Photos: Paul McCartney, Oprah & the most famous person in the world (The Obama Presidency, Day 685)

[Clio the Leo]

President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama arrive at a reception for the recipients of the 2010 Kennedy Center Honors arrive in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Sunday, Dec. 5, 2010.


Singer Gwen Stefani (R) of the band No Doubt


American writer, singer-songwriter, actor, and musician Kris Kristofferson (2L) and his wife Linda


US actress Claire Danes


Actress Julia Roberts


Singer and songwriter Merle Haggard


Merle Haggard, Jerry Herman, Bill T. Jones, Paul McCartney, and Oprah Winfrey listen to U.S. President Barack Obama as he gives a speech during the 2010 Kennedy Center Honorees to a reception in the East Room of the White House before going to the Kennedy Center on December 5, 2010 in Washington, DC. The recipients for the 33rd annual awards are singer and songwriter Merle Haggard, composer and lyricist Jerry Herman; dancer, choreographer and director Bill T. Jones, songwriter and musician Paul McCartney, and producer, television host and actress Oprah Winfrey.






Paul and Oprah! Who knew!? Paulrah? Opaul? Ah well, let's just sing! "Ebony and Ivory go together in perfect harmony..."





US President Barack Obama (L) smiles from the balcony with First Lady Michelle Obama (L) during the Kennedy Center Honors

[Clio the Leo]

1. And no, there aren't any better pics of Michelle's dress than that....

.... press pool, you suck.

[sammytko]

25. I still love it - so daring!

i bet she feels great wearing it. She looks better than Gwen or Claire

[Clio the Leo]

36. She certainly does. nt

[iamjoy]

2. Meow, Meow

Is that just the angle/seam of the dress or do we see nipplage on Gwen Stefani?

Clare Danes is too damn skinny.

[Clio the Leo]

4. lol, yeah, that's just the seam I think....

.... not even the cast of Mad Men have nipples that pointy.

And you're right about Claire. Hopefully, the Secret Service made her eat a bunch.

[CakeGrrl]

8. Mrs-O.org has another angle of POTUS and FLOTUS

But even they didn't quite get a full-length shot. I want to see the shoes! ;-)

http://mrs-o.org/

As to the other observations, I think that IS nippleage on Ms. Stefani, and Claire Danes looks too thin and odd. She needs to stop hunching over and CARRY that dress. Her face looks different than I remember from her "Little Women" and "Romeo + Juliet" days - not just older.

Cool for the recipients, as always!

[Clio the Leo]

9. Bless you...

.... beautiful dress .... a rare fitted one that looks so good on her.

Reminds me of...

[elleng]

3. Neat-o; thanks.

Zat the Powells and Pelosi in box beside Potus and Flotus?

[Clio the Leo]

5. Yeppers ....

.... according to pool report, Chris Rock made jokes on stage about Palin. Powell laughed, albeit uncomfortably.

[struggle4progress]

6. By "most famous person in the world" you mean Michelle, right?

[Clio the Leo]

7. No, I meant Merle Haggard...

.... and his extremely white boots. (I think he thought a different President would be in attendance.)

[struggle4progress]

10. Merle Haggard. Merle Haggard. Name sounds familiar. Is he that guy that always

hangs out with Michelle or am I confusing him with somebody else?

Okie From Muskogee
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iYY2FQHFwE
:scared:

[Clio the Leo]

11. lol yeah, I was listening to that song too as I was making the thread...

.... clearly this was some kind of Kennedy Center triangulation we saw tonight. Gotta throw in ONE for the conservatives. :)

[ProfessionalLeftist]

12. WTH was Oprah doing there?

That is one tiresome woman who IMO does not live up to the privilege of hobnobbing with heads of state, etc. She should stick to sensationalist gossip.

Edit: Why not invite Jerry Springer, too? Pfft.

[Clio the Leo]

13. You're TRYING to make me put you on ignore huh?

DO NOT BASH THE OPRAH!!!!! :spank:

[ProfessionalLeftist]

27. Oprah is an ignorant gossip-peddler and ratings addict

Why not honor Charles Manson or Jerry Springer? Pfft. She's a pretentious a$$.

[ProfessionalLeftist]

29. Why didn't they honor Roman Polanski too if they're gonna honor Oprah...

...he's also an 'honorable' criminal in our society. Odd how that works - those "morals" we all profess to have.

[Clio the Leo]

31. When I was in college, every day at 4pm....

.... you could HEAR Oprah's voice all over the dorm. You'd walk out into the hallway and all you could hear was Oprah. EVERY TV was on her show.

You can hate her if you want to, but you cannot argue her influence on our culture.

(And yes, she did just give me a car.)

[prolesunited]

39. And just how are Oprah and Polanski equivalent?

What crimes has Oprah committed? She is a victim of sexual abuse, not a perpetrator.

[prolesunited]

14. I know many don't like Oprah

but her show is NOT anything like Jerry Springer nor is her show filled with sensationalist gossip, although the does spend too much time on frivolous things like fashion makeovers. And Oprah has tons of influence with American woman. Her early support of Obama -- the first time she had back a candidate -- gave him a huge bounce among white women.

[gateley]

15. Fashion makeovers aren't frivolous, IMO, when you see the confidence these

women gain from them.

[Beacool]

19. Yeah, Oprah............

When is her show finally off the air? Never endorsed anyone before. Interesting how she forgot about empowering women in 2008, even more interesting is who she chose to endorse. You forgot to mention that so many people were irate about her endorsement and that the thousands of messages crashed her site.

