Michelle Obama Gets Photoshopped For Iran

It seems the First Lady's stunning pewter Oscar gown wasn't acceptable for reprint in Iranian news so the powers-that-be in that country photoshopped in a more modest look. People who watched the Academy Awards had the chance to see Michelle Obama appear via video telecast to announce the winner of Best Picture -- Argo. Mrs. Obama looked radiant in a Naeem Khan metallic gown. It had a plunging U neckline and was sleeveless to show off her amazing physique.

While Iranian news wanted to cover the Oscars, in order to take pot shots at it, they couldn't show the First Lady dressed as she was. That's when they decided to Photoshop the picture to add in sleeves and raise the neckline. That better fit the country's acceptable standards of dress where women must cover certain parts of their body, including their arms.

The quick change look isn't out of the ordinary. Iranian news agencies often alter photos to make them more palatable to the people as well as more acceptable to the government in general. Patrick Ventrel, a deputy spokesman for the State Department had the following to say. "We've persistently seen Iranian news agencies...use fabrication and...other means to distort images."

Iranian news agencies were none to happy with the Academy's choice for Best Picture saying that it was "a movie against Iran". Asriran News also lobbed some hate toward the deputy of cinema, Javad Shamghadri, saying he was unable to "use his lobby to prevent an anti-Iran movie from winning".

Of course there was plenty of blame to go around. Iranian news didn't just pick on Michelle Obama. They referred to Warner Brothers, the studio that backed Argo, as Zionists. At least they didn't add "pigs" to the end of that statement as they often do. Perhaps that's a step in the right direction.

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