Desiree Rogers: People Want to See Her Fail
Monday, December 7, 2009 at 11:00AM
I don't know what bees Desiree put in folks' bonnets, but geez. Check out this exchange between White House Press Secy. Robert Gibbs and American Urban Radio reporter April Ryan. I mean, seriously, FAMEWHORES WHO SHALL REMAIN NAMELESS PARTY CRASHER-GATE is not that serious. Not in the "let's badger Gibbs like he's torturing some detainees on the front lawn" sort of way. The Secret Service screwed up. What's with this, Desiree upstaged the First Lady meme? RE: Ye olde, "Who dis heffa tink she is?"
My blogger amiga Anovelista made some great points the other day about the Rogers saga. While I can understand some critiques of Lady D, a lot of it smacks of "KNOW YOUR PLACE-ism." As in, some people seem to just want to see Rogers fail -- badly.
From Anovelista:
The undercurrent in most of the backlash against Rogers is the fervent wish for her to fail (and by extension in the eyes of some critics, Michelle Obama). After all, she is not a "glittering blonde" and she is certainly no stranger to the spotlight, so she must be taken down a peg. The Who do you think you are? undercurrent has been there from the day Roger's position was announced. Think about it: Most stories you have heard involving black women this year have been about how nobody wants to date us, how we waste thousands of dollars trying to get "Good Hair" or how we are constantly absent or misrepresented in Hollywood or fashion magazines. A Desirée Rogers, well-educated, confident and good-looking, is still confusing and even offensive to some people (and not just white people) because she doesn't have "the look" of someone leading the life she lives. In fact, prior to the parade of stylish, educated black women who came in with the Obama administration, many people were quite comfortable in the notion that (multiple!) black women like this did not exist. The Obamas have known Desirée Rogers for more than twenty years and I doubt they would have tapped her for this position if they had a problem with her skills, style or personality - all things they knew about long before the rest of the world.
Reader Comments (33)
Snob:
Really it is more like DO YOUR JOB-ism. Any attempt to turn it into something about race or place is just sad way of not taking responsibility. She didn't even have to stand outside herself, she could have had some underpaid staffer do it like past administrations have done.
Yes, it seems that some people of all stripes wish for Ms. Rogers to fail, even prior to the State Dinner breach. MaDo locked and reloaded and went off on her again yesterday in the Times, and threw Tiger in the mix for good tabloid measure. Here's the op-ed: http://bit.ly/5gnC7Z
I agree with Anovelista. In my opinion, I believe that some of the anti-Desiree sentiment also stems from the fact that she is a multimillionaire and a living, breathing black socialite. It’s not like she has to work in order to put her daughter through Yale. Lynn Sweet's "In Defense of Desiree Rogers" reminded the critics that Desiree Rogers has successfully presided over 170 events since January 21, and is known for her strong work ethic. http://bit.ly/8D8v7V
So much for MaDo's assessment that Desiree Rogers is "sashaying around and posing." It sounds like she is working to me.
Sashaying around IS part of the job description!
As I understand it, her job is to make people feel GLAD and SPECIAL that they were invited to a White House event.
Smile, pose, shake hands and be beautiful in the commemorative picture everyone wants to take home.
It's part of the glamor of the Obama Camelot and it takes someone LIKE Ms. Rogers to pull it off. Hats off (or on, as protocol requires) to her! At her level, it ain't about the napkins.
BUT, let's not get it twisted: this was a *serious* security breach. There were other VIPs there, other people who depended upon the integrity of White House security, not just the President and First Lady. Anything can be a weapon, so security imaging screening and all that is nearly useless.
Yes, the Secret Service seems to have dropped the ball, --but part of taking responsibility is a Mea Culpa when appropriate. Then, it's up to her boss to determine whether that is good enough.
While this opportunity gives black reporters a rare chance to practice attack journalism on a front page issue (EPIC FAIL, however to that trifling reporter in the Gibs press conference above), security breach is not a race issue. By focusing on it ourselves, I'd like to see more clarity around exactly what happened and why.
