In a breathless account, a woman reporter recounts her experience watching Obama work out in a German hotel gym. This piece appears in the usually sober German publication, Bild.
It is beyond parody:
Obama (with toned arms and a strong back) puts on his headphones for his iPod to listen to pop music. He hums quietly. Then he jumps on a fitness bike. He pushes three times on the pedals – but then can’t be bothered with it.
He goes and picks up a pair of 16 kilo weights and starts curling them with his left and right arms, 30 repetitions on each side. Then, amazingly, he picks up the 32 kilo weights! Very slowly he lifts them, first 10 curls with his right, then 10 with his left. He breathes deeply in and out and takes a sip of water from his 0,5 litre Evian bottle.
Shortly before five o’clock Obama comes over and sits directly next to my cross-trainer on the mat. First he does 10 sit-ups, then stretches. Then he looks at his watch and says to his bodyguard: “It’s time, let’s go.” Quickly I ask: “Mr. Obama, could I take a photo?”. “Of course!” he answers, before asking my name and coming over to stand next to me.
“My name’s Judith” I reply. “I’m Barack Obama, nice to meet you!” he says, and puts his arm across my shoulder. I put my arm around his hip – wow, he didn’t even sweat! WHAT A MAN!
Yes, those boldface letters caps are in the original piece.
And that little detail of Obama not sweating… it is belied by the picture, which shows a large damp triangle across his chest.
But let’s widen the frame. Why would a reporter write such a girlish rock-star-crush of an article? Only because she believes that Obamamania has so widely infected the press corps that she cannot be mocked for this bit of treacle. (Sadly, that calculation might be right.)
Exactly what reader is served by this, umm, report? What have we learned about Obama from this?
And it is not just the MSM that has been sucked in. Wonkette and others in the gyno-blogo-sphere simply link to this laughable piece without comment or, worse, with approving squeals. Before quoting the Bild exclusive, Wonkette writes: “Let’s enjoy her sexytime memories, together.”
Embarrassing for all concerned.
And doesn’t it make you wonder about the quality of their other coverage?
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45 Comments
1. j green:What a stupid article utterly devoid of anything significant worth printing, except one ting:
I think its funny that the reporter somehow knew he was listening to pop.I almost believe Obama had to have either told her or written it on his forehead. There’s absolutely no other way she could have possibly known. Why did they feel it needed to be disclosed that it wasn’t, let’s say, hip hop or rap, that he works-out to?
I guess when you have 95% of any voter group, you can obviously afford to spite them.
Jul 26, 2008 - 5:10 pm 2. Pajamas Media » Obama’s Workout Makes Hormonal Reporters Sweat:[...] Read the entire post here. [...]
Jul 27, 2008 - 1:00 am 3. jvon:I think my IQ has dropped 10 points from reading this article.
Maybe this is the Democrat strategy for the election, giving us all brain damage from reading things like this for the next few months.
Jul 27, 2008 - 2:30 am 4. Roy M:No Richard, pretty much everyone thinks it is funny. Especially Wonkette by my reading.
What is the gyno-blog-sphere? Are you worried by gyno-blogs?
Jul 27, 2008 - 2:46 am 5. vb:Bildzeitung and Bild an Sonntag are doing what they do best: celebrity gossip. Even when they do treat serious topics on their inside pages, they tend to keep it simple, stupid. Beloved page-one themes are infidelties and love children with big photos. This is the paper that people pick up at the newstand so they can claim to be readers of the news. It must be used by politicians to get their bumperticker-sized messages out, but said pols would never expect in depth coverage of an issue.
Jul 27, 2008 - 3:51 am 6. Bob:It’s nice to know that women reporters, not just PMSNBC’s Chris Matthews, get “a tingle up the leg” when they see BHO. Yuk!
Jul 27, 2008 - 4:11 am 7. christopher rivers:It seems the msm is intent on destroying the last vestige of its credibility; rather like the heartbroken lover who seeks humiliation to prove their love.
Jul 27, 2008 - 4:37 am 8. Mike:Barry is just so DREAMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jul 27, 2008 - 5:52 am 9. Cletus:The media should just go down on the guy and get it over with.
