The Obamas are out of office now and the country and the world will never be the same. I’m trying to take solace in the little things, like the fact that Michelle and Barack Obama have raised two incredible daughters who will live incredible lives. Malia Obama is 18 years old and heading to Harvard as an undergraduate in the fall. She’s currently in the middle of her “gap year,” which is a more popular concept in Europe than America, but some American kids are doing it these days. Basically, Malia’s gap year sounds more interesting than what I’ve done in the past decade. Last fall, she spent three months traveling through Bolivia and Peru as part of the Where There Be Dragons program, where she studied “current political trends, social movements and environmental conversation efforts in the mountains and jungles of Bolivia and Peru.” She’s a fluent Spanish speaker, and the program is for students wanting an immersive Spanish-language education.
In addition to that, Malia also had a summer internship on the set of Girls back in 2015, so we already know that she has a vague interest in Hollywood. And now here’s further evidence: she’s reportedly going to intern for Harvey Weinstein. Oh, God.
While the Obamas line up their post-White House plans, we hear that first daughter Malia Obama’s already landed a plum gig for sometime in the future — an internship with Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. Sources buzzed about the gig before inaugural weekend.
Malia, 18, has already built up an impressive résumé in film and TV, even before she attends Harvard University later this year. In 2015, she landed a summer internship on the set of HBO’s Lena Dunham series “Girls,” and she was seen delivering coffee to the series’ cast and crew in hip Williamsburg. Before that she reportedly worked as a production assistant for Halle Berry’s CBS show “Extant,” which was executive produced by Steven Spielberg. She’s also reportedly had an internship at an unnamed fashion house.
Weinstein’s credits include current films “Lion” and “The Founder,” as well as Oscar winners “Shakespeare in Love,” “The King’s Speech” and “Pulp Fiction.”
I hope the internship isn’t for very long. Weinstein is a superb producer, obviously, but he’s rumored to be a pretty terrible human being and a really awful employer. I doubt he would treat Malia like he’s rumored to treat the other young women in his employ, so at least she’ll probably be unscathed. Beyond that… Malia really is living her best life. We could only hope to be as cool as Malia.
Photos courtesy of Getty.
Pretty sure Weinstein does not want Michelle Obama ripping his throat out so I am sure he will be all professional with Malia
Right?! When I saw the news I was all “protect Malia” but then I remembered who her mama was and Michelle would END HIM.
That and Bo would probably make his ass disappear easily
It sucks that they’re giving him credibility though. She might be safe but what about those who’ll come after her?
Hollywood gave him credibility. Unfortunately they are the ones that need to take it away
@Mke. +Million
Oh god no… Of all the disgusting producers out there, why him?
Love to hear what the long line of serious film students vying for a job like this would say..or feel uncomfortable saying. Oh well.
Yeah, I love the Obamas, but this is an obvious case of getting a gig because of who your parents are.
I know! So obvious. WHAT would Ivanka say!?
Firerabbit 😄😄😄😄😄
+1, she comes across as a lovely person but this is nepotism at its best. And aren’t the Obama’s aware of HW’s rep??
That’s how most jobs work these days. I got my last job because the hiring manager was someone I knew. My mom is at her current company because my godmother was the head of the department. My last intern was the son of a client.
Networking people!
Funny how people willfully ignore our 300+ yr tradition of networking/preferences for the old boys club (white males) may or may not be qualified (no one ever wonders or asks when you’re a white guy), to gripe about the first Black President’s brilliant daughter interested in film making who gets, not a real job, but an internship.
It’s especially jarring when you realize who your new President is, a trustfund baby who’s daddy gifted him with millions, bailed him out of debts and who went to Wharton (didn’t finish) due to connections who is singularly terrifyingly UNQUALIFIED to be President of the U.S.
But by all means, negate the teen daughter of the first black Presidemt.
@almondmilk I was not “negating” her. I was merely pointing out that this is the reality of job hunting these days. Ask any career counselor and they will tell you to network. There is only one job I ever got from actually sending a resume. The rest was because someone referred me or they found my linkedin profile.
