Gown fail.

I suppose it's difficult to manage the high expectations associated with an inaugural ball gown, particularly when the design has been kept as a closely guarded secret. But with all of those high-profile designers clamoring to dress Mrs. Obama, she chose to wear a design by relatively unknown designer Jason Wu.

Perhaps Mr. Wu didn't have access to Mrs. Obama to make sure that the fit was right. Perhaps neither of them thought that a train might prove unwieldy for a woman who would be expected to dance at ten inaugural balls in one night. Those issues can be forgiven. But the design itself had some pretty glaring taste issues. It made the beautiful, statuesque, and very fit Michelle Obama look lumpy and awkward. Under the klieg lights, Mrs. Obama's dress looked much like the chenille bedspread that my grandma had on her bed in her home in Kansas. The Obamas kept wrestling with that dress all night, as shown in multiple clips of Mrs. Obama pulling on the train so she could dance or walk or even just stand there, and President Obama walking a careful four paces behind her so that he wouldn't step on it (again).

There is no question that in situations like these a woman needs a gay friend. Even more than that, Mrs. Obama needed a gay friend who was a professional stylist. She needed someone to be honest with her (an unfair task for a husband or unqualified employee).

Maybe Nancy Pelosi will allow her husband to shop for Mrs. Obama as well. He certainly dresses his wife impeccably. (Ahem.)

Who's the "we" in "Yes We Can"?

(The image above is a screen capture from Rick Warren's Saddleback Church. The bigoted anti-gay language was removed from the site recently. Thanks to this guy for catching and reporting it.)

One of the most cogent comments I've seen in a while... I thought I'd share it. This was by commenter "Yeek" and was in reference to a post by Melissa Etheridge's partner, Tammy Lynn Michaels, on her blog. (I still have yet to hear a coherent reason why Michaels' opinion is in any way relevant, but whatever.) Michaels reasoned that President Elect Obama's choice of notorious homophobe Rick Warren as the featured clergy for the 2009 inauguration was not as horrendously offensive as most people think. Ms. Etheridge has made statements recently that were consistent with her partner's misguided opinions... apparently forgetting her very recent announcement that she was going to refuse to pay California income taxes as she was determined to be a less-than-equal citizen.

"Yeek" commented on Towleroad:

Tammy Lynn Michael's blog post was horrendous. Worst of all was her assertion that Rick Warren can't be homophobic because he shows genuine love for gay people. If you didn't know already, love and prejudice can live side by side in great comfort.

Think about this country 100 years ago, when the overwhelming majority of men in this country did not believe women should have the right to vote. Did these men hate or fear women? Perhaps some did, but many more deeply loved and respected the wives who they had built lives with, the daughters they had raised from infancy, and the mothers who had nurtured them. The idea that they dismissed or did not value the women in their lives would have provoked genuine denial and outrage. And yet, the idea that women should have the same role in government as men would have been rejected out of hand for the same reasons that gay marriage is today: it flies in the face of all human history. It contradicts the scriptural teaching of multiple religions. It will undermine the natural structure of the family.

These men were not filled with hate or misogyny. In fact, they were filled with respect and admiration and love for the women who were their partners, nurturers, and allies in life. But in spite of those noble emotions, these men were still filled with prejudice so profound that it approached a state of innocence. They simply could not envision women as deserving of full participation in government because...well, because it was just so obviously wrong.

When Rick Warren says that he loves homosexuals, that he respects them and values them, and that he is not motivated by hate, he's probably telling the truth. His actions are simply derived from a prejudice that exists in such pure state that there is little or no genuine malice. That makes him no less destructive or dangerous or harmful, and no less wrong.

Great comment. I would rather think that Warren needs to re-examine how he and his flock define "love". His church requires gays to repent and attempt to "pray the gay away" in order to join. He likens decent people like me to pedophiles and people who practice incest or bestiality. And he does all this with the smarmy, oafish, all-too-familiar smile that teases the simple-minded into a sense of blithe complacency.

Great pick, Slim Jim. I've heard whisperings of "just wait until after the inauguration... don't pay attention to what is said... keep an open mind..." and all that. The thing is, there's no room for "agreeing to disagree" when it comes to my equal humanity. None whatsoever. The symbol "=" means the same thing in any language, and when it comes to civil and human rights in the United States you either think we're equal or you think we're not. If you think we're not, then that makes you a bigot. End of story. End of discussion. And don't start with the mealy-mouthed claims of wanting to include all kinds of viewpoints on the inaugural dais... if that's so important to Obama, then how about including David Duke? It would be done in the spirit of multi-cultural inclusion, of course...

