Boy, does Iran have opinions about the 2013 Oscars. Not only did they slam this year’s Best Picture winner Argo, they also had a bone to pick with the award’s presenter, First Lady Michelle Obama.
While many thought that Michelle Obama’s cameo at the Oscars was a welcome surprise, and oddly fitting considering the slew of political thrillers under consideration this year, Iran was not impressed at all with Argo or its accolades . Perhaps their most bizarre and nit-picky complaint regarded the First Lady’s dress, which apparently showed a little too much skin for Iranian media.
Alongside slamming Argo as CIA propaganda, the Islamic Republic’s news agency did everything they could to cover the First Lady’s cleavage and shoulders, reported The Sun . They added sleeves and more silver material to Obama’s chest area, turning what they called a “transgression” of a dress into something more resembling a blinged-out bedtime shirt.
Of course, we all know that Iran is really only upset with all of Argo ‘s acclaim. So much so, in fact, that they’re already reportedly working on their own version of Argo from the Iranian perspective. Alright, fair enough.
But this really underscores the central problem with Iran, or rather, their misunderstanding of Hollywood. I concede the point that Michelle Obama presenting the Best Picture award to a political film that features Iran looks, as they say, “politically motivated.”
However, what most Islamic Republic nations don’t understand is that Hollywood, our films, our press, operate independently from the government. It’s art, it’s free speech. This was the same problem we had over the whole Innocence of Muslims drama. They don’t have any concept of an entertainment media un-tethered by government interests or direction. So basically, the accusation that Argo is CIA propaganda? A bit “pot calling the kettle black.”
In any case, here’s the altered image, per MSN . What do you think or Iran’s attempt to “cover up” Michelle Obama? And what did you think of her dress?