Jul 27, 2008 - 6:21 am 10. Cletus:Jesus this reads like a piece of 13 year old girls harry potter fan fiction.
Jul 27, 2008 - 6:22 am 11. david levavi:A strong back is terrible thing to waste. Gee, you think it would work for a Vote Obama bumper sticker?
Jul 27, 2008 - 6:29 am 12. Don:Join the Obama Camp, just leave your brain at the door . . . Amazing, we have a cult of personality developing that tolerate no critics, a cult that ignores fact for the love of an image . . . and what image is there? No accomplishments nor feats of bravery, merely a “pretty face” and speaking voice. The media swoons over a political animal who has (through his political quest) proved repeatedly he actually stands for nothing . . . I guess the campaign is based on the entire (successful) Seinfeldian philosophy of success based on “Nothing”. . . “Bild” should fire this moron before she infects the rest of it’s staff (though of course in our perfect world Morons are protected and encouraged to reproduce). Perhaps that is why we should legalize Drugs? Allow the incompetent and moronic to quickly remove themselves from the gene pool . . .?
Jul 27, 2008 - 6:50 am 13. david levavi:From this voter’s perspective, a candidate of sixty-one able to withstand the rigors of a presidential campaign is far more impressive than a candidate in his forties able to do push-ups or press free-weights.
Obama’s physical exhibitionism takes Putin’s and Sarkozy’s recent flash of physique for the photogs to a new low.
As for love-struck uncritical and humorless coverage and rehash from the press, ho hum.
Jul 27, 2008 - 6:54 am 14. david levavi:Did I say sixty-one? my error. That’s merely my POV. McCain is seventy-one. With a mother as clear as a bell at ninety-six. Trumps Obama in the gym any day of the week.
Jul 27, 2008 - 7:01 am 15. Ed Wallis:“…the usually sober German publication, Bild.”
Oh, REALLY, Mr. Miniter?!
Bild is the equivalent of that middling netherland of yellow journalism which lurks somewhere between “Us” magazine and those “Bat-Mouthed Baby Boy Born In Jersey” dailies.
Although owned by Springer, even this good, long-time anti-Communist publisher (built his building right on the former border in Berlin to thumb his nose at former East Germany) clearly knows how to make a Buck/Euro off of that part of the entertainment-addicted public which craves its yellow thrills daily in print.
Jul 27, 2008 - 7:05 am 16. David:“Embarrassing for all concerned.And doesn’t it make you wonder about the quality of their other coverage?”
I’m a little embarrassed just reading this kind of crap. Who’s in charge of selecting the content here at PajamasMedia? Couldn’t we counter some of the deficiencies of MSM by choosing more substantive stories? Do we have to descend to their level?
Jul 27, 2008 - 7:16 am 17. HardHeadedWoman:Doesn’t sound like much of a workout.
Jul 27, 2008 - 7:20 am 18. mishu:Bild is a tabloid type of paper in Germany. It is fairly close to the Enquirer. Every day, on page 3, they feature some hot naked chick. So I’m not surprised to find an article like this.
Jul 27, 2008 - 7:40 am 19. pappy:those dumbells weighed more than the dumb ass trying to lift them. that sweat on his chest was from his sparkling water that ran out because his mouth won’t go shut anymore, too much exercise in the cheekal area. as for the earphone, it was axleshaft telling him which to do first….shuck or jive.
Jul 27, 2008 - 8:06 am 20. ddc:I dump this article in the same ridiculous prevailing irrational hysterical basket containing the US msm (not to mention the regular joe and jane B.O.-ittes) who ALSO falls all over itself to PROVE beyond a shadow of a doubt that B.O. is clearly from this Other Godlike species to be reverved for even taking a crap. And the way this keeps showing up as NEWS could lead anyone to believe that the next step will be the collecting of which by one in the fainting, crying, screaming B.O. crowd to scientifically prove to the rest of us how wrong we are to he ISN’T the second coming.
When he wins in November (please no) and fails miserably, history will have proof positive (by the tons of print) that there IS no other species from which he was hatched, that he was simply one of us and that THIS kind of collective idolization is both dangerous and silly and something we should remember and watch out for next time.
Jul 27, 2008 - 8:43 am 21. Peanut Gallery:“He pushes three times on the pedals – but then can’t be bothered with it.”