Sales Director in a Fortune 50 company here. I got my foot in the door because my best friend’s husband worked for the company, and he put in a good word for me with the hiring manager. Now, from there, I busted my ass to rise in the ranks, but I absolutely got my job because I knew someone.
What’s sad is that a lot of people don’t recognize that this is a very good example of privilege-I knew someone, who knew someone, who could get me a job. I also won’t lie, I’ve hired the daughters/sisters of co-workers or friends. I’ve also hired a lot of women and minorities that have never had an opportunity before, and I do my best to mentor those individuals and help them grow. But our world isn’t fair and balanced (ha)-some people start out with more, and we have a responsibility to recognize that we started with more, and so should give more and do more to help those who do NOT start with more. Hopefully Malia Obama will be able to use her privilege to help others when she is in the position to do so.
Here is a great comic that explains privilege. If we’re Richard, we should feel responsibility to help Paula, or at least recognize that maybe there wasn’t a level playing field.
http://thewireless.co.nz/articles/the-pencilsword-on-a-plate
@peanutbutter you are greatly confusing networking and nepotism. Networking relates to knowing people in your field and developing relationships. Nepotism is hiring someone bc of who they kmow. Nepotism is the worst part of business, it leads to unqualified individuals getting jobs others deserved.
None of them were ever going to get this internship. It would have gone to someone else who has a connection. Though I wouldn’t be surprised if this was created just for Malia.
Yes nepotism but I appreciate that unlike the Smith and Beckham kids she is learning step by step. She’s not being given a movie to direct or produce from the jump.
That’s pretty much my problem with kids of famous people. You can’t just become a singer, movie star or photographer without walking up the chain to learn from the pros! She interned, learned Spanish which opens up Spanish language films. Also good to learn about Indie films before studio films.
That said, of course it’s unfair to the regular Joe. And Harvey is gross! I’m afraid she will like this interning stuff too much and not start University. At least get a college education first IMO.
@boredblonde
1)First of all, how do you know Malia Obama is not a “serious film student?” She’s done internships in Hollywood/on productions previously as was noted, so she has experience.
2)As for ‘getting a gig because of who your parents are,’ well um, ok, but when you’re a pretty brilliant student, have experience interning on Hollywood productions, probably have glowing references, and have the added plus of being a Harvard student, i would think your life experience as the President’s daughter and the connections you bring to the table, become an asset. Why should your social media profile and linkedin connections (which employers assess) count more than hers?
As I recall, that was NBC’s justification for hiring the George W. Bush daughter, Jenna. Also it was ABC’s reason for hiring Chelsea Clinton as well. That they brought unique experience to their roles. Despite, at the time, neither having had experience in the field of broadcasting.
Malia’s already ahead of them at that point, having/getting experience in the field doing internships before, like them, she’s just given a several million dollar a year gig at a Network ala Jenna Bush.
At some point one has to ask why does Malia’s drive, academic acuity, experience in the field she has interest in, and life experience mean she’s less qualified FOR AN INTERNSHIP? Maybe you guys inferring she doesn’t deserve it, or deserves it less might want to re-assess why you think that about her, and not for the dozens of well connected kids in various fields, before her.
I’m all for Malia getting this internship, even though I do think Weinstein is a creep. Still, come on How do we know Malia isn’t a serious film student? Well for one she is going to Harvard in a few months. Harvard is known for a lot of things, but not really a grade A film school. Now if she was going to USC, NYU, UCLA among others for a top student like Malia I could maybe see your argument. I know Malia is a top student, because I don’t care who you are related to you have to be at least very close to the top of students to get into Harvard.
I understand your point, and Malia’s achievements may be worthy of many different kind of internships. Reality is most students, even amazingly talented ones just out of high school don’t get these types of internships. In addition, all of the people you mentioned Jenna Bush, Chelsea Clinton, etc. also benefited from their family connections. The justifications for their employment are just that justifications. Again the reality is their popularity from the family connection is if not the primary reason at least a strong factor.
