I once heard an African-American political commentator say that for the African-American community, the images of the Obamas as the “first family of America” are so beautiful, it’s like we are getting drunk on these images. I sort of feel like that’s the truth. Like, Barack Obama’s presidency was historic in so many ways but it feels superficial to say that America has changed simply because we, as a nation, got to see an African-American family in the White House. But we did change. And we’re still getting drunk on those images. And in the Obamas’ last six months in the White House, everyone is feeling so bittersweet about them leaving. I’m expecting lots of “exit interviews” from both Pres. Obama and the First Lady. And this might be one of the first ones from Michelle. Michelle covers the new issue of Variety to talk about how she’s a child of pop culture, and why she broke the mold as far as a FLOTUS embracing pop culture as never before. You can read the full piece here. Some highlights:

Her appearance on Carpool Karaoke: “First of all, I was riding in a car with somebody else, without the Secret Service. So right there, [I said], ‘Let’s keep driving!’ I think we drove around the South Lawn about 100 times.”

Her many TV show appearances: “What I have never been afraid of is to be a little silly, and you can engage people that way. My view is, first you get them to laugh, then you get them to listen… [I’m interested in] reaching people where they lived on a day-to-day basis, and the next step was, ‘How do you do that? Where are the people?’ Well, they’re not reading the op-ed pieces in the major newspapers. They’re not watching Sunday morning news talk shows. They’re doing what most people are doing: They are watching TV. A lot of our audiences are kids and teens, and they want to be in on the joke. And they’ll listen again. We’re just a little looser with this stuff than most traditional first ladies.”

The First Lady’s office: “It has been wonderful having the platform of the first lady’s office. But if you sort of look at who we are, we don’t have a budget. We don’t have congressional authority. But I still believe we managed to have impact on these issues, which sort of sets the foundation to think, ‘Gosh, we can do a lot, even when we’re not here, just with the power of public awareness.’ ”

The Average Woman: “I view myself as being the average woman. While I am first lady, I wasn’t first lady my whole life. I’m a product of pop culture. I’m a consumer of pop culture, and I know what resonates with people. I know what they’ll get a chuckle out of and what they think is kind of silly. And whenever my team approaches me with ideas and concepts, we’re usually like, ‘Is this really funny? Are people going to understand it?’”

Her binge-watch shows: “On a good flight to China? Having the fifth season of ‘Orange Is the New Black’ is a lifesaver. The only way I get through the next season of ‘The Americans’ is on a long flight. And it helps, because you look up and say, ‘We’re here. We’re landing.’ ”

The lack of diversity in pop culture: “For so many people, television and movies may be the only way they understand people who aren’t like them. And when I come across many little black girls who come up to me over the course of this 7½ years with tears in their eyes, and they say: ‘Thank you for being a role model for me. I don’t see educated black women on TV, and the fact that you’re first lady validates who I am….’ My mom says it all the time: ‘People are so enamored of Michelle and Barack Obama.’ And she says, ‘There are millions of Michelle and Barack Obamas.’ We’re not new. We’re not special. People who come from intact families who are educated, who have values, who care for their kids, who raise their kids — if you don’t see that on TV, and you don’t live in communities with people like me, you never know who we are, and you can make and be susceptible to all sorts of assumptions and stereotypes and biases, based on nothing but what you see and hear on TV. So it becomes very important for the world to see different images of each other, so that, again, we can develop empathy and understanding.”

Her favorite show when she was a girl was The Mary Tyler Moore Show: “She was one of the few single working women depicted on television at the time. She wasn’t married. She wasn’t looking to get married. At no point did the series end in a happy ending with her finding a husband — which seemed to be the course you had to take as a woman. But she sort of bucked that. She worked in a newsroom, she had a tough boss, and she stood up to him. She had close friends, never bemoaning the fact that she was a single. She was very proud and comfortable in that role. I was probably 10 or 11 when I saw that, and sort of started thinking, ‘You know what? Marriage is an option. Having a family is an option. And going to school and getting your education and building your career is another really viable option that can lead to happiness and fulfillment.”

[From Variety]

“We’re not new. We’re not special…” I agree with the first part but I disagree with the second part. The Obamas were not and are not new, but they are special. There is an exceptionalism within them and around them. I understand that this is Michelle is speaking from her humility and her middle-class roots, but she IS special. The entire piece is worth a read, she talks a lot about her experiences doing individual TV shows, and there are quotes from other people about her strong influence across the board.

Photos courtesy of Variety.