The important things are whether Security did the best they could at the door, and how effective internal security felt they were as a result. Best believe they did mad retrospectives on this one. I want to hear what they thought. Agile says "fail early, fail often," so the question for me is "Has security around the White House improved as a result?" If, after 71 odd iterations they feel confident they can stop the NEXT one, then I'm satisfied.
It's not as if Desiree or any of her staff were called to come out to the Secret Service Security Checkpoint and were too busy electric sliding to come outside and clarify any confusion about who should have been given access.
Desiree we love, love, love you and everything you represent. Sometimes you know how fabulous you really are by the people who stay mad about it.
he was wrong for being condescending, but she was getting entirely too hype for no reason...
thanks for this.
they are uncomfortable with a Black woman like Desiree, and the hateration is up front and in your face.
good for this and Anovelista's posts.
I don't think April Ryan was out of line for asking the questions. It wasn't just a bunch of party crashers, it was an event that could have put our President's security at risk. I'm very upset that they got into the event and I'd like to see them put in jail. If Rogers did something wrong on this, then she shouldn't be above punishment. It seems to me like all April Ryan was doing was trying to see if Rogers had any dirt on her from this.
Danielle, Desiree ain't no Michelle Obama. Michelle can wear custom-made designer dresses and most of us will still see to her as one of the people. Desiree, like it or not, comes across as a black snob and that may be something you find appealing about her. To the rest of us third-class steerage passengers, we can't relate. When she therefore makes a mistake, as she did in this crasher-gate scandal, people aren't willing to cut her any slack.
I recall hearing that this was the 2nd briefing in a row that Sutton behaved like this about this issue. Gibbs lost his patience and probably regrets phrasing it the way he did, but I also was irritated with Sutton's unprofessional behavior that came across as personal and petty toward Rogers. The lack of professionalism and respectful behavior by the WH Correspondents to THIS White House compared to the previous one is disheartening.
The Secret Service just admitted to a frighteningly large number of security breeches dating back to the Carter Administration, including some involving social events. I don't recall the WH Social Secretary being attacked for those events. The Republican congressman King started this targeting of Rogers to make it look like Obama's people were incompetent, not the Secret Service. Press members who should know better are going right along with him.
Funny how Desiree Rogers and Valerie Jarrett, who should be recognizable to anyone in DC were stopped trying to get into the WH Correspondents Dinner at a hotel (Washington Hilton), where they absolutely belonged, to attend with the Obamas and a few officials. Somehow, uninvited bleached blond fake cheerleader was able to smile her way past the Secret Service men, who could see her name was not on the list they were provided, into an event at the White House that not only had the Obamas and Bidens, but almost the whole cabinet, and the Indian Prime Minister.
Ok....Gibbs lost his cool a bit and it was unprofessional of him to compare her to a child, but my word, woman, drop the bone already. What the hell point was she trying to make? Is Desiree some social climbing, sleeper agent of Al Qaeda? WTF??
Team Desiree.
@ David,
Talk about "Know your Place-ism"!!!
Would Desiree be more tolerable if she were awkward and uncomfortable with her beauty, powerful position, and personal wealth? Why does Desiree have to be trying to be Michelle Obama? She comes across and an intelligent, confident, beautiful, capable, and assertive woman.
If that is the definition of Black Snob, then I hope it spreading like the H1N1 to all my sistas & brothers!!!
1. People who blaze their own trail often create enemies. History remembers trail blazers, their enemies are lucky if they make the footnotes.
2. If she failed to do her job, she should be held accountable, but from the questions April asked here, she was going down a completely different road than holding Desiree accountable, she was trying to stir up some other sh*t.
3. How fabulous to have some many gorgeous intelligent black women being debated about. What a change!!!
I love Desiree Rogers. It wasn't her fault that the breach happen.
