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Barack Obama tan suit controversy
(en.wikipedia.org)
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this post was submitted on 09 Aug 2026
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This article needs to give some cultural context. I read it all and I still don't understand why there was a controversy.
Is it because tan is considered less formal?
The people who complained about it are racist/bigotted and don't like Obama because he's black. At the time it wasn't really socailly acceptable to be publicly racist so they would make a big deal out of other stupid random shit directed at him. They would not have cared at all about the tan suit if Obama was white.
No. Fox "News" just found nothing factual to criticise. So they complained about his clothing instead.
Obama being elected broke a lot of R's brains and them and Fox News were looking for anything, anything to cast aspersions on him for. Early on a Fox news commentator called a fist bump he shared with his wife a 'terrorist fist jab'. Just absolutely silly people.
if any other president had worn it, it wouldn't have been controversial - but everything is controversial when the president is black and the GOP is racist as all fuck
I understand that, but there must be something to base it on? A reason why it could possibly be seen as somewhat not OK to wear tan in this context?
He was talking about serious things and tan is an unserious color. It's never okay for a president to act unserious unless he's a white male Republican, in which case it's fine.
Racism is the context, the justification, and the motive. It's not really much more than that.
I understand that Republicans are racist and use racism as a weapon. But "tan is an unserious color" is the kind of context I was looking for and helps me understand what they're even basing their attack on. Thanks!
I think because tan = white and a white suit seems like a pimp or smth?