:eyes:

[CakeGrrl]

21. Just think - after she celebrates 25 very successful years,

you'll be able to enjoy Oprah's VERY OWN NETWORK. Now THERE'S female empowerment!

:hi:

[Clio the Leo]

34. Plus, I'm going to send Becool a subscription to O magazine! ;-) nt

[Beacool]

41. Not me...........

I don't read her magazine nor watch her show.

:)

[CakeGrrl]

51. Why, color me shocked!!!

:D

[RichGirl]

23. I think EVERYONE...

...has the right to have their own opinions, make their own choices for whatever reason they choose....even celebrities.

Endorsing anyone at anytime was a huge risk for her and would have gotten her a lot of criticism and loss of viewers. She chose to take that risk with Obama. It was her decision and nobody elses.

Do you let others decide what you should think and do???

You can disagree with her....but you can't say what she should and shouldn't do...it's not for you to decide.

[Beacool]

24. Oh, I'm not saying she didn't have the right to do as she pleased.

And I have a right to comment on it.........

;)

[Clio the Leo]

33. She empowered ANOTHER demographic group...

... which was well within her right.

And hey, in so doing, gave Hillary a promotion right?

[Beacool]

40. Gave Hillary a promotion???

That was not exactly the "promotion" that she was seeking. She had no interest initially in being SOS, it took a lot of convincing for her to accept the post.

;-)

[AtomicKitten]

42. uh huh

:eyes: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/25/report-clinton-camp-fabri_n_146489.html

[Beacool]

44. That was B.S.

But leave it to Huff and you to propagate it.

:eyes:

[AtomicKitten]

46. LOL.

---> http://www.hulu.com/watch/19689/saturday-night-live-message-from-hillary-clinton

[Beacool]

52. The loser is the country.

Since we are doing sooooo well, aren't we?

:eyes:

[Clio the Leo]

43. lol was it all a part of his grand scheme to get Caroline in Hillary's Senate seat?

Did he threaten her with dirt on Bill?

Please!

[Beacool]

45. No, he appealed to her sense of duty.

She had wanted to stay in the senate and had even drafted a speech refusing the offer. Biden called her the night before and so did Obama. He told her that he needed her help, that the domestic front would take most of his time.

;-)

[AtomicKitten]

47. Pfft. She had no seniority in the Senate, no committee chairmanship, zip, nada, goose-egg.

[ProfessionalLeftist]

28. Her show IS filled with ignorant sensationalist gossip

and she does spend time on frivolous things. She is just as bad as Springer. Her "Be your best self" crap is - crap. If she is her best self - well, she doesn't deserve a Kennedy Center honor. She deserves a really good psychiatrist. She's one sick, obsessed woman.

I'd like to see YOU on her show answering her nosey questions about your sex life! She peddles petty gossip, and sensationalism and lies just like the rest of the media. Her "Oh I'm so genuine and I care so much" pretense is just that - pretense. She needs help - psychiatric help - not a Kennedy Center honor.

[Clio the Leo]

35. There is NOTHING more frivolous....

.... than wasting time debating the merits of Oprah on an internet message board.

[prolesunited]

38. Geez, you really don't like her

talk about obsessed. And you're apparently a mind reader and a psychiatrist to boot.

When you build a school for girls in Africa, fund millions in college scholarships and help rebuild homes after Hurricane Katrina, I'll give your opinion some merit.

I agree that she is not everyone's style, but she is an extremely successful African-American woman. What have you accomplished in your life?

[boppers]

16. I haven't watched any of her work for years.

Too suburban, grumpy housewife, for me.

Last thing I really liked was this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVQorfIX84w

[babylonsister]

17. Go away. She's way more than you make her out to be. Ever

heard of "The Color Purple"? :eyes:

[HipChick]

30. She has done a lot to fund minority movies that couldn't get financing elsewhere

I'm not a huge fan, but I'll give credit where it's due, she's a lot more than just a TV show..

[VMI Dem]

18. I'd like to see tax cuts for all those fabulous people.

:toast:

[Clio the Leo]

32. lol, yep! So they can ... um, make some jobs and stuff!

Fear not, Claire will not be robbed of her opportunity to provide economic support to the poor distressed Manolo workers anytime soon. Glad the GOP has their backs. :)

[whistler162]

20. From San Quentin to the White House...

the Merle Haggard story!

[jefferson_dem]

22. Ha.

Love it. He looks great.

[lunatica]

26. Thank you. I truly appreciate the balance that these photos bring

I love and admire Michelle and the Obama family. Disappointed or not, they are our President and First Lady, and I'm proud of that.

[Clio the Leo]

37. FYI: CBS will broadcast the Kennedy Center Honors show on Dec 28th 9p-11p/ET. nt

[AtomicKitten]

48. K&R - Paul McCartney was honored by the WH before.

Paul McCartney wins the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/06/03/honoring-sir-paul-mccartney

McCartney to Pres O: "There are billions of us rooting for you."

[jenmito]

49. I can't find video of this anywhere. Do you know if there is video of this? n/t

[jenmito]

50. Oh-I see it will be shown on the 28th. Thanks. n/t

[rasputin1952]

53. Michelle gets more stunning every time her pic shows up...

that woman is a fantastic asset, not just to PO, but the nation as well. I've got to say, not since Jackie has anyone taken to the national stage like Michelle as First Lady!