Michelle Obama admits she’s growing out her ‘irritating’ midlife-crisis bangs

Michelle Obama’s biggest fans and biggest critics have one thing in common: everyone has strong feelings for or against her “midlife crisis bangs”. MO debuted her bangs shortly before Pres. Obama’s second inaugural, and it seems like ever since then, Michelle has been fielding questions about her bangs. You know I am strongly opposed to them (no disrespect to MO, whom I love), but other people like them and Pres. Obama even had to defend them, publicly taking a pro-bangs position. Well, Michelle sat down for a new interview with Entertainment Tonight, and of course the conversation came around to BANGS.

Is it just me or was the interviewer overly friendly, almost bordering on rude? Especially when the girl started in about Pres. Obama as a sex symbol. Ugh. Anyway, when asked about her bangs, Michelle admitted that she’s growing them out and she needs a change: “I’m like a girl. What’s next? We take it day by day. They’re starting to grow out, getting a little irritating. But it’s okay!” YAY, she’s growing them out!! Thank God. They probably will look awkward for a while, and I guess Michelle will learn from this bangsy experience.

My mom told me something funny recently about MO’s bangs – my mom works with a lot of really conservative, Republican-types who don’t care for the Obamas at all, but she said that after Michelle got bangs, many of the Republican women changed up their hairstyles to get bangs too. And whenever my mom says, “Oh, you got Michelle Obama Bangs!” they get really irritated.

Photos courtesy of the White House Flickr page and Annie Leibovitz/VOGUE.

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34 Responses to “Michelle Obama admits she’s growing out her ‘irritating’ midlife-crisis bangs”

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  1. teehee says:

    Obangsa’s are irritating, specially when they dont tickle, but they just cause you to frown and squint all day to see properly— very tiring to the eyes. Im growing mine out too 😛

  2. PHD Gossip says:

    Wig. Wig. Wig. what else is she lying about? Sheesh.

    • missy says:

      given the extraordinary pressure average black women are under to conform to the mainstream (white) beauty standard in order to more easily navigate the world (and not just constantly be reduced to just some black ho), i cannot imagine the pressure the first black first lady of this country or any other public black woman must be under. whether she wears a wig, a weave, her straightened hair mixed with clip-in extensions or tracks, i dont really care and i dont consider it as big of deal as you do.

      “natural beauty,” whatever that is, is a luxury some of us cannot afford. some of us have to lie whether its through fake hair, fake skin to cover up acne scars or natural unevenness of skin tone, or whatever.

      • HolaGatito says:

        @Missy I love your comment! Great response.

      • missy says:

        Thanks HolaGatito. this natural beauty trend really annoys me. I hate when ppl “out” other women for enhancing their looks; it shows a real lack of empathy given the reality of beauty privilege.

        I have a friend who is white and has pretty bad acne. unlike ppl w darker skin, when she gets acne her skin turns red as well as protrudes. other ppl can be so cruel and demean her because in this society is clear perfectly even skin or nothing. so of course she tries as best she can to cover up the redness and acne with makeup–its not a luxury, its a necessity for her because otherwise ppl dont see her as human and dont treat her decently. not everyone can have naturally perfect skin, not everyone can have naturally thick, long, fast-growing hair that can be constantly manipulated with heat every day (like the first lades hair prolly is) without it falling off.

      • bluhare says:

        Yay Missy! I don’t care what kind of hair Michele Obama has either. I love her.

      • Jazz Faublous says:

        Love your response. I’m not black, but I am a woman of color so with my other WOC friends, I often hear the peer pressure that black women face about hair and beauty standards.

    • Cazzie says:

      I have to admit, I am a secret fan of Duchess Kate’s wiglet. 🙂

      So.

      If Michelle Obama wants to occasionally supplement her own hairstyle, or wear a full wig for an event or a special occasion or just because she’s having a bad hair day, she has my full support!

    • ya says:

      Are you just assuming that because she’s black?

  3. Nicolette says:

    Who cares?

  4. Faye says:

    I think she’ll look much better without the bangs.

