With the release of Jodi Kantor’s The Obamas, the FLOTUS has been thrust into the media spotlight, thanks to the author’s descriptions of Michelle’s tensions with White House staff. Despite the occasional negative remarks, Mrs. Obama has had high approval ratings throughout her husband’s presidency. Both graceful and fierce, a maternal figure and a powerful leader, the first lady has been revered for her warm personality, her signature style, and her progressive initiatives. From teaching students how to Dougie to hugging the queen of England, a look at the most buzzed-about moments from Michelle Obama’s time in the White House.
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Sure, “don’t touch the queen” has long been an unwritten rule of royal protocol, but Michelle Obama couldn’t resist going in for a shoulder squeeze after meeting the monarch in 2009. The embrace caused a firestorm in the British press (The Daily Mail called it “an electrifying moment of palpable majesté”), even though the queen reciprocated the warm gesture. A Buckingham Palace spokesman remarked that it was “a mutual and spontaneous display of affection.” The British public immediately took to the first lady, particularly teenage girls, who gushed over her as though she were Paul McCartney. “She is perfect in every way,” said one female student from an inner-city school that Obama visited. It wasn’t long before the press warmed up to her, too; less than 24 hours after she hugged the queen, the BBC dubbed her “the star of the G-20 sideshow.”
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The fashion world hasn’t paid so much attention to a first lady since Jackie Kennedy. Critics swooned over the Jason Wu dress Michelle wore during President Obama’s inauguration and her subsequent high fashion choices, but she is perhaps even more admired for her more affordable, day-to-day style, like her casual J. Crew ensembles. In a 2008 appearance on The View, Michelle turned heads in a flattering black and white dress. It wasn’t just her fashion sense that impressed viewers, but also the price tag: $148. The off-the-rack dress quickly sold out at White House/Black Market boutiques.
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Michelle officially became a style icon when she was featured on the cover of Vogue’s March 2009 issue in a magenta Jason Wu shift. The cover’s equally bold headline declared her “The First Lady The World’s Been Waiting For.” While Vogue generally styles its cover girls, Michelle wanted to choose what she wore—and the editors didn’t protest. “She doesn’t need any help,” said Vogue editor at large Andre Leon Talley. “She loves fashion and knows what works for her.” The only other first lady to grace the fashion bible’s cover was Hillary Clinton, in 1998.
The first lady was promoting nutrition even before her “Let’s Move” campaign took off. In November 2009, she shared the spotlight with Elmo in Sesame Street’s 40th-anniversary episode, explaining to several youngsters how to grow their own vegetables. Big Bird even made an appearance for the segment and noted how the first lady was nearly as tall as he was (because she eats her broccoli, of course).
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Did she teach them how to Dougie? The first lady showed off her dancing move to Nickelodeon’s iCarly in a preview for the show’s upcoming season, in which she makes a cameo. The show stars Miranda Cosgrove as the daughter of an Air Force colonel, and the cast has been traveling around the country to different military bases for special screenings of “iMeet The First Lady.” Mrs. Obama recently joined them for a screening at a high school in Alexandria, Va., where much of the student body comes from military families.
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She was specifically responding to a new book about her marriage called The Obamas, but Michelle has been fending off the “angry black woman” stereotype since her husband announced his candidacy for president in 2007. She went on CBS earlier this week and said “it's more interesting to imagine” conflict. “That’s been an image that people have tried to paint of me,” she added. “I just try to be me.”
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Michelle stunned in an architectural red gown at last year’s state dinner for Chinese President Hu Jintao. Despite rumors that her dress would be designed by Vera Wang, who was among the evening’s attendees, Obama opted for a petal silk organza gown by Alexander McQueen, created by the late designer's successor, Sarah Burton.
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Less than two years after President Obama was sworn into office, the first lady launched a campaign to tackle one of America’s biggest health problems: childhood obesity. In February 2010, Michelle formally unveiled her Let’s Move initiative, which aims to educate kids, parents, and schools about the importance of nutrition and exercise. “We all know the numbers,” Mrs. Obama said on ABC’s Good Morning America. “One in three kids are overweight or obese, and we’re spending $150 billion a year treating obesity-related illnesses.” While the federal government is doing its part to enforce the initiative, Michelle is leading the effort—and proving she’s got moves. She’s taught school kids how to Double-Dutch and led 400 of them in a jumping-jack competition on the White House lawn.
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Improving the lives of military families has long been one of Michelle Obama’s signature initiatives. During her husband’s 2008 election campaign, she visited with Army spouses near Fort Bragg in North Carolina. Since moving into the Oval Office, she has invited military families to numerous events in Washington and revisited Fort Bragg. Last spring, Mrs. Obama and Dr. Jill Biden launched the Joining Forces initiative to raise greater national awareness about the sacrifices and needs of Army families.
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