“Don't reach for normal, reach for better”-Michelle Obama, Michelle Norris--Zorah Cohen, 11th Grade
Within the first 30 seconds of her new Spotify exclusive podcast, Michelle Obama delivers a promising and even graceful beginning. In her debut episode, she encourages us to dive right in, immediately bringing energy and commitment into the virtual space. She goes on to list her hopes for this podcast and its desired impact, a way to reach out and give and explain on her own terms. The Michelle Obama podcast is not just about her relationships and life--although that’s in there, too. Michelle manages to flip the script onto the reader through conversation, asking listeners to open up within our own circles.
For the former First Lady, the end of Obama's presidency brought time for reflection, and what she found herself drawn to were the memories and relationships of her life. Recognizing the small experiences, moments of truth, unlocking forgotten feelings and stories. After taking time to settle away from the White House, Michelle moved on to other projects. Her novel Becoming, which was shortly after made into a Netflix documentary, and now her podcast, which now has 6 episodes, more to come.
The show plays on a great duality: one side of entertainment, comfort and laughter, and the flip side is an impressive political platform. It goes back and forth between the two in flawless motion. Michelle, above else, is profoundly human. She talks about her fears, her sorrows, memories, mother; grounding her seemingly louder than life persona in a vulnerable and inspiring way.
“Don't reach for normal, reach for better”-Michelle Obama, Michelle Norris
In a time when the definition of connection is being redefined, the warmth and energy of Michelles encounters are delightfully comforting. Through the podcast Michelle speaks with her husband, Barack Obama, about her childhood, her lifelong sense of community, and their hopes about the next generation. They reflect facets of their early lives that have changed so much for today's generation.
She speaks with Michelle Norris, a decorated journalist and ex co-host of NPR All Things Considered, about COVID-19, the race uprisings, and the way all these things come together to effect the relationship with ourselves. She goes on over the course of her first 6 episodes with television host, Conan O'Brien, on the culture and story marriage. As well as gynecologist Dr. Sharon Malone, on health discussions that tend to stay in the dark, and other important people in her family and personal circles, such as her brother, mother, and closest girlfriends.
What sticks with me the most is Michelle's ever persistent “we” attitude. “It is not enough for me to succeed on my own...” she says during the first episode in conversation with Barack Obama. “Our tribe is everyone.” This episode follows a fast evolving conversation between the two spouses about community, school structures, and the changing culture between generations. They continue on to talk about their own childhoods, Michelle Obama having grown up in South Chicago, and Barack Obama moving around a lot, from Hawaii to Seattle to Massachusetts. Both describe their upbringings as the portrait of a village. The responsibilities and love was shared, operating on the notion of being raised by everyone, not just the parents. As Barack put it so well, “our values always start with those closest to us.”
The conversation around school is one that is being drastically changed right now. Not just in the day to day, with Zoom calls and hearing your mom vacuum during math class, but with general school culture. Even the SATs are being canceled, which has been a huge step toward college for many teenagers in the past.
“Schools don't show you the world,” says past president Obama, “they just show you a bunch of careers.” This really resonates with me, and I feel like it does for most. Schools often feel very single minded, with a narrow goal that makes other dreams seem like failure. This was the portrait of Michelle and Baracks college years: joining a wine club even though she didn't drink wine, and never opening a bottle. It just seemed like the professional thing to do. The yellow hole in the bottom of Barack Obama's car. Doing what she thought she needed to do because she was a poor kid, and a limited vision of what she could be because of school. Michelle recalls working on the 47th floor of Sidley Austin law firm, and never feeling more isolated. With her grand view of the south side, the place she grew up, but feeling as far way from her community as ever. She goes on in the story matter of factly. She was lonely, not helping a broader people outside of herself. She wanted the dirt and the grit of public spirited work.
Their notions of community from early life have shaped who they both are. The idea that hoarding success and goals centered in only self gratification would lead to loneliness. Michelle was encouraged by her father to take in everyone's full story, to humble themselves, that they weren't special. Success for you was to be success for everyone, that advantages are shared, not hoarded.