We've waited long for someone to champion real equality in this country. Even if Obama doesn't support marriage equality, which is a huge blotch on his resume, his choice of Warren to set the moral tone of the inauguration does not bode well either for the prospect of equality over the next four years, or for Obama's decision-making process in general. The GLBT communities appear to have been shafted again, all in the name of "hope" and "progress". Funny, usually this happens after the inaugural festivities.

I shudder to think of the next four years, if this is the way Obama has chosen to kick off his presidency. What would be a colossal and very public political betrayal will have a stunning effect on GLBT electoral participation in the next 15 years or so. This causes me not a small amount of despair.

"Yes we can."

And the inaugural ball gown selection process begins.

Michelle Obama, pictured above with the President-Elect, is the most glamorous first lady we've had since Jackie. You know there's a slap-fight going on among designers to see who gets to dress her for the inaugural ball(s). Women's Wear Daily published the following sketches from a host of prominent designers, all of whom are vying for the choice job of making Michelle look fabulous. Which would you choose?

Diane von Furstenberg. This looks just a little bit "second marriage" to me. We can do better.

Tuleh. Very "Bain de Soleil". Not sure Michelle's ample tuchus would look good in this.

Tracy Reese. Pretty color, if a bit boring.

Rachel Roy. All I see here is a bridesmaid's dress and some chandelier earrings. Next.

Zac Posen. Fun design, but what's up with the likeness? She looks like Brooke Astor's retarded neice.

Another sketch from Zac Posen. The ruffles? Not so much. Looks just a little bit like Stillwater High School Junior/Senior Prom, circa 1984.

Peter Som. Simple. Elegant. I'm not sure white is the best choice, but the design is nice. Michelle has always looked her best when she chooses clothing that isn't over-wrought.

Nicole Miller. This will make her ass look enormous. And what's up with the weird neck? She'll need some African neck-rings and a few years to be able to pull this look off. Meh.

Isaac Mizrahi. The design and color are fun. Even the kids look cute. I like it, although the top of Michelle's dress could be problematic if that cut doesn't work for her frame.

Badgley Mischka. Again, have these guys SEEN Mrs. Obama? Do they understand that with her tuchus, she'll look like a snake that swallowed a mouse?

Monique Lhuillier. Very pretty, love the color. It's a bit "southern belle" for my taste, but perhaps some tweaking of the fullness of the skirt would be sufficient.

Karl Lagerfeld, for Chanel. Classy. Perfect. One other site said that the suit for the inauguration was "a little too Jackie Kennedy". Um... how can one be too Jackie Kennedy? The pillbox hat might be a bit dated, so Lagerfeld skipped that... but the suit? Too perfectly cut? Too chic? Too elegant?

Christian Lacroix. To pull this off, Michelle would have to fly into the air and leap the Washington Monument with a single bound.

Michael Kors. I like it, but my co-workers (all women) said that this asymmetric top would be difficult unless Michelle had just the right build.

Koi Suwannagate. The ruffles are interesting, but I hate the top. She looks like she's wearing a cardigan over her dress, and we all know what happened when she did that during her husband's acceptance speech in Grant Park. No.

Kai Milla. It's hard for me to look at this without thinking of Mary J. Blige. No.

Marc Jacobs. Very pretty dress. I think Michelle looks better in richer colors, and the waist might not be quite the right look for her.

Carolina Herrera. Are you kidding me? The color is pretty, and it's a beautiful gown... for a 25 year old starlet with no hips.

Elie Tahari. Perhaps this would be better for when Mrs. Obama plays Clytemnestra.

Oscar de la Renta. Very pretty dress, if just a titch boring. The cut is nice, but we'd have to see the fabric first. And honestly, she should wear some nice deep jewel tones instead of something bland and neutral. Another site said the girls look like cake-toppers, a sentiment with which I agree wholeheartedly.

Chado Ralph Rucci. This looks like an Escher print. It would give the entire country epilepsy. No.

Reem Acra. I'm not sure that the top is right. Might make her boobs look funky.

Another sketch from Reem Acra. I like where this is going, but again... the tuchus. You can't put a woman with a big tuchus in a gown that's cut like this.

And last but certainly not least, the insane Betsey Johnson.