On Melania Trump's first solo trip abroad, she wore a white pith helmet on a safari in Kenya. With people claiming that this hat, a symbol of European exploitation of Africans and their land, is the epitome of Mrs. Trump's ignorance, it raises the question of whether what she chooses to wear is truly symbolic of her actions. In response to the controversy, Mrs. Trump said, “I wish people would focus on what I do, not what I wear.” However, I personally believe that Mrs. Trump should have been more careful in choosing her outfit, considering her role as the First Lady. Especially after her fashion controversy in June, when she wore a “I really don't care. Do U?” jacket to visit an immigrant children's shelter, I think she should have been more aware of the symbolism behind her outfits, and been proactive in avoiding to wear possibly controversial outfits. Although it was likely an unintentional mistake, simple research should (and could) have been done before deciding to wear that helmet.
Questions:
1. What do you think of Mrs. Trump's statement that people should focus on her actions, and not her outfits?
2. Are the criticisms of Mrs. Trump's wardrobe choice fair or is the media overreacting? Do you think the current polarization in American politics contributes to the public's apparent zealousness to analyze Mrs. Trump's choices? Or is this sharp criticism justified?
3. Do you believe that she meant to wear the white pith helmet as a political statement or do you think it was an innocent mistake?
I think the FLOTUS's statement regarding actions speaking louder than clothing is true. As long as the clothing a representative wears is proper, i.e. not revealing or blatantly disrespectful, garments should not be looked too far into, especially not a hat being worn in a sunny environment. While it definitely could be classified as a mistake, it should not be looked at as anything other than an honest one. I don't think she was trying to impose an idea or send some kind of message to Kenya with the hat she wore. I do not think this sharp criticism is warranted. It is likely just innate confirmation bias leading people to draw conclusions that would otherwise not seem rational. To reiterate, I think the selection of the hat was an innocent mistake. It was probably chosen with intention to achieve a certain look, but it would be beyond silly for an american representative to make a callback to british imperialism when it goes against American values. I don't think the significance behind the hat crossed the first lady's mind.
ReplyDeleteWhile I do agree with Mrs. Trumps statement that people should focus on her actions rather than formulating their opinions of her based on her outfits, I do believe that she should have been more careful and aware of possible outcomes in this situation. Because she is in a position of power and attention, Mrs. Trump should have known that her actions would be sharply observed. She could have put more thought into what she would be wearing, especially because she was aware of the fact that her trip would be highly publicized and covered by the media. Because she did not do this, however, she spurred unnecessary conflict that drew away from the actual purpose of her trip. I believe that such an incident was not done on purpose or to show disrespect, and that the public needs to consider that everyone occasionally makes mistakes. However, it is important to note that the position of First Lady comes with certain expectations, and since this is Melania's second incident of offensive wardrobe choice, she needs to be made aware of the consequences of her actions. Overall, although Mrs. Trump's wardrobe choice may not have been selected on purpose or with the intent of disrespect, I think it is important for her to know that her actions do affect people's opinions of her.
ReplyDeleteI believe that this situation is being blown way out of proportion. Yes, it is unfortunate that she didn't do any research on the attire worn in Kenya, but this problem is minuscule in comparison to other problems revolving the Trump family. I doubt she intended to offend anybody, but she has been in the spotlight for a while now and any little mistake she makes will be noticed. It is just an honest mistake.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Mrs. Trump that people should focus more on her actions rather than her outfits; however, she should also be more aware of her outfit choices. As Mayuko said, even though it truly is her actions that matter, a simple and controversial outfit can ruin the moment or message she is trying to communicate. Just like with the “I don’t care…” jacket she wore, she should at least be more aware if not cautious and taking action with what she wears. The media does tend to over-exaggerate these kinds of stories as they are what make “fun” and “eye-catching” titles, but I do think the criticism is somewhat justified. Every small action and choice that someone in power makes is important and holds a meaning, whether it be to the authoritative figure themselves or to the public, so people in power have an obligation to think about what they might symbolize or represent. Especially since Mrs. Trump is the first lady, she should be more careful with her fashion choices.
ReplyDeleteI believe Mrs. Trump should be independent of her clothing and her husband because she is her individual self. Although her clothing is a bit questionable when travelling to third world nations, her policies and thinking shouldn't be reflected with her clothing. The symbolism behind her clothing shouldn't matter as much as what she actually thinks or believes.
ReplyDelete^ Jeremy Ho
DeleteI believe that it is a lot more important for the general public to pay attention to what she does instead of what she wears. However, I do believe that Mrs.Trump should've been more careful with choosing her outfits and that they must fit for the actions she is doing, otherwise it would lead to controversy that is not intended. I think Mrs. Trump should just be more aware of her fashion pieces and people will then focus on her actions and not her controversial outfits.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with Mrs. Trump that people should focus on her actions and not what she wears. I think that is what will say the most about her and her morals. That being said, because she is such a public figure it is hard to know if it is her ignorance. I think as the first lady she needs to acknowledge that everything she does and wears will be acknowledge. But I do think that we should go away from the culture of judging someone based on what they wear. I think that it is more prevalent because she is the first lady, but she should recognize her ignorance to issues like this.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I don't think that her outfit in Africa strongly suggests that she was ignorant of the symbolism of her actions. As a woman, I believe that Melania should be able to wear what she wants, and the choice of wearing one particular white hat shouldn't indicate so much of her personality. However, as such a well-known public figure, Mrs. Trump should be more cautious of the things she wears. The instance of the "I really don't care. Do U?” jacket at the immigrant children's center was inappropriate. The jacket literally stated neglect and carelessness whereas the choice of a specific hat does not do the same in my opinion. Overall, I think the media is overanalyzing Mrs. Trump's clothing options. Instead we should be focused on what she says and does, whether good or bad because those are the true indicators or personality and intent. Just this morning, I heard a news report in which Mrs. Trump stated that she thought she was "one of the most bullied people in the world." Now I think that quote is definitely worth more analysis and scrutiny than a cute white hat she wore one day.
