By Jane Han
NEW YORK ― So finally her bangs made the front cover of Vogue. Showing off her toned arms in a sleeveless, cobalt blue Reed Krakoff dress, U.S. first lady Michelle Obama graces the fashion bible's April cover with her new hairdo.
Now don't be surprised at this. After all, it isn't the first time she has made it onto a magazine cover. What was pretty surprising though was the first lady's cameo appearance at the Academy Awards last month.
Obama confirmed once again that, clearly, she isn't camera shy.
In fact, the 49-year-old wife of second-term U.S. President Barack Obama is anything but.
Unlike former first ladies, she doesn't shy away from standing front and center of America's pop culture.
If you didn't get a chance to catch her on nighttime talk shows with David Letterman or Jay Leno, you have a series of other popular shows from ''Iron Chef'' and ''Good Morning America'' to ''Sesame Street,'' where you can discover the personal side of one of the world's most powerful women.
By now, the American audience is used to seeing Michelle Obama dance, judge, crack jokes and cook on national television.
For those who wonder why this is worth mentioning, imagine South Korea's former first lady Kim Yoon-ok appearing on popular variety shows such as ''Infinity Challenge'' or children's program ''Ppo Ppo Ppo.'' This should add a little more perspective.
Obama's publicity blitz seems to have worked so far because the first lady consistently enjoyed positive approval ratings over the past four years, even while her husband's ratings have slipped.
But lately, the American people seem to be rethinking the role of the first lady after seeing the president's wife do the ''mom dance'' on the Jimmy Fallon show and more so after her award presentation at the Oscars.
Recent rumors that major chart-topping singers Adele and Beyonce may perform at Obama's 50th birthday next January aren't helping either.
People seem to wonder: Is all of it really necessary? Is Obama a first lady or first celebrity?
''A first lady's job can be tricky,'' says Miley Ray, a New York-based image consultant, who advises clients on self-presentation. ''There is no set job description. First ladies are free to define their own roles and realm, so they have to make sure they don't do too much or too little. Is Obama doing too much of one thing? Maybe, depending on how you perceive her media appearances.''
The first lady of the U.S., also known as FLOTUS by the Secret Service agents who protect her, currently has two major projects underway ― fighting childhood obesity and helping military families. She's definitely used her star power to get her message across to the public, but people seem to want her to spend less time on air and focus more on championing these serious causes through other channels.
''I'm not saying she should hide in a corner, but please, just be a little more sensitive and circumspect when choosing how to present yourself to America in these difficult times,'' wrote one user named Rosie on a news discussion site.
Washington Post columnist Courtland Milloy recently wrote, ''Where is that intellectually gifted Princeton graduate, the Harvard-educated lawyer and mentor to the man who would become the first American-American president of the United States?''
''It's time for first lady Michelle Obama to raise her game,'' he added.
The sudden backlash against the popular FLOTUS can come unexpected to many, but FLOTUS herself isn't surprised.
''Shoot, my bangs set off a national conversation. My shoes can set off a national conversation. That's just sort of where we are. We've got a lot of talk going on,'' Obama was quoted as telling reporters earlier this month.
Therefore, this isn't something she will lose sleep over.
But does this mean she'll continue her status as a pop culture icon?
Why not? After all, her bold publicity decisions are one of the big factors that helped her husband win two tough campaigns.
Skeptics warn, however, that maybe it's a good time for the ubiquitous first lady to hold back a bit.
''Her way of supporting the president worked in the first round. But that doesn't mean we want a Hollywood celebrity in the White House. We want a first lady,'' says Luann Roberts, a political adviser and consultant.
.jpg/dims/resize/740/optimize) |
 |
| First lady Michelle Obama is featured on the cover of the April 2013 issue of Vogue. / AP-Yonhap |
Now don't be surprised at this. After all, it isn't the first time she has made it onto a magazine cover. What was pretty surprising though was the first lady's cameo appearance at the Academy Awards last month.
Obama confirmed once again that, clearly, she isn't camera shy.
In fact, the 49-year-old wife of second-term U.S. President Barack Obama is anything but.
Unlike former first ladies, she doesn't shy away from standing front and center of America's pop culture.
If you didn't get a chance to catch her on nighttime talk shows with David Letterman or Jay Leno, you have a series of other popular shows from ''Iron Chef'' and ''Good Morning America'' to ''Sesame Street,'' where you can discover the personal side of one of the world's most powerful women.
By now, the American audience is used to seeing Michelle Obama dance, judge, crack jokes and cook on national television.
For those who wonder why this is worth mentioning, imagine South Korea's former first lady Kim Yoon-ok appearing on popular variety shows such as ''Infinity Challenge'' or children's program ''Ppo Ppo Ppo.'' This should add a little more perspective.
Obama's publicity blitz seems to have worked so far because the first lady consistently enjoyed positive approval ratings over the past four years, even while her husband's ratings have slipped.
But lately, the American people seem to be rethinking the role of the first lady after seeing the president's wife do the ''mom dance'' on the Jimmy Fallon show and more so after her award presentation at the Oscars.
Recent rumors that major chart-topping singers Adele and Beyonce may perform at Obama's 50th birthday next January aren't helping either.
People seem to wonder: Is all of it really necessary? Is Obama a first lady or first celebrity?
''A first lady's job can be tricky,'' says Miley Ray, a New York-based image consultant, who advises clients on self-presentation. ''There is no set job description. First ladies are free to define their own roles and realm, so they have to make sure they don't do too much or too little. Is Obama doing too much of one thing? Maybe, depending on how you perceive her media appearances.''
The first lady of the U.S., also known as FLOTUS by the Secret Service agents who protect her, currently has two major projects underway ― fighting childhood obesity and helping military families. She's definitely used her star power to get her message across to the public, but people seem to want her to spend less time on air and focus more on championing these serious causes through other channels.
''I'm not saying she should hide in a corner, but please, just be a little more sensitive and circumspect when choosing how to present yourself to America in these difficult times,'' wrote one user named Rosie on a news discussion site.
Washington Post columnist Courtland Milloy recently wrote, ''Where is that intellectually gifted Princeton graduate, the Harvard-educated lawyer and mentor to the man who would become the first American-American president of the United States?''
''It's time for first lady Michelle Obama to raise her game,'' he added.
The sudden backlash against the popular FLOTUS can come unexpected to many, but FLOTUS herself isn't surprised.
''Shoot, my bangs set off a national conversation. My shoes can set off a national conversation. That's just sort of where we are. We've got a lot of talk going on,'' Obama was quoted as telling reporters earlier this month.
Therefore, this isn't something she will lose sleep over.
But does this mean she'll continue her status as a pop culture icon?
Why not? After all, her bold publicity decisions are one of the big factors that helped her husband win two tough campaigns.
Skeptics warn, however, that maybe it's a good time for the ubiquitous first lady to hold back a bit.
''Her way of supporting the president worked in the first round. But that doesn't mean we want a Hollywood celebrity in the White House. We want a first lady,'' says Luann Roberts, a political adviser and consultant.
![[ANALYSIS] China's ban on Micron tests Washington-Seoul alliance](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/1785a57b07ae45a7b7db49fdf4acd720.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
![[INTERVIEW] Long-awaited extension of Korean Pavilion at Venice Biennale to be pushed forward](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/d8d5090875824ce08a90bb2c5a8f8c05.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
