Michelle Obama might seem like an unlikely cover subject for an entertainment magazine, but as Variety proves in an in-depth look at the first lady’s media presence, there’s a reason why and how she’s become such a prominent figure in her own right.
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“She’s something of a force of nature – one of the rare few who are truly present with whomever she’s talking to”, says Hollywood director J.J. Abrams. “While I am first lady, I wasn’t first lady my whole life”.
James Corden’s “Carpool Karaoke” guests have included world-renowned chart-toppers, from Stevie Wonder to Adele, but when he pulled up to the White House last month, the woman who opened the door and stepped into his S.U.V. set a new standard for singing passengers.
She’s not only intelligent, passionate and thoughtful, she’s also hilarious, has killer dance moves and crushes it at carpool karaoke. “. According to Nielsen, digital sales of “This Is for My Girls” climbed a whopping 1,562% in the week after the segment aired”. When he’s not covering the latest in pop culture, you can find him playing with his French Bulldog puppy or hovering over the table of food at any social gathering.
“My view is, first you get them to laugh, then you get them to listen”, she told Variety. “I view myself as being the average woman”, she said.
On being involved in pop culture: “What I have never been afraid of is to be a little silly, and you can engage people that way”. So I’m always game for a good joke.
“The only way that millions of people get to know other folks and the way they live…is through the power of television and movies”.
Of the segment, Obama tells Johnson: “You know, that’s when I thought, ‘This is insane.’ But again, it resonated”.
For so many people, television and movies may be the only way they understand people who aren’t like them. “Having the fifth season of Orange Is the New Black” is a lifesaver”, she admits.
“On a good flight to China?” “The only way I get through the next season of “The Americans” is on a long flight”. “You know, that’s when I thought, ‘This is insane.’ But again, it resonated”.
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“It was a huge honor and brand milestone to work with Michelle Obama’s team on a custom dress for the cover of Variety”, Simkhai told WWD.