Every week a new episode is being aired on Spotify of Michelle's new podcast, The Michelle Obama Podcast. Her book Becoming is a best seller, with over 10 million copies sold worldwide, and has already been adapted into a Netflix documentary. Barack Obama is also working on his post White House memoir, which is said to be released sometimes in 2020-21. For more podcasts by politicians, you can check out Heres the Deal by Joe Biden on Apple podcasts, or Hear the Bern by Bernie Sanders (although no new episodes were recorded after his campaign ended). Hiliary Clinton is also set to come out with a podcast sometime in 2020.
For the former First Lady, the end of Obama's presidency brought time for reflection, and what she found herself drawn to were the memories and relationships of her life. Recognizing the small experiences, moments of truth, unlocking forgotten feelings and stories. After taking time to settle away from the White House, Michelle moved on to other projects. Her novel Becoming, which was shortly after made into a Netflix documentary, and now her podcast, which now has 6 episodes, more to come.
The show plays on a great duality: one side of entertainment, comfort and laughter, and the flip side is an impressive political platform. It goes back and forth between the two in flawless motion. Michelle, above else, is profoundly human. She talks about her fears, her sorrows, memories, mother; grounding her seemingly louder than life persona in a vulnerable and inspiring way.
“Don't reach for normal, reach for better”-Michelle Obama, Michelle Norris
In a time when the definition of connection is being redefined, the warmth and energy of Michelles encounters are delightfully comforting. Through the podcast Michelle speaks with her husband, Barack Obama, about her childhood, her lifelong sense of community, and their hopes about the next generation. They reflect facets of their early lives that have changed so much for today's generation.
She speaks with Michelle Norris, a decorated journalist and ex co-host of NPR All Things Considered, about COVID-19, the race uprisings, and the way all these things come together to effect the relationship with ourselves. She goes on over the course of her first 6 episodes with television host, Conan O'Brien, on the culture and story marriage. As well as gynecologist Dr. Sharon Malone, on health discussions that tend to stay in the dark, and other important people in her family and personal circles, such as her brother, mother, and closest girlfriends.
What sticks with me the most is Michelle's ever persistent “we” attitude. “It is not enough for me to succeed on my own...” she says during the first episode in conversation with Barack Obama. “Our tribe is everyone.” This episode follows a fast evolving conversation between the two spouses about community, school structures, and the changing culture between generations. They continue on to talk about their own childhoods, Michelle Obama having grown up in South Chicago, and Barack Obama moving around a lot, from Hawaii to Seattle to Massachusetts. Both describe their upbringings as the portrait of a village. The responsibilities and love was shared, operating on the notion of being raised by everyone, not just the parents. As Barack put it so well, “our values always start with those closest to us.”
The conversation around school is one that is being drastically changed right now. Not just in the day to day, with Zoom calls and hearing your mom vacuum during math class, but with general school culture. Even the SATs are being canceled, which has been a huge step toward college for many teenagers in the past.
“Schools don't show you the world,” says past president Obama, “they just show you a bunch of careers.” This really resonates with me, and I feel like it does for most. Schools often feel very single minded, with a narrow goal that makes other dreams seem like failure. This was the portrait of Michelle and Baracks college years: joining a wine club even though she didn't drink wine, and never opening a bottle. It just seemed like the professional thing to do. The yellow hole in the bottom of Barack Obama's car. Doing what she thought she needed to do because she was a poor kid, and a limited vision of what she could be because of school. Michelle recalls working on the 47th floor of Sidley Austin law firm, and never feeling more isolated. With her grand view of the south side, the place she grew up, but feeling as far way from her community as ever. She goes on in the story matter of factly. She was lonely, not helping a broader people outside of herself. She wanted the dirt and the grit of public spirited work.
Their notions of community from early life have shaped who they both are. The idea that hoarding success and goals centered in only self gratification would lead to loneliness. Michelle was encouraged by her father to take in everyone's full story, to humble themselves, that they weren't special. Success for you was to be success for everyone, that advantages are shared, not hoarded.
Every week a new episode is being aired on Spotify of Michelle's new podcast, The Michelle Obama Podcast. Her book Becoming is a best seller, with over 10 million copies sold worldwide, and has already been adapted into a Netflix documentary. Barack Obama is also working on his post White House memoir, which is said to be released sometimes in 2020-21. For more podcasts by politicians, you can check out Heres the Deal by Joe Biden on Apple podcasts, or Hear the Bern by Bernie Sanders (although no new episodes were recorded after his campaign ended). Hiliary Clinton is also set to come out with a podcast sometime in 2020.