Michelle Obama: She's Just Classy

Behind every good man is...well, you know the saying. With Michelle Obama, that rule most assuredly applies. Now I know I'm just another fan of hers, adding my voice to the chorus which sings her praises regularly. Still, Michelle's deserving. And people like her so much for the same reason they like Barack. She's a breath of fresh air, something new.

As I type this message, one of the most popular records in the country is a song called "Diva," sung by Beyonce. This is the same Beyonce who is married to Jay-Z and has sold millions upon millions of records, both as a solo artist and as the lead vocalist for the group Destiny's Child.

She owns her own clothing line, has acted in movies, and has masterfully created an enterprise for herself. But let me make this clear: Beyonce ain't got nothing on Michelle Obama. In fact, part of the reason I like Michelle so much is because she gives young women an alternative celebrity role model. (I use the term "celebrity" because I would hope we'd look within our own family-models, churches, and schools first.)

Unlike Beyonce, Mrs. Obama didn't "make her way in the world" by "shaking what her momma gave her" in songs like "Bootylicious." Nor did she become the person she has by asking men "Can You Pay My Bills?" or calling them "Bugaboos" or assuming an alter ego (See Sasha Fierce).

Make no mistake, I respect Beyonce. The girl's beautiful and has made some great songs, artistically-speaking. But the Beyonces of the world ain't got nothing on Michelle Obama.

Again, Michelle Obama is a breath of fresh air. She's the girl who doesn't have to tell you she's an "Independent Woman" because her self-confidence says it. Nor does she have to tear down another man to remind herself that she's his equal. Sure, she's picked on Barack for leaving his socks around the house. And if I was Barack, I'd be a little peeved at her for telling the whole world that there are a few holes in the back of my suit jacket. But these are minor offenses. They serve more to humanize the President than to emasculate him.

Still, I like Michelle because she's real. Sure, she has a couple of Ivy League degrees. Nonetheless, she's an around-the-way girl. She's not prissy and doesn't seem high maintenance. And while she has the credentials to suggest she's as ambitious as our Secretary of State, she finds her reward in being a loving mother and supportive wife. Particularly because of the latter, she will always be elevated by her man instead of being beset with the notion of having to "prove" herself.

Finally, the woman's got style. Arguably, there are prettier women on television than Michelle Obama. However, there is something about the way she carries herself that causes men to stop and stare. When she puts on a dress, she leaves something to the imagination rather than letting it all hang out. What's more, her clothes actually fit her. (It doesn't look like she had to hold her breath to squeeze into an outfit!)

She speaks in complete sentences. She's well-groomed. She does things that I think are normal, according to my upbringing, but which I have come to learn are rare in today's youth culture. No, she's not the girl leaving the party pissy drunk and throwing up all over the place. No, she's not cursing every two or three sentences. She's just classy. And while I'm interested to hear what the responses will be for this one, I'm more interested in folks just taking notes.