I kind of see it different though. They all had to endure the pressure of the spotlight on them during some formative times in their lives. If they happen to get a little leg up who cares. It’s up to them to make the most of it. Hopefully, most of us get a hand from someone in our career every now and then. In addition, they have the pressure of people assuming they didn’t earn their success and also the pressure of just following their successful parents. Most don’t have to live with my Dad was President of the US, not to mention an uber successful Mom too. There are plusses and minuses to everything. I wish her much luck, and if she is just a bit like her parents, no pressure here, she will be someone to watch in the future.
@boreand blond nice snark comment with the hail mary of a “yea buttttttttttttttttt ::inserts condescension:”
As a parent, I would imagine that you want to be successful so that you can a lot opportunities for your children…. so goal accomplished for the Obama’s… secondly, have you NOT EVER been to a networking event and maybe got a job from it, and you dont think there was someone who was more qualified….it doesnt matter…she got and she is going to make the best of it. SO STOP HATING…. in a time like this you would thing people (esp women, if you are one) would ban together for any movements of progress in the shitty time…and here you are with hateration holleration LOL, no but really tho
Weinstein is nothing but a sleazy pervert who preys on young women. Wouldn’t even go near that pig.
MTE
Gross. She’s lucky enough to be in a position where she doesn’t need to take an internship with such a vile man to get ahead, so it doesn’t make me think very highly of her. I’m sure there are dozens of other producers who’d be happy to give her a job for a few months.
Yes, kind of disappointed in this. But she’s only 18, and trying her wings. Pretty sure her parents aren’t too gung-ho about this. If they are, I’d be weirded out.
My nephew is in the very selective USC film school, and is devastated about the election results. I told him and my (otherwise very intelligent) daughter that I think watching and popularizing all that reality TV has no little part in this outcome. THEY may watch these shows with irony and schadenfreude, but that’s not so for millions of people who think that Trump is a successful businessman for real. And Hollywood and its magnates go with whatever best-seller idea works. That’s how people like Harvey Weinstein get rich (successful in the eyes of their world). Yes, scummy dude
Kind of a long shot (that you see this), but is he at Stark?
DANGER RED ALERT! @Kaiser was almost kind with her remarks about HW, but I am going to say he is a piece of filth, and I hope she decides to seek out someone else, or someone else offers her something. He is revolting.
I wonder about that, too.
Why Weinstein?
Surely a US president could get his daughter an internship with other big producers but Weinstein? Hollywood does seem to like Obama, speaking generally.
Wtf? Isnt he a sexist perv?
It is kind of disappointing that of basically having every option open to her she choose this sleaze, but I will miss that classy and inspiring family.
I’d be disappointed, too, if I was a qualified, but unknown, candidate for an internship with the Weinsteins, but that’s literally how Hollywood works. You work your connections and network (easier for some than others).
As others have mentioned, Malia’s presence will likely ensure that HW and any other a-holes who work for him will be on their best behavior when she’s around. So, silver lining?
I always remember an interview with MO (with “60 Minutes,” maybe). She said the girls played two sports each: one sport the girls chose, and one that MO chose because she wanted them to have “the experience of getting better at something they didn’t want to do.” What phenomenal preparation for life. Really, really smart training for being a grownup. I highly doubt the Obama girls will have Special Snowflake Syndrome.
That’s how job hunting works in any industry. I got my first internship because the hiring manager turned out to be a former classmate of my brother’s.
I absolutely love this idea. My daughter is seven and loves softball; she’s really a natural if I do say so myself. But she doesn’t like any other sport, and doesn’t want to take music lessons. I am going to insist on the guitar lessons now. Thank you for writing about this:)
I found the quote (although I could swear I saw MO talk about it in an interview, too). Her exact quote: “I want them to understand what it feels like to do something you don’t like and to improve.”
NYTimes (2012): http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/07/us/politics/obama-girls-though-unheard-figure-prominently-in-race.html?_r=1&smid=tw-share
Do you really think there would be any qualified but un-connected candidates for a position like that though? Especially an internship for an 18 year old – those are about who you know.