    I give the reporter a pass for her questions. I mean, it’s Entertainment Tonight,and they’re trying to conduct an interview that will keep their audience watching. What are they going to ask about, Obama’s new proposed budget? And the calling him a sex idol, which I indeed find an inappropriate thing to do toward a President of the United States, has been done since his first campaign by much more “respected” media sources than ET.

    Side note – I don’t know who those kids are or why they’re in the White House, but they are freaking adorable. That redhead squealing at Bo is just too cute for words.

    • blannie says:

      Those adorable little boys are Rainer & Atticus and they visited the White House because they are encyclopedias about the US Presidents. Ellen has had them on several times.

      Here’s video of their trip to the White House, where they met the First Lady and Bo.

      http://www.ellentv.com/2013/02/12/rainer-and-atticus-at-the-white-house/

    • gg says:

      I think the fangirl routine with the President and flotus has gotten out of hand. They can’t avoid interviewers getting overly friendly and asking stupid hollywood questions anymore. Madge is going to write them a sloppy letter next.

    • Cody says:

      Those are the children of a Veteran who just received the Medal of Honor a few weeks ago and the whole family got to visit the President before the ceremony.

  5. marie says:

    I have no strong feelings toward the bangs and I think it’s kinda dumb that folks are asking her about them. it’s her hair/wig whatever, and she can wear any hairstyle she chooses. I think she looks nice either way.

  6. lem says:

    i got short side-swept bangs almost three months ago. i’ve been growing them out ever since i left the salon. i always think i look better with bangs but then i get them and realize that NOPE they’re just annoying.

  7. Trudy says:

    Thank god. Those bangs did nothing for her.

  8. JL says:

    Oh how common woman of her, she got bangs and is growing them out..

    Yippee.

    It seems to me she got her hair cut and now it’s longer than before? Magic I tell you.

  9. Zorbitor says:

    Well they worked for Moe Howad

  10. tia says:

    I too wanted bangs but my hairdresser was like they will be a pain in the butt and you will try to start growing them out as soon as you get them. She said if you are over 10 that type of bang isn’t a good look. So I am glad I listened. 🙂

  11. k says:

    That’s too bad. I loved the bangs on her. She’s much more of a person than just her bangs. I love that your mother pissed off the mid-Atlantic republican biddies.

    • Azurea says:

      I love them, too. Her hair looks utterly fantastic
      on the Vogue cover! I always have bangs, whether my hair is short or longer, because I look better with them. AND if I didn’t, my hair would just be hanging over my face continually — it just wants to fall forward — now THAT’S irritating.

  12. Inconceivable! says:

    At least when North Korea fires off some nuclear weapons, none of us will probably care about her mid-life crisis bangs anymore.

  13. Kelly says:

    I’ve always had banks due to a long face so could not understand why she got such heavy ones when she looks so good without them. I guess everyone likes to experiment a little.

    I am not a huge fan of MO although I adore her fashion, but she is First Lady and I think even ET needs to remember that. Then again, she is all over the place: I-CArly and Oscars so who knows any more.

  14. Jen says:

    Seriously, how hard can it be to grow out wig bangs? An hour tops to drive to the store, pick out a new bang-less wig, and plop it on your head.

    • Inconceivable! says:

      I’ve always wondered if she wears a wig or not. I have always been clueless on the indicators of wigs versus natural hair.

  15. RR says:

    IMO, she got them after being inspired by Kerry Washington. I think she looks good with & without them.

    The last picture: that green dress is SO SO SO SO beautiful with her skin & hair color, its crazy!

  16. moon says:

    Mobama is an intelligent, Princeton educated ex-lawyer/executive. She was doing better than her husband at some point in her career. It sucks that while he gets to field questions about policy issues and things that actually matter, all she gets asked about again and again is her hair, or her clothes.

    • Inconceivable! says:

      Mrs. Clinton was able to change the topics of what she was asked, so Mrs. Obama could too, if she wanted. I begin to wonder if she does not want to overshadow Barack – so she keeps it light and all about bangs, school lunches, and exercise.

  17. F5 says:

    whatever helps distract from that overbite.. go for it, M.