all if it was as they were claiming. What was "bad" were those who had to add their own ugly comments. Whether someone likes or supports Obama or not and even if you can't stand Michelle for some reason, there was no justification for the nasty things said about her or for the racist comments a few even made.
Annie
@jerzgirl (9291)
• United States
11 Jul 09
Exactly - and what of the photo of Bush actually preparing to swat the butt of the Olympic volleyball player??? Did the "liberal" media run that on every news network over and over and over again? Yes - it did make the Internet runs, but it wasn't a top news story. Men are just men. No matter what position they hold. Not all of those men follow through on a potential. It is possible to look and/or flirt and not ruin a marriage or end up in bed with someone.
2 people like this
@wisconsin26 (3859)
• United States
11 Jul 09
In a way that's a bit funny to say he was looking at her bum.. To me seeing that picture it looks like he was looking more at the ground than anything.. lol some people make a big deal out of nothing.. Think about it a second if he was look at her bum wouldn't his head be turned more?? lol course people are going to say anything when they see things like this he's the president, naughty man you know you shouldn't do things like this.. He's only a man ALL men do it...
@Taskr36 (13963)
• United States
11 Jul 09
His head would have been turned more if he wanted to look obvious. As it was, he was using the "help a woman down the steps" bit to get him in line to admire Ms Tavares's derriere. It's good to know guys can still get away with it as I see 90% of the women here believe he wasn't sneaking a peek.
2 people like this
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
11 Jul 09
Yep, a picture speaks a thousand words but a video tells the tale. I'm actually surprised that anyone at Fox got it wrong...I thought they were fairly reputable. At least Greta does some fact checking. 
I'm actually surprised that anyone at Fox got it wrong...I thought they were fairly reputable. At least Greta does some fact checking. 
@Barbietre (1438)
• United States
11 Jul 09
Annie, I saw the actual video, but you know a few here who will say
Obama manipulated that video, but then again many have an agenda also. I may have disliked Bush, but did not anaylize every word or action tryiing to prove something. Some people need a real life. 
2 people like this
@amolluvia (15)
• United States
11 Jul 09
Exactly. One of the main problems with our media is we spend so much time and energy discussing the meaningless things when there are so many problems in the world right now.
1 person likes this
@bestboy19 (5478)
• United States
11 Jul 09
Looking at the photo that you posted, Obama could have been looking at her legs, even though that dress accentuated her butt. Hannity showed the video on his show, and it looked to me as though Obama was looking at where the woman was putting her foot as he helped her down. I've been on a few bus trips, and the driver always does that when he helps the women off the bus.
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
11 Jul 09
I look at this about the same as the pic of Powell seemingly reacting to some odor from Bush. Funny, but meaningless either way.
1 person likes this
@Rollo1 (16679)
• Boston, Massachusetts
11 Jul 09
If Sean Hannity made comments about the president's marriage and took the photo at face (well, not face) value but Greta Van Susteren said the opposite about the photos and defended Obama, doesn't that mean that Fox News IS "fair and balanced"?
Incidentally, I saw this photo all over the net, on more than one news site, even a few foreign sites (where I think it originated). Come on, it's one of those embarrassing photos that they print about every president and celebrity. You have to expect this stuff if you're in the public arena.
1 person likes this
@Rollo1 (16679)
• Boston, Massachusetts
11 Jul 09
I liked it when it was Hannity & Colmes. It's more entertaining and even more informative when there are two opinions and they duke it out in a debate sort of way.
But I don't think every host of every show is obligated to provide a counterpoint, newspapers run editorials but don't run two opposing ones just so you can choose.
I think it shows balance when two hosts have differing opinions on the same story, I don't think you'll see that as much on the major networks.
1 person likes this
@irishidid (8687)
• United States
11 Jul 09
Really who cares? If he was looking at some girl's butt what makes him any different than any other man? The picture is funny and frankly he picked an odd way to help someone way behind him down the stairs.
1 person likes this
@jerzgirl (9291)
• United States
11 Jul 09
They don't care about truth - they only care about the first impression gotten by their drooling, slavish, brainwashed followers who will only see what appears to be President Obama checking out some booty. Corrections, explanations, actual video footage will all be ignored because the original presentation fulfills their political agenda and desires.
It is also a smokescreen to take the focus from all the dalliances being uncovered on the right side of the room, most often by the most vocal proponents of "traditional family values" and marital fidelity.
Even if he looked for a brief moment - what does it mean? Nothing that I know of. Men look. Women look. It's what's in the mind, heart and actions that speak loudest, and the actions of some the right are causing hearing loss nationwide!!
1 person likes this
@ZephyrSun (7381)
• United States
11 Jul 09
That's pretty interesting, I couldn't get the one link to work but I read the comments and it's very funny how the people commenting didn't even know the man standing next to Obama.
1 person likes this
@thegreatdebater (7316)
• United States
11 Jul 09
FOX NEWS LYING ABOUT PRESIDENT OBAMA? That has NEVER happened, and NEVER will, LMAO. I don't know if you read the story yesterday about News corps News of the World hiring private investigaters who illegaly tapped phone calles, listen to voice mails, gained access to bank accounts, and even social security files in the UK. But, we all know that FOX News would never do that here. RIGHT?
@thegreatdebater (7316)
• United States
11 Jul 09
Best, FOX News has that Obama attended a radical Islam school while living as a child in Indonesia, this was on FOX and Friends. This was not true, but they didn't spend anytime researching their facts on this. This is just one of many examples of FOX News "reporting". Sounds like Newscorp needs to send all of their "reporters" back to school to learn ethics.
So Best, do you think that Newscorp as a corporation uses private investigators to illegally tap phones of politicans, and famous people here in the United States (like they did in the UK)?
1 person likes this
@bestboy19 (5478)
• United States
11 Jul 09
Do you know for a fact that FOX news has done that?
1 person likes this
@JodiLynn (1417)
• United States
11 Jul 09
I must admit, when my daughters and I went to listen to Barack speak, we group oggled his butt. My one daughter went as far to say he was a "DILF"!!!
And did we not all get a gander of the Prez in his bathing suit while vacationing? I recall his ABS mostly :)
Even if he DID look at some ones butt, it's hardly "news", IMO.
1 person likes this
@WilliamC87 (163)
• United States
11 Jul 09
i think its funny...i mean its prolly aint the fairest thing but its comical..and whats the big deal if he was....? he didnt touch...lol...i dont want to sound like a typical guy but thats a nice one...
i dont think its says u cant do that its the handbook.....
PS i aint trying to argue, but to me the video doesnt prove anything....that i could tell.....but im not sayin its what it looks like....the smiling man beside him loks bad
1 person likes this
