Barack Obama doesn't get why Michelle's inauguration day hairdo broke the internet: 'It didn't look that different'
Former President Barack Obama popped up on the screen during a virtual gathering of the MahoganyBooks-Very Smart Brothas book club to talk about an array of things including the fact that he did not get why his wife's belt and hairdo from President Joe Biden's inauguration day went viral on social media.
Although the interaction between the Obama and the book club took place and was recorded on January 26, it was only recently shared by the ex-POTUS on Facebook. Some of the questions directed toward him were lighthearted. One such question was what Obama thought about Michelle's much-lauded monochrome Inauguration Day ensemble with the sleek hairstyle on January 20 which created an instant buzz on the internet.
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"I don't know what it is about y'all, with Michelle and her belts," Obama said. "I asked Michelle about it at dinner the other night. I said, 'Listen baby, you are gorgeous. You know, I understand completely why you are a fashion icon.' But, I said, 'Was your hair different? 'Cause it didn't look that different.'" At this point, one of the members pointed out that the former FLOTUS' hair was "laid" as some of the other members of the club cracked up. "Anyway, so I don't have an answer other than just knowing she looks good and looks better than me," Obama continued. "I understand that."
It was not the only time during the interview where Obama displayed his comic timing. After making a joke about how he was filling in for someone else who had canceled he said wanted to drop in in order to "support our outstanding African-American independent bookstores" – as it was the group's first since the Covid-19 pandemic began. On a funny note, he added, "I also just wanted to see who the brothers were who named themselves 'The Very Smart Brothas book club.'"
Things did turn more serious when he was asked by one of the members how he maintained a sense of optimism even when things seemed to not go so right during his presidency. Obama said positive attitude came from "the fact that I tend to take the long view on things, and not the short term ... the trick is to be able to have that kind of long-term perspective but still feel the urgency of now, as Dr. King wrote about," paying homage to then-upcoming Black History Month.
He added: "When you see a George Floyd or an Eric Garner [who were killed in police custody], that's terrible. That should make you angry. You can't just kind of say, 'Well, it'll take time.' You have to feel pressed now and angry now or sad now, right? Trying to keep those two things in mind at the same time I think is the biggest trick to not just being president but just being a functioning Black person in America."
During the meet, he also talked to a 28-year-old member of the club about how he pushed aside "feelings of unpreparedness" throughout his career. Obama extolled the virtues of "having patience with yourself" before deciding on the path one planned to take in life. "What moves you? What's important to you? What are you passionate about?" he asked. "Cause if you know what that is, then you'll find a way. You'll figure it out."