7 Michelle Obama pop culture moments almost as iconic as her Inauguration Day side-eye

7 Michelle Obama pop culture moments almost as iconic as her Inauguration Day side-eye
7 Michelle Obama pop culture moments almost as iconic as her Inauguration Day side-eye

Michelle Obama’s tenure as the first African-American First lady of the United States was not without many accomplishments. And what better time to reflect on some of Mrs. Obama’s accomplishments than on her birthday, which is today, January 17th?

In 2010, First Lady Michelle Obama announced her Let’s Move! campaign, which sought to combat obesity and encourage healthy nutrition among children. Let’s Move! also led to the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, which provided free and reduced-price meals to millions of low-income children. In 2011, Michelle Obama and Former Second Lady Jill Biden introduced Joining Forces, an initiative in support of veterans and service members through employment, education, and wellness. And in 2015, Michelle (alongside husband Barack) launched Let Girls Learn, an initiative for young girls across the globe to receive the education they deserve. The First Lady documented her travels for Let Girls Learn right here on HelloGiggles in 2016, where readers were able to follow Michelle’s journey through places like Spain and Morocco in support of the initiative.

These are only a few of the accomplishments spearheaded by the former First Lady. And while serious accomplishments are always great to examine, we would be remiss if we didn’t examine the iconic Michelle Obama pop culture moments. The First Lady (and her husband, former president Barack Obama) brought a new, unparalleled level of casual cool to the White House. To celebrate Michelle’s birthday, below are some pop culture moments almost as iconic as that Inauguration Day side-eye.

When she went shopping at CVS with Ellen on the Ellen DeGeneres Show:

Between Ellen scratching Michelle with a back scratcher while she finds earphones for Sasha and shopping for rash cream, this segment is pure joy.

When she appeared on the Late Late Show with James Corden’s “Carpool Karaoke” with Missy Elliott:

During a “tour” of the White House, Corden picks up the First Lady for a segment of “Carpool Karaoke” that has Obama belching out lyrics to Stevie Wonder and Beyoncé. To make the segment even more iconic: Missy Elliott joins in.

When she met Leslie Knope on Parks and Recreation:

In the season six finale, a stunned Leslie bumps into the First Lady at the National Parks Conference where Obama is the keynote speaker. She then persuades Leslie to take the job as the National Parks Service in Chicago. In that moment, we were all a frazzled Leslie.

When she exhibited the evolution of mom dancing on the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon:

As part of her Let’s Move! campaign, the First Lady (rocking those 2013 bangs) appeared on Fallon and graced us with a series of mom dance moves, such as the “Driving the Station Wagon” and “Out of Sync Electric Slide.” Love! Iconic!

When she put a healthy spin on Lil Jon and DJ Snake’s “Turn Down for What”:

Remember that time the First Lady released a video to promote healthy eating and it went viral as a Vine? Never forget. Cue the music.

When she did a spot-on Barack Obama impression on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert:

During an appearance on Colbert, the First Lady debuted her spot-on impersonations of husband Barack Obama. Offering a glimpse of their dinner conversations, Michelle perfectly nailed the classic dad ramblings that often take place.

When she squared off against Big Bird and Elena on “Ariana Grande or Eating a Carrot?” on Billy on the Street:

In a bizarre but delightful Billy on the Street segment, the First Lady played “Ariana Grande or Eating a Carrot?”, Billy’s “most politically significant quiz game yet” alongside Big Bird and a previous guest named Elena. We think Barack Obama is hotter than Abe Lincoln too, Michelle.

Oh, Michelle. We miss you so. Happy birthday to our forever-woman hero.