So far to date, absolutely nothing of value has come from his week of world travels except for the deliberate snubbing of voter invitations back in his home nation. Guess he “can’t be bothered with” us, either.
Priceless article. Take heed: a sign of things to come.
Jul 27, 2008 - 9:19 am 22. misanthropicus:Parodies come in different forms - this Bild piece is a modest one, needs more development. Also as, Mishu said, Bild as a paper is on very light weight side, something like Inquirer meets… gosh!… Elle?
Jul 27, 2008 - 10:22 am 23. thinkingoutloud:I think “Let’s enjoy her sexytime memories, together” counts as ironic mocking in Wonkette-world (note the ‘Borat’ reference.) Not an “approving squeal” as you suggest. But anyway, silly article. Reminds me of that National Review piece a year or so ago which praised Fred Thompson’s manly odor (can’t find the link, unfortunately)
Jul 27, 2008 - 11:39 am 24. v for victory:Nobody has mentioned: 32 kg is a lot of weight to curl with one arm. It is about 70 lbs.
Arnold at his most fit would have worked hard at 32 kg curls. Most wightlifters cannot do 50 lbs with one arm.
So I have to doubt nearly everything about this article from the Bild reporter. Or maybe she misinterpreted the numbers: 32 lbs is a decent workout weight for most guys doing one arm curls.
Jul 27, 2008 - 11:42 am 25. Richard Miniter:Roy M:
The Gyno-Blogo-Sphere is a term I made up to mean the end of the blogosphere run by and for women. Am I afraid of it? Hardly. It is fascinating what women think–I just don’t think this Bild reporter was thinking.
Jul 27, 2008 - 11:54 am 26. thinkingoutloud:Women are usually good at spotting over-inflated balloons and popping them. I suspect that a woman commentator will emerge shortly that really has Obama’s number… and the result will hilarious and insightful.
Wonkette is run by a man (Ken Layne), so I’m not sure why you think it’s in they gyno-blogo-sphere. And about eighty percent of the posts are by men.
Jul 27, 2008 - 11:59 am 27. Shawn Mercer:32 kilos translates to roughly 70 lbs. With one arm curls??
I’m sorry, I’m an experienced lifter and I’m flat out calling BS on this one. Obama may well be in shape, he may well be strong for his size, but that boney guy is not effortlessly curling 70 lb dumbbells. Stout 250 pounders in my gym can’t do that.
Jul 27, 2008 - 12:08 pm 28. j green:The German woman asked for the photo, and, undoubtedly, our man of the world, responded “merci beaucoup”.
What!? He spoke in English? That heathen!
Jul 27, 2008 - 12:34 pm 29. Gwen:That’s just frightening.
Jul 27, 2008 - 12:46 pm 30. Richard Miniter:Thinkingoutloud:
Wonkette herself is a woman. I have met her.
Jul 27, 2008 - 1:23 pm 31. thinkingoutloud:Richard Miniter: I assume you’re referring to the founding editor, Ana Marie Cox, who left the site two and a half years ago and now writes for Time Magazine. So, a blog is a ‘gyno-blog’ because it was founded by a woman who left it several years ago, even though it is now edited by a man and written primarily by men? Okkkkayy…
Jul 27, 2008 - 1:49 pm 32. Richard Miniter:Thinkingoutloud:
Assuming your are right (and I have no reason to doubt you), I stand corrected.
As for my reading of the Wonkette entry, I stand behind it. It sounded like an approving squeal to me.
Of course, the problem with blogs is that writers often fail to signal their tone of voice. It could have meant to be sarcastic. But there is nothing in the entry to indicate that it was sarcastic.
Jul 27, 2008 - 1:59 pm 33. Roy M:Gyno-blog-sphere sounds a bit off, to me anyway.
How about “the distaff-blog-sphere”. The good thing about it is that its exactly the right word.
The combination of a tool from the dawn of technology with the latest thing gives a feeling that when women blog they are continuing a tradition of womanly work from the dawn of history:
“She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff” Prov 31:19.
The ONLY downside is that no one will know what you are talking about.