Desiree Rogers is an accomplished, talented, intelligent, savvy professional who has been a steadfast friend to the Obamas since the earliest days of Barack's political life. As the White House Social Secretary, Desiree has now organized over 170 events at the White House, and she is in the process of putting on 28 holiday parties at the White House this month. The White House says she is doing a terrific job, and that it is not her job to protect the President or to provide security services. I take their word for it. That said, I am certain that the Social Office will now have entirely different procedures for events going forward -- a lesson has been learned.
I found Maureen Dowd's column about Desiree Rogers offensive, and wonder why more in the community aren't crying foul ball. The "Who Do You Think You Are?" undercurrent is ugly and divisive.
The media needs to move on -- we have more important issues to think about.
"wonder why more in the community aren't crying foul ball"
because maybe not all black people think alike?
ssshhhh.....
this broad might have some personal issues with rogers. gibbs handled her ass right. i would have told her to shut up.
Well, at least Gibbs knew how to shut her up...seeking 15 minutes of fame right April?
The Obama administration is screwing up royally! Hiring people that they have known and trusted ofr years and absolutely too many Blac and Brown people. Who do these Obamas think they are. don't they now that since America elected them they have a duty to promote the interests of white people over their own. Even if the people they are putting in power (Social Seretary indeed) are more than competent. Uppity dagone Black people!
Peace.
PS: Y'all know I'm being sarcastic, right?
This security breach wasn't Ms. Rogers' fault. There's nothing wrong with expecting Secret Service Agents to know how to read a guest list.
I could tell she was vain and a little star struck from all the attention whoring she did last year. Those other heffers were just chomping at the bit to crucify her for her first slip-up. I learned a long time ago to never give the haters more reason to hate.
and I love Wikipedia
In popular culture, the word bourgeoisie has given rise to the word "bourgie." The word has come to represent middle class values in their attempt to give the semblance of discerning taste. For example, a music track by the songwriting and recording artist duo Ashford & Simpson titled Bourgie Bourgie uses the word critically in addressing middle-class values among blacks. However, the word "bourgie" has been used off and on as a pejorative for some time. The phrase was used language in the anti-Vietnam War movement. Another derivative is "bushwah."
To "The_A" :
I need to shut my trap. Desiree isn't my cup of tea, but I shouldn't knock her publicly. We have so few high profile black people in government, so I shouldn't say negative and personal things about her.
Hey Snob....I agree people want to see Desiree fail. How tacky with what should be the best security force on earth dropping the ball and blaming it on the social secretary. As if. FYI I started a twibbon to support Ms Desiree "Free Desiree Rogers" Details at: http://twitter.com/bougiewinetv
I have yet to understand what people think this woman's job is. She is the Social Secretary. She makes the guest list, gets out the invitation and scurries around to take care of the intimate details of the affair. It is not her duty to stand at the door and collect invitations are check people off the list. I read some one at the Chicago paper websit thought that if she wasn't Black, her job would have been taken. I wish people would understand what her position entails before they start accusing her of not properly doing what she should be doing.
http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/politics/Desiree-Rogers-Shoulders--Blame-for-Crashergate-78136707.html
Desiree does indeed cut a fabulous swath through the solemn landscape of blues and grays who make DC their homes.
That doesn't mean she is beyond criticism. I don't think anyone is saying that all the blame lies at her feet. She does, however, bear some responsibility. It was under her direction that changes were made to procedures that could have resulted in tragic consequences.
Yes, she is a multimillionaire but right now, she's on the taxpayers' dollar. She should go before Congress and answer their questions. The Secret Service messed up and they received their dressing down. Ms Rogers is an executive who has had years of experience handling difficult (and delicate) situations. I'm confident she can manage anything they toss her way.
Now is not the time for her to avoid the limelight. She's not doing herself and her reputation any favors, by hiding and keeping quiet now.
Ya'll know that if the former Bush employee that Desiree demoted had let two crashers get that close to BO everyone on this board would be singing a different tune.