Melania Trump Goes Arms-Crossed Defensive Pose, Putting Strong Barrier Between Her & American People

Perhaps Melania Trump couldn't help herself, but America's new First Lady packed a whole lot of insecure negativity into her official White House portrait. We don't know if her big bauble is from the Donald or her QVC jewelry collection, as New York Magazine suggests.  Wind machine or no wind machine, Vaseline on her eyelids -- we can't tell.  One thing is clear: having a First Lady portrait is the last goddess-damned good idea in Melania Trump's mindset. Yikes!

With both the Donald and Melania Trump being so media conscious and believing that it's all about image, I decided to stay out of the liberal media and head over to Westsidetoastmasters.com and their book of body language. Serving Santa Monica, West Los Angeles, and Greater Los Angeles, this chapter is part of the international nonprofit Toastmasters International. 

About those Crossed Arms

Both arms are folded together across the chest as an attempt to put a barrier between the person and someone or something they don't like. . . Crossed-Arms-on-Chest is universal and is decoded with the same defensive or negative meaning almost everywhere. It is commonly seen among strangers in public meetings, in queues or cafeteria lines, elevators or anywhere that people feel uncertain or insecure.

Bottom line with crossed-arms-on-chest main Melania Trump message: she's not coming out and you're not coming in.

When the crossed arms then become the Double-Arm-Grip as Melania Trump is posing, additional reinforcement is achieved in a form of self-hugging. Westside Toastmasters explains that in extended, hostile debates, the arms are easily gripped so tight that one's fingers and knuckles can turn white, with blood circulation being cut off. The pose shows a very negative attitude and definitely a message of "I do not want to be standing here."

By contrast, former First Lady Michelle Obama hit all the high notes cited by Westside Toastmasters. There's the minor matter of an official White House setting and not some Sears-photo drive-by as Melania Trump chose. (Note that NY Mag came up with the Sears reference, not AOC). Michelle is open to receive and welcoming. She is gracious but welcoming. Her having the desk as a minor prop is perfect, according to Westside Toastmasters. 

Michelle Obama -- who wasn't exactly comfortable her first weeks as First Lady either -- plays by the successful woman's mantra -- "never let them see you sweat"! No matter what was going through her mind at the moment, Mrs. Obama rose to the occasion and winged it. Melania Trump, on the other hand, looks like a miserable Stepford wife saying "please, oh goddess, please tell me he doesn't run for a second term!!!"

Hey, we don't want to be mean, and hopefully Melania Trump will warm up to us Americans. Then again, the Trump's have a very strong "let them eat cake" attitude. The new First Lady may just hunker down in her glam spa room at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and wait it out. ~ Anne

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Celebrating Two New Malawi-Born Daughters, Madonna Releases 'Her-Story' A 12-Minute Film For International Women's Day

Madonna Says 'Dress Up! Speak Up!' In Luigi & Iango Images For Harper's Bazaar Germany April 2017 (Fashion & Style Editorial)

It's almost 26 years since Madonna released 'Truth or Dare', the pop icon & feminist celebrated International Women's Day with the release of a 12-minute short film 'Her-Story', dedicated "to all women that fight for freedom".

Directed by Luigi & Iango, who lensed her Harper's Bazaar Germany April editorial above, 'Her-Story' opens with audio lifted from Madonna's January 21 Women's March address. “To accept this new age of tyranny where not just women are in danger, but all marginalized people,” Madonna says. “Where being uniquely different might truly be considered a crime. The revolution starts here.”

Short clips of Madonna’s 2012 single “Girl Gone Wild” also play throughout 'Her-Story', which ends as two figures carry a banner reading “We should all be feminists” down a dark alleyway. Madonna’s handwriting ends the film, scrawling the famous Hillary Clinton quote “women’s rights are human rights” in white text.

“Every Woman Has A Story! Don’t be Afraid to Use your Voice! To Help others! celebrate Women around the World!” Madonna wrote on Instagram, where she shared several of 'Her-Story‘s' individual segments. 

A Rockin' New Mom Of Twin Daughters

Madonna kept a low profile during her January 2017 trip to Malawi, where she aggressively put down rumors that she was adopting more children. Indeed, she was in the country to adopt 4-year-old twin girls.

Their mother died of complications in birth, delivering the twins in a Caesarean section.  As is so common in Africa, the father -- who attended the Jan. 25 court hearing attended by Madonna -- had five other children from his first marriage. After remarrying, he said he simply cannot provide for his dependents. 

Judge Fiona Mwale, said she didn't challenge Madonna, 58, on Malawi's residency requirements for adoption, saying the country's Supreme Court of Appeal had addressed the issue in the pop star's previous adoption of two other Malawi children. 

"In determining her motives, I questioned the petitioner at length about the impact of her decision which could be construed as robbing Malawi of its most precious resource, its children," the judge wrote.

Madonna said her daughters will keep their birth names of Esther and Stella to preserve their identity as Malawians, and a Malawian nanny will travel with the children to the United States to ease their transition, according to the ruling. Her son David Banda and daughter Mercy James are now 11.

Mwale noted that the pop star has raised $7.5 million for her latest project in Malawi, the construction of a pediatric surgery ward at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre. The ward is scheduled to open early next year, writes Billboard.

Meet Esther and Stella, Madonna's twin daughters, age 4, from Malawi.