Today, President Barack Obama attended the memorial for Nelson Mandela, the former South African president and cherished symbol of perseverance. And he took a selfie. With Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning Schmidt and U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron. First Lady Michelle was not having any of it.
The funeral’s Selfie featuring David Cameron, Helle Thorning Schmidt & Barack Obama. #Mandela pic.twitter.com/UkMdbDzPIS
— Michel Eléftériadès (@elefteriades) December 10, 2013
Naturally, Twitter had some harsh words for the president, many of them too salty to share here. These are a few of the more measured angry responses.
The picture of Obama taking a “selfie” at Mandela’s funeral says it ALL. You’re not a celebrity, moron, you’re the president. Act like it.
— Keegan Gaspari (@keegangaspari) December 10, 2013
Is this selfie at the funeral for real? #collapseofcivilization
— Helaine Olen (@helaineolen) December 10, 2013
Others found the humor in the situation:
Don’t act like you’ve never taken a selfie at an anti-apartheid revolutionary’s funeral before.
— Thea Lux (@thealux) December 10, 2013
Novelty Tumblr account “Selfies At Funerals” used this opportunity to bow out of the Tumblr game, noting, “Obama has taken a funeral selfie, so our work here is done.”
Of course, many failed to note that this was actually a celebratory memorial service full of dancing, singing, and general joviality, and not Mandela’s actual funeral. So this is less of an issue of the president treating a recently deceased, beloved global leader with disrespect, and more an issue of the media finding a picture that made it look like the president was disrespecting a recently deceased, beloved global leader and running with it.