ReplyDeleteIn response to question two, I do believe the media blew this out of proportion a bit too much. I still believe the first lady should always be aware of her actions, including her outfit choices. Any person constantly in the spotlight needs to be aware of what they say, what they wear, how they act, etc. In terms of polarization in today's politics, I definitely believe that played a large role in the criticism of the first lady's wardrobe choices as well as influencing the analyzation of the first lady in general. The extreme political polarization creates tension and causes people to overanalyze every little thing political figures say or do.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the criticisms of Melania Trump's choice of wardrobe can be seen as excessive, because she is a public figure, every action she takes is under extreme scrutiny. It should be expected that she remains aware of what is proper, and the message behind her clothing, especially since she is the First Lady, and a representative of the American populace.
ReplyDeleteI believe Melania should be more aware of her outfit choices. She obviously understand that every action she makes will be observed and possibly criticized, which occurred with her outfit choice while in Africa. She is consistently going to be in the spotlight, and she needs to be aware of herself and her actions or choices, including what clothing she wears on a daily basis. her lack of self-awareness of her outfit choice makes her look arrogant and selfish.
ReplyDeleteI think the criticism of Melania's outfit choices may have been blown out of proportion, especially for joking purposes. And this may be partially a result of the polarized political environment in America, but I also comedic purposes was the greatest reason the story went viral. I don't think her outfit choices were intentionally symbolic of exploitation by white settlers; however, because of the importance of her role in the world she should be aware of the perception she gives off. Her statement about actions speaking louder than words is true and should be considered by her criticizers. But I will reiterate, with her power and influence she should be more cautious and show more respect to other cultures with respect to her outfit choices. People judge her as whole, which includes clothing.
ReplyDeleteWhile I do agree with Mrs. Trump that the public should focus on the purpose/actions during the trip rather than her fashion style, I also believe that she should be aware of her fashion choices. As the first lady, she acts as a representative of the United States and thus she should be cautious in not offending the culture and history of other countries. Then again, the media also seems to be overreacting as they rarely mention the reason or purpose of her visit and instead are focusing on her clothing. Such news will only contribute to the general public's lack of knowledge on current political events. Meanwhile, in the case that she is wearing the hat on purpose as a political statement, I find her being irresponsible. Doing so is contradictory to her position as the first lady as she should represent the American public or at the very least explain herself rather than defend herself. Defending herself makes it seem like the citizens and her are on different teams when they should be fighting towards the same goal of doing the best for America.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that Mrs. Trump would consciously wear a hat symbolizing hundreds of years of oppression towards an entire continent. However, I expect her to know better, and understand that, as first lady, everything she does will be observed and analyzed. She is also representing the United States in her ventures abroad, and anything she does impacts the world's view on the United States. For this reason, despite her completely reasonable and logical argument that people should focus on her actions and not her clothes, she done messed up good this time.
ReplyDeleteMrs. Trump could have worn the hat knowing of the issues and meanings behind the hat. However, there is no proof that she does. In fact, there is no reason for her to wear a hat like that. In my opinion, as Mrs. Trump has been judged a lot for her outside appearances, she could have done this as a big middle finger to the media, who wishes to put her in a bad light. The point of the trip was so the media could focus on the purpose of the trip with the President and as a sign of good gesture towards the foreign country. She went to Kenya as a representative of the United States and I do not believe she chose to wear the outfit on purpose. If you looked into her previous outfits, she has paid attention to detail. During trips to muslim countries, she has followed rules by covering up and following traditional islamic customs.
ReplyDeleteA lot of the criticism of Mrs. Trump's outfits stems from the political polarization in America. Those who oppose the Trump administration will pick at anything to point out the flaws. In this case, I think Mrs. Trump was not aware of the symbolism behind the hat she wore in Africa, for it was simply an honest mistake. Because she is in the spotlight, she has to be very careful. The shirt she wore to the immigrant children center was not a smart choice. Of course, people mess up. Therefore, as a society, we should focus more on her actions than her clothes. Clothing is just a part of it, but a pretty insignificant part. She is trying to respect other cultures so her intentions are pure, but sometimes she messes up on the execution, and that's fine because we are all human.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I think this situation is funny because a lot of people who claim to be against bullying and for positivity and love are bashing the First Lady about her looks. I do not think that anything that she wore was meant to be offensive or suggest anything. It's pretty obvious that people just overreacted to this whole situation.
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