I always thought this is what school is supposed to be for? you have to get better at things you wouldn’t waste a second on if you had a choice ….
@Turtle – I agree with you. I can see this subject from both ends: My eldest son lives in L.A. pursuing his passion in the entertainment field (music). He must support himself with a full-time job to pay the bills because in LA/Hollywood, while you must be very talented (and he is), it’s unquestionably who you know that opens the doors… and it’s not always pretty.
My youngest son attends Harvard and has played football for the Crimson over past four years, starting in his freshman year when he made the travel squad. On top of a massive amount of studying for classes, he’s barely had time to breathe since he has also belonged to one of their finals clubs.
Malia will be expected to be nose-to-the-grindstone while at Harvard; no one there can slide through classes based upon who they know. My son knows quite a few students, some of them are friends, with famous last names. None of them are cut any slack based upon who they’re related to. So if Malia can get a leg up in Hollyweird, good for her (although I question the HW choice), because that won’t be the case at Harvard. Good for her being able to take the gap year.
As far as pursuing her passion (if it IS in the dramatic arts), she’ll have access to writing or illustrating for the Harvard Lampoon or acting/producing for Hasty Pudding Theatricals, both of which have yielded dozens of successful artists and celebrities. She will also have a solid education behind her. Malia’s diverse achievements thus far in her young life most likely contributed to her acceptance at Harvard, so good for her. The Harvard campus is literally like the United Nations, you see students of all nationalities and walks of life; you can hear a pin drop as you walk through Harvard Yard (where freshmen are housed) on weekdays.
@ Cathy
What diverse achievements does Malia have?
Graduating from High School is what most pupils manage. And with the kind of help and private tutoring her good grades aren’t really her own merit but mostly based on family wealth and family connections.
Her internship with Weinstein is grace of her family connections and not based on her merits.
Her entry to Harvard (or any other Ivy League Uni) is practically guaranteed as a daughter of a US president. Even George W. Bush got into Yale and who know if he wrote his papers himself. (There was such a case in Germany recently. High-ranking politician had a ghostwriter+plagiarism for his PhD.)
I just wonder:
If the children of US presidents were no longer ‘guaranteed’ access to Ivy League Universities wouldn’t that motivate US presidents and politicians to improve the state funded US universities (of which there are many and many good ones)?
Why would anyone think the Obamas are any different from any other family with connections? Maybe this is just apart of her wanting to see what path she would like to pursue at Harvard, entertainment lawyer perhaps?
In an interview with the NYT (I think), President Obama said that Malia was interested in becoming a filmmaker.
Malia, you in danger, girl.
Yeah, as everyone else has said, isn’t he the one suspected of being Rose McGowan’s rapist?
I think it’s his brother.
Then sexual assault is a family habit with those guys?
Well try and live in my country. It’s all about connections. That’s how i got my first job and the second (they were low level works that nobody wanted because of low pay in my defence), I did sacrifice and worked hard all by myself for the third and current job BUT going ahead it’s very very difficult. I have none to help me and when I see the others with their networking I get really pissed because there are some really idiots out there.
@ Egla
Same with me.
My family has no connections. They only got some decent education because at the time there was an German equivalent of the US-G.I-bill. Back then social mobility was enabled by the government through sufficient grants and sufficient offers to get an education and to get additional education.
My family made it because basically my parents worked in not-generously paid government jobs but back then you could raise a family on that money.
My family has no connections but we have to apply on base of our academic and vocational merits and hope we get an invitation for a job interview.
so when I read about some kid who gets a stellar internship grace of family relations I get angry. I get even more angry when I see no merits that would justify such a stellar internship. (See my posting below, 21.)
That’s a bit of a disappointing choice, IMO, but I hope she get something out of it. I think the idea of a gap year, and doing all sorts of different things to gain experiences, is a great thing for those with the opportunity.
