This post reflects the opinions of the author and not necessarily those of Mashable as a publication.
In politics, image is king, and every politician knows it. President Obama knows it more than most, having been caught in one or two pictures that hand his opponents, rightly or wrongly, a gift of a story. You may recall a small controversy over candidate Obama not putting his hand on his heart during the playing of the national anthem. The moment he bowed to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia also became a conservative cause célèbre.
So it's surprising to see the President caught in a three-way selfie at Nelson Mandela's memorial service in South Africa, even if the other two people in the picture are the British and Danish Prime Ministers. The now iconic picture above, snapped by an AFP photographer, speaks more than its thousand-word allotment — largely because Michelle Obama appears to be the only one showing any decorum.
See also: Dancing Through Tears, South Africa Bids Farewell to Mandela
It doesn't take a David Axelrod to look at that and say, "Ouch. Not good." Especially not in the context of Selfies at Funerals, a Tumblr designed to shame the hundreds of (mostly) teenagers who liven up their sad days with egotistical snapshots. In the wake of the Obama funeral selfie, the Tumblr declared it could not top that, and promptly shut down at the height of its fame.
But this is the Internet age, where you don't just get a few lines of caption underneath a damning picture on your front page. You get the whole story whether you like it or not. So here's an object lesson in mitigating circumstances, suitable for sharing with anyone who decided to spin their own story on the basis of this picture.
First of all, this wasn't strictly a funeral; certainly not the solemn dressed-in-black occasion we often associate with the term. It was a four-hour stadium-sized memorial celebrating the life and works of the beloved Madiba, a riot of colorful dancing and singing. Think New Orleans meets the World Cup.
Secondly, it seems to have been a day for Presidents and VIPs to take snaps of themselves. Witness Bush and Bono on Instagram (which wasn't technically a selfie, unless the former President has extraordinarily long arms):
Funeral selfie: George W. Bush posted this Instagram picture of him with Bono at the #MandelaMemorial pic.twitter.com/Sfu3LAPA6K
— Kety Shapazian (@KetyDC) December 10, 2013
Thirdly, consider the context of the shot itself. In other photos, we can see the leaders joking around, switching seats, looking bored — all the things you might find it hard to avoid doing if you were stuck in a stadium for four hours. Danish PM Helle Thorning-Schmidt appears to have been the first one to crack and pull out her smartphone. We can relate.
The anatomy of #SelfieGate pic.twitter.com/JyBwAh8dox
— Jermaine Spradley (@MrSpradley) December 10, 2013
Fourthly, and perhaps most importantly in this case, it was Thorning-Schmidt taking the picture. If a major European leader asked you to get in on a quick snapshot, it would be churlish (and diplomatically inept) to refuse — especially if the sober British Prime Minister David Cameron was already in on the fun.
For the picture to be truly complete, you'd need to add speech balloons. Perhaps Thorning-Schmidt is saying, "Let's commemorate this amazing moment and the life of an incredible man with a joyous group photo." Maybe Michelle is thinking, "Man, I wish there were room for me in that picture."
The point is, we don't know the full context of what would be, for almost any other three people in the world, a private moment. Without that knowledge, a rush to judgment dishonors the memory of a man who spent decades fighting a society that systematically rushed to judgment.
Image may be king in politics, but it's high time that king was dethroned.
People attend the memorial service for South African former president Nelson Mandela at the FNB Stadium (Soccer City) in Johannesburg on Dec. 10, 2013.
People wait for the arrival of President Barack Obama during the memorial service for late South African President Nelson Mandela.
People sing and dance while attending a telecast of the Nelson Mandela memorial service at Ellis Park on Dec. 10, 2013 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Mandela's former wife Winnie Mandela (center) and daughter Zindzi (right) arrives for South African former president Nelson Mandela's memorial service at the FNB Stadium (Soccer City) in Johannesburg.
People celebrate during the memorial service for Nelson Mandela in a bar in front of Mandela's house in Soweto on Dec. 10, 2013.
During the memorial service, people gathered in a bar in front of Mandela's house in Soweto on Dec. 10, 2013.
Two young women attend the official memorial service FNB Stadium.
A man holds a picture of late South African President Nelson Mandela during the African cup of Nations in South African in 1996, as he watches the retransmission of the memorial service for Mandela, at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto on Dec. 10, 2013.
President Barack Obama talks with the widow of South African President Nelson Mandela, Graca Machel, during the memorial service.
A South African holds a portrait of Mandela during the memorial service at FNB Stadium.
A man holds a sign bearing pictures of Mandela during the memorial service for Mandela at FNB Stadium.
Chairperson of the African Union Commission Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma (right) shakes hands with foreign dignitaries as she arrives at FNB Stadium. More than 60 heads of state travelled to South Africa to attend a week of events commemorating Mandela's life.
People sing and dance during the Mandela memorial service at the FNB Stadium.
People attend the memorial service of South African former president Nelson Mandela at the FNB Stadium. Mandela, the revered icon of the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa and one of the towering political figures of the 20th century, died in Johannesburg on Dec. 5.
South Africans attend the memorial service at FNB Stadium.
South Africans attend the memorial service for the late South African president at FNB Stadium.
South Africans gather at FNB Stadium to honor Mandela.
People celebrated Mandela at FNB Stadium with dancing and singing on Dec. 10.
Image: Roberto Schmidt AFP Getty