Michelle Obama has opened up about the relentless scrutiny she faced over her appearance while serving as First Lady, revealing how public attention often fixated on her looks rather than her qualifications or accomplishments.
The former First Lady appeared on Call Her Daddy, the popular podcast hosted by Alex Cooper, on January 21, where she spoke candidly about life inside the White House and the personal toll of constant judgment.
Now 62, Michelle served as First Lady from 2009 to 2017 during Barack Obama’s two terms as President, becoming the first African-American woman to hold the role and one of the most admired figures in modern American political life.
Throughout her time in Washington, Michelle led several major initiatives that left a lasting impact. Her Let’s Move campaign focused on reducing childhood obesity, while the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act aimed to improve nutrition standards in schools across the country. Despite these efforts, she said public discussion often drifted away from her work and toward superficial commentary.
Michelle has spoken before about how her wardrobe, hairstyle, and even her arms became frequent topics of debate. On Cooper’s podcast, she expanded on just how dismissive and frustrating that experience was. Cooper referenced a comment Michelle had made on her own IMO podcast in November 2025, where she said society has a tendency to “put women in their place by attacking their physical being.”
Michelle explained that media coverage routinely reduced her to what she wore rather than who she was. “The top of the article would be what I was wearing,” she said, noting that her education and professional background were often ignored. “Not my education, not my professional career — it always started with appearance.”
She recalled feeling as though her identity prior to becoming First Lady had been erased. “It was clear that people didn’t know anything about what I did before I came here,” she said. That frustration is understandable given her résumé: Michelle earned her undergraduate degree from Princeton University, graduated from Harvard Law School, practiced law, worked as an assistant to the mayor of Chicago, and ran a nonprofit organization.
“All of that disappears,” she said, adding pointedly, “My shoes become the most important thing about me.”
The conversation also turned toward broader issues of leadership and responsibility, particularly for women in positions of power. Michelle stressed the importance of being intentional about the messages women send and receive. “When you get the power, when you’re the boss, when you’re running your own thing, let’s not become female versions of the thing that was broken,” she said. She challenged listeners to consider whether they are helping build the kind of world they would want for their daughters.
Cooper also brought up speculation that has followed Michelle for years — the idea that she might one day run for president. Quoting Michelle’s past remarks, Cooper recalled her blunt response to such suggestions: that the country was not ready for a woman leader.
Michelle stood by that assessment. She said there are still men who would refuse to vote for a woman, and she argued that reality needs to be acknowledged openly rather than ignored. “Let’s be real about it,” she said, encouraging honest conversations instead of defensiveness.
As the episode came to a close, Michelle offered words of encouragement to young women listening. She acknowledged that setbacks are inevitable but urged them not to stop pushing forward. “We need you,” she said. “You may come up short sometimes, but keep going.”