Sesame Street, iCarly, and The Tonight Show have all been graced by her presence, and with 44 cameos on television in the last four years, Michelle Obama has topped the list as the most televised first lady in history.
A study shows that Mrs. Obama has already beaten out other former first ladies such as Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush, who both had fewer than 20 televised appearances during their term as FLOTUS.
With the 2012 presidential election only seven months away, it is no surprise that some find Mrs. Obama’s appearances as purely political.
“What she’s doing is political. She’s getting her face out there because it’s an election year,” said Dan Gainor, Vice President of Business and Culture for the Media Research Center, regarding Mrs. Obama’s television popularity.
However, the FLOTUS’s team has stressed that her aims are purely service-oriented, and are not designed to strategically craft her as a political player.
“There is no silver bullet to solve the problem of childhood obesity — we need everyone from parents to teachers to business and faith leaders to join together to make our country healthier,” Obama’s press secretary Hannah August told Fox News. “We also need to make sure that families have the tools they need to be healthy, and TV programs that are popular with kids and parents are a great way to talk about how we can all work together to help our children lead healthier lives.”
A poll conducted by CNN/ORC found that 71 percent of Americans view Michelle Obama favorably—which lies in direct contrast to the 41 percent of Americans who were reported in favor of Ann Romney. The first lady’s likeability factor increased dramatically since September 2011, when it was at 65 percent.
If Senator Mitt Romney is chosen as the Republican presidential hopeful, Ann Romney faces a steep challenge in matching Mrs. Obama’s likeability factor. Twenty percent of the people who took the poll said they had never even heard of Ann Romney. Ouch.
And while Mrs. Obama has shared her prom photo with Ellen DeGeneres, laughed at her dance moves on Nickelodeon’s iCarly, and promoted her national campaign, Let’s Move, on The Biggest Loser, she is adamant her aim is to garner more attention for her philanthropy’s.
Supporting troops and promoting healthy eating around the nation are media worthy and flexing her media popularity can only help further Mrs. Obama’s causes, even if they seem political.
Below, check out the first lady “random dancing” on iCarly.