Jul 27, 2008 - 2:01 pm 34. thinkingoutloud:Richard: well, I think the key to the entry is that word ’sexytime’ (google it and you’ll see it’s a Borat catchphrase, in other words, something one imagines being said by a naive foreigner). I think that Wonkette and other blogs of that ilk assume a certain level of pop-culture awareness among its readership.
As for the concept of the ‘gyno-blogosphere’ in general, well, there are obviously blogs written by women, but it’s hard to see how they really congeal into a ’sphere’ particlarly in the political blog world– I mean, what does Ann Althouse have in common with Megan McArdle or whatshername at Firedoglake?
Jul 27, 2008 - 2:14 pm 35. Roy M:What they have in common is that they are all women. Is that a lot? To have in common. Maybe not, if you are a woman.
Women are great though aren’t they? Just beautiful and everything.
Jul 27, 2008 - 4:01 pm 36. Javelin:“I think my IQ has dropped 10 points from reading this article.”
Jul 27, 2008 - 9:05 pm 37. Nathan Hill:and it dropped another ten points reading this blog about it.
Like, who cares?
OK so skipping the visit to wounded troops in Germany because it would not lead to a photo op, instead he gets a fluff piece on his workout. For a politician that is a good trade I guess, too bad he transcends all of that political maneuvering, or does he?
Jul 28, 2008 - 3:53 am 38. Peanut Gallery:“Women are usually good at spotting over-inflated balloons and popping them.”
I take it back. -THAT- was priceless.
And unlike their opponent, some can do it playing strictly by the rules.
Keyboard == universally reaching hat pin.
Jul 28, 2008 - 6:38 pm 39. patruped:bun biped:rău / Orgasmobama:[...] Obama nu transpiră! Sute de mii extaziaţi de Obama în Berlin! 200 de mii! 20 de mii? [...]
Jul 28, 2008 - 8:17 pm 40. Brutus:I challenge any of you out there to pick up a 32-kilo (72 lb.) weight and do 10 arm curls with each arm. I can’t do it and I’m a 285-pound guy lifting weights for years.
I other words, everything in this story is utter BS.
Jul 29, 2008 - 11:42 am 41. misanthropicus:Richard miniter/thinkingoutloud
Isn’t it a low to expect a writer to indicate how her/its/his piece should be perceived? “Turn the page please”, for everybody.
Jul 29, 2008 - 9:00 pm 42. Beldar:The posted link doesn’t work for me — takes me to an empty page on Bild’s website.
But the original page, as imperfectly translated from the German by Google Language Tools, is surely much, much funnier.
The title becomes, for example: “Barack Obama stählte next to me its muscles.”
And the sentence Miniter quotes as “Obama (with toned arms and a strong back) puts on his headphones for his iPod to listen to pop music.” becomes: “Obama (durchtrainierte arms, crisp Rear View), headphones for his iPod to hear pop.”
Crisp rear. Oh, that’s rich, and I wonder if it’s closer to the intended meaning in the original German. And the ending becomes:
“Barack Obama puts the arm around my shoulders, I summarise him to the hip - wow, he does not sweat it! I think: WHAT A MAN!”
This, of course, harmonizes the text with the photograph — she wasn’t saying he didn’t sweat, but that when she put her arm around his hip or, er, summarized him to the hip, he “didn’t sweat it.” Unfortunately, that does not harmonize the text with Obama’s status as a married man.
Jul 30, 2008 - 2:30 am 43. Wolf Pangloss:If we’re talking about a three dimensional solid for female blogger land shouldn’t it be the gyno-blog-torus or something like that? Obviously the male equivalent would be the andro-blog-cylinder.
Now I feel slightly soiled.
Jul 30, 2008 - 6:08 pm 44. Pajamas Media » Seven States That Will Decide the Election:[...] he makes more gaffes during the campaign, and looks more like a rock star than a president, his lack of depth and understanding of most critical issues will become apparent,” Noah, a [...]
Aug 20, 2008 - 1:11 am 45. Seven States that Will Decide the Election « THE “G” BLOG @WordPress.com:[...] he makes more gaffes during the campaign, and [75] looks more like a rock star than a president, his lack of depth and understanding of most critical issues will become apparent,” Noah, a [...]
Aug 20, 2008 - 4:33 am