Somebody needs a personal shopper...

Michelle Obama's Underwhelming Attempt At Playing First Lady

Despite the fact that many Americans pride themselves on being fantastic shoppers (we do, after all, have the Mall of America and the Home Shopping Network and build a gift shop anywhere there might be a chance that a tourist may spend a few dollars on a postcard) and expert gift-givers (think of how many holidays in the US have become associated with giving and receiving gifts), Michelle Obama managed to fail at a time-honored act of exchanging gifts as a sign of goodwill and an act of diplomacy.  I can just imagine her pulling a Homer Simpson in that Christmas episode tied with the music of the Nutcracker, in which her family is handed gifts from the Browns and she excuses herself to the hall, saying that she left the gifts in the family dining room, only to quickly call an aide on her cell from the bathroom, asking for any possible gifts to be rustled up in ten minutes in order to save face in front of the PM and his family.  Any soccer mom worth her sweater set would know that gifts quickly grabbed on the way to the birthday party and without much thought put into the purchasing of said gifts immediately means that the gifts will be seen as an insult to the child and to the parent of said child and interpreted that they are not valued as friends.  Thus, in one foul swoop, Michelle ha not only put her children's social standings at risk (what kid would want to invite a notoriously bad gift-giver to his/her birthday party and who would want to be friends with someone who wasn't invited to any parties?), but also put her husband's social standing as a political leader at risk (clearly they don't think that the US values the friendship of their closest ally, GB).  Way to go, Mrs. Obama.