Speaking of movie industry predators, I was going through a list of the 100 most anticipated movies of 2017 when I came across this great piece of snark:
‘Based on a True Story”
Director: Roman Polanski (“Chinatown”)
Cast: Eva Green, Emmanuelle Seigner
Synopsis: A writer is put in danger by an obsessive woman
What You Need To Know: As well as once sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl, Roman Polanski is also a filmmaker, though it’s been a while since he made anything really good — “The Ghost Writer” was beloved by some but we found it pretty turgid, “Carnage” never escaped its stage roots, and “Venus In Fur” was pretty awful and disappeared basically without a trace. The director, who once sexually assaulted a 13-year-old girl, has been away for four years, but he returns in 2017 with this adaptation of a novel by author Delphine de Vignan, which stars his partner Emmanuelle Seigner and the great Eva Green. It’s the kind of psychological thriller that Polanski, who once sexually assaulted a 13-year-old girl, does best, and intriguingly he’s teamed up with non sex-criminal Olivier Assayas, who co-wrote the script with the convicted statutory rapist.
It should never be forgotten! If they wrote “raped” it would be more powerful but all the same.
Not sure about the ‘statutory rapist’ part. I don’t think there’s anything statutory when you’ve drugged a child.
Michelle will kick Harvey’s behind into tomorrow if he treated her daughter like crap. Silver lining for those who work for this creep when Malia is around as he will be on his best behaviour.
Minions
So Anne Richards taught me to never pay for the drink, take a photo and take a photo of the person who paid for the drink. Liability.
Guys, I can almost guarantee you that the Obamas– including Malia herself– are unaware of the dirt on Harvey Weinstein. I have a 17 year old sister who is all over social media and pop gossip, but who, if you were to ask, has no idea about Weinstein’s sexual predatory behavior. A majority of people don’t unless they read gossip blogs like this religiously. Hell, it would take a relative newcomer (to gossip blogs) quite a while before they are brought to speed since his name only really comes up around Oscar time.
Perhaps the dirt on Harvey Weinstein is what helped Malia to get … 🙂
Surely the US secret services have some files on Weinstein.
As a whole I think it is disgusting. Both the dirt and both getting an internship for some well-connected “rich kid” type. By the latter I mean that Malia doesn’t have ANY MERITS which would justify such an internship. Malia hasn’t studied movies / film / directing / producing … nothing. She is not known for making these little amateur movies on youtube. You know there are many a talented kids who make music videos by using scenes his/her favorite movie and a music song. And a lot of these music videos are GREAT. Malia hasn’t even done that. Also no reports / critiques of movies by Malia. In short: nothing.
I am disappointed.
In the blue dress photo with her sister, Malia wears a look like her mom did when Mme tRump Michelle the Tiffany’s box!!! Too funny! She certainly has her mom’s eyes!
Most comments do not call out the extreme nepotism in organising Malia’s internship.
I suppose it is fine if you get an internship grace of your own connections?
Yes, I know that lots of things depend on the connections you have.
But SHOULD IT BE LIKE THAT?
SHOULDN’T there more people who PROTEST?
SHOULDN’T it be a MERITOCRACY?
SHOULDN’T it be a meritocracy to ensure the best development of a country as opposed to having little incompetencers running the country because of nepotism? Shouldn’t children without connections have EQUAL opportunities or at least MORE EQUAL opportunities?
And of course it must be inquired what does Weinstein get for giving Malia a starter internship? She hasn’t studied anything movies yet and nevertheless she get an internship with one of the most powerful man in movies? It is neither deserving nor sensible. A better-organised internship would be better for a starter internship. She is the daughter of a former president and both people in public offices and people retired from public offices must be hold up to HIGH STANDARDS regarding their post-public-office employments and dealings. The revolving door between public offices and private business does create lots of corruption which is bad for the whole nation.
(The latter doesn’t just occur in the USA but pretty much everywhere and it is a problem everywhere.)
Seriously, why aren’t people more miffed? Just because nepotism is a fact that doesn’t mean it should be accepted as easily as it seems to be accepted – i am judging this by the lack of protest.