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Top 10 Coolest Michelle Obama Moments

Behind every strong POTUS is an incredibly smart, talented, and cool FLOTUS.

By WatchMojoPublished 5 years ago 6 min read
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Mrs. Obama, can you PLEASE run for president in 2020? Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the "Top 10 Coolest Michelle Obama Moments."

For this list, we’re taking a look at the coolest moments from Michelle Obama’s time as First Lady of the United States.

Michelle Obama has encouraged kids across the nation to adopt a healthier lifestyle through the Let’s Move! campaign. After launching this movement in 2010, the First Lady made numerous television appearances to promote the fight against childhood obesity. She, most notably, dropped by Live with Kelly for a game of jump rope. A group of youngsters appeared on the talk show to teach Kelly Ripa a thing or two about Double Dutch. The high jump team got a huge surprise when Kelly introduced the one and only Michelle Obama. While that’s a pretty cool moment in itself, Obama blew everyone in the audience away with her mad jump rope skills.

Aside from her numerous career achievements, Michelle Obama is beloved for her wonderful sense of humor. In 2012, she assisted Late Show host David Letterman with a Top 10 List. This particular Top 10 centered on fun facts about gardening, which tied into the First Lady’s new book, American Grown. Via satellite from the White House, Obama discussed how to grow a guacamole tree and the origins of eggplants. Of course, Michelle saved the funniest fact for last, stating, “With enough care and effort you can grow your own Barack-oli." And this was all made possible through the magic of television.

In addition to health, Michelle Obama is highly passionate about education. To motivate high school students to attend college, the FLOTUS appeared in a CollegeHumor music video. She rapped alongside comedian Jay Pharoah, who also impersonated her husband on Saturday Night Live. Like a couple bosses, the duo laid down all the reasons why college is the first step towards success. A degree can take somebody a long way. Michelle Obama once said, “Being smart is cooler than anything in the world.” This hilarious song is a testament to her statement.

Several real life politicians have made guest appearances on Parks and Recreation, from John McCain to Joe Biden. Michelle Obama even got in on the laughs with an epic cameo. Leslie Knope finds herself at a crossroads in the show’s two-part Season Six finale, torn between her hometown of Pawnee and her dream job in Chicago. The job becomes almost impossible to resist after Leslie crosses paths with the First Lady. Completely stunned, she has a hard time controlling the volume of her voice in Michelle’s presence. Following a pep talk and a high five, Leslie is practically convinced to move to Chicago. Of course, this wasn’t Michelle Obama’s only memorable sitcom appearance, as she also met the iCarly gang.

Balancing your love life and education can be a challenge for high school girls. As far as Michelle Obama is concerned, though, books need to come before boys. At the 2015 “The Power of an Educated Girl” event in Harlem, she had several wise words for the young ladies in attendance. Obama made a case for the Let Girls Learn government initiative, stating, “There is no boy, at this age, cute enough or interesting enough to stop you from getting your education.” Then, as the ultimate mic drop, the FLOTUS noted that she wouldn’t be married to the president of the United States if she’d spent her youth obsessing over boys. Now there’s a woman who’s as intelligent as she is glamorous.

In a reoccurring Tonight Show sketch called Ew!,” Jimmy Fallon dons the persona of whiny teenager Sara. In this installment, Sara meets up with new BFF Stacy Wallace, played by Will Ferrell in drag. Funnyman Ferrell wasn’t the only guest star, however, as the First Lady also made an appearance. After a shy face-off and a triple hand hug, the three proceed to talk about why exercise is not “ew!” Michelle actually gets through to the snarky teens, inspiring an “Ew!” dance party. She also persuades them to eat better, endorsing kale chips as a healthy alternative. We already knew that Michelle had surprisingly strong comedic chops, but we never expected her to upstage two SNL legends.

Ellen DeGeneres is one of the few people on the planet that’s had the privilege of grocery shopping with Michelle Obama. While sharing a box of wine with the FLOTUS is one thing, nothing can top this dance-off for the ages. To celebrate the fifth anniversary of Let’s Move, Michelle launched the #GimmeFive Challenge. While promoting this social media campaign and the annual White House Easter Egg Roll, she challenged Ellen to learn the #GimmeFive Dance. Along with the “So You Think You Can Dance” All Stars, the two ladies danced to “Uptown Funk” with uproarious results. Don't believe me? Just watch!

For over 40 years, Sesame Street has stood out as one of the most iconic educational programs on television. Since Michelle Obama is such a big advocate for education, it was only a matter of time until she shared the spotlight with a Muppet. In this segment, she chows down to a nutritious breakfast. Encountering a starstruck Grover, Mrs. O explains why breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Of course, this ultimately backfires, as Grover winds up eating the First Lady’s oatmeal, yogurt, and fruit salad. It might be a simple life lesson, but if Sesame Street has taught us anything, it’s that the simplest life lessons are sometimes the most significant.

If you haven’t noticed already, Michelle Obama is no stranger to dancing and Jimmy Fallon is no stranger to drag. In yet another appearance together, Michelle and Jimmy encourage parents everywhere to get active with their children. How you ask? By demonstrating the Evolution of Mom Dancing! Dressed in the proper mom attire, the two broke down all the classic mom dance moves, such as the “Go Shopping, Get Groceries,” the “Just the Hands Part of Single Ladies,” and the “Oh My God, I Love This Song!” Quite frankly, we could just watch the FLOTUS do the “Dougie” over and over again.

Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:

  • “First Dance” with Beyoncé
  • Slam Dunking with LeBron James
  • Went on Billy on the Street

Numerous celebrities have joined James Corden for Carpool Karaoke. The Late Late Show host landed one of his most high-profile guests ever when Michelle Obama gave him a tour of the White House. Driving around the grounds, the two sang along with “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours” by Stevie Wonder. As if that’s not awesome enough, we also got to hear the First Lady sing along with Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies.” Then, as a grand finale, Missy Elliott joined the pair for a rendition of "This Is For My Girls," which was written to raise money for the Peace Corps’ Let Girls Learn fund. If only every White House tour was this much fun.

Do you agree with our list? What do you think is the coolest Michelle Obama moment? For more entertaining Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to MsMojo.

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