Michelle Obama

Summary

Podcast Summary: Good Hang with Amy Poehler – Episode Featuring Michelle Obama

Title: Good Hang with Amy Poehler
Host: Amy Poehler
Guest: Michelle Obama
Release Date: May 13, 2025

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Introduction and Setting the Scene

In this engaging episode of Good Hang with Amy Poehler, Amy welcomes former First Lady Michelle Obama to her studio. The conversation is a blend of heartfelt stories, sibling dynamics, personal anecdotes, and light-hearted humor. Amy’s relaxed and playful hosting style sets the tone for an intimate and enjoyable discussion.

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Sibling Relationships and Family Dynamics

Craig Robinson, Michelle Obama’s older brother and co-host of their podcast IMO (In My Opinion), joins the conversation early on. The interaction between Amy and Craig delves into the nuances of sibling relationships, particularly between Michelle and Craig.

• Nickname Insights: Craig reveals that he prefers to call Michelle "Miche," highlighting their close bond and the informal nature of their relationship.

  • Craig Robinson [02:34]: "I call her Miche."

• Shared Childhood: They discuss growing up together, sharing toys and rooms, which fostered a strong sibling connection despite their 20-month age gap.

  • Craig Robinson [05:27]: "We shared toys. We shared a bedroom."

• Teasing as Love Language: Michelle elaborates on how teasing is a fundamental aspect of her family’s way of showing love.

  • Michelle Obama [29:19]: "Teasing is our love language."

• Parental Influence: Michelle attributes her advocacy and confidence to her mother’s nurturing and supportive nature.

  • Michelle Obama [32:28]: "My mom loved kids... she wanted to feed into that."

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Navigating Public and Private Personas

The discussion transitions to the contrast between public personas and private selves, especially relevant for someone who has been in the public eye like Michelle.

• Building Confidence: Michelle talks about unlearning the need for perfection and embracing authenticity in her current roles.

  • Michelle Obama [18:56]: "I just feel like there's room to breathe... How much more do I have to do?"

• Impact of Public Service: Reflecting on her time as First Lady, Michelle emphasizes the importance of being genuine and allowing herself to be imperfect.

  • Michelle Obama [19:52]: "We didn't have room to get anything wrong."

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Personal Habits and Lifestyle

The conversation shifts to personal routines, including sleep habits and dealing with allergies.

• Allergies Management: Both Amy and Michelle share their strategies for managing allergies, with Michelle preferring nasal sprays over other remedies.

  • Michelle Obama [13:12]: "I like Nasonex. I like the nose spray."

• Sleep Routines: Michelle describes her bedtime routine with Barack Obama, highlighting the importance of a consistent schedule and a cool sleeping environment.

  • Michelle Obama [22:05]: "We usually have dinner at around 6:30. He's a night owl, so it's time for bed."

• Sleeping Preferences: Insights into their sleep preferences, such as temperature settings and minimal disturbance.

  • Michelle Obama [23:00]: "I keep the room at 68 degrees."

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Humor and Light-Hearted Moments

Amy recounts a funny memory from the set of Parks and Recreation, where she accidentally drooled during a scene with Michelle.

• On-Set Mishap: Amy shares how her drooling moment added humor to the filming process, with Michelle responding gracefully.
  • Amy Poehler [16:11]: "I just drooled. Did I just drool?"
  • Michelle Obama [16:29]: "That happened."

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Current Projects and Personal Interests

Michelle discusses her podcast IMO and her approach to sharing wisdom and experiences gained from her upbringing and public life.

• Podcast Goals: Emphasizing the importance of passing on the wisdom her mother imparted, Michelle aims to inspire and support young women.

  • Michelle Obama [36:12]: "I just try to pass it on... sharing a lot of that wisdom."

• Entertainment Preferences: Michelle expresses her love for TV shows like House Hunters and Rock the Block, finding them soothing and enjoyable.

  • Michelle Obama [44:06]: "There's something so soothing about the arc of that."

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Balancing Public Life and Personal Time

Michelle reflects on finding moments of normalcy amidst her public responsibilities, valuing time spent with friends and family to stay grounded.

• Maintaining Friendships: She highlights the importance of authentic connections and reciprocal relationships.

  • Michelle Obama [55:43]: "My friends are the people who know everything about me..."

• Enjoying Simple Activities: Activities like shopping alone or driving without entourage offer her a sense of independence and relaxation.

  • Michelle Obama [51:24]: "I can walk into town and just go shopping."

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Final Thoughts and Farewells

The episode concludes with warm farewells, mutual appreciation, and humorous exchanges about Michelle's drooling incident and Amy’s quirky collection of fake foods.

• Closing Remarks: Both express their enjoyment of the conversation and congratulate each other on their respective projects.
  • Amy Poehler [59:06]: "It's been the best."
  • Michelle Obama [59:08]: "Thank you."

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Notable Quotes

• Craig Robinson [05:27]: "We shared toys. We shared a bedroom."
• Michelle Obama [29:19]: "Teasing is our love language."
• Michelle Obama [18:56]: "I just feel like there's room to breathe... How much more do I have to do?"
• Michelle Obama [22:05]: "We usually have dinner at around 6:30. He's a night owl, so it's time for bed."
• Michelle Obama [36:12]: "I just try to pass it on... sharing a lot of that wisdom."

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Conclusion

This episode of Good Hang with Amy Poehler effectively balances humor, personal anecdotes, and meaningful discussions about family, identity, and authenticity. Michelle Obama's presence adds depth and warmth, making it a must-listen for fans seeking both laughter and insightful conversations.

Transcript

[Amy Poehler]

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[Amy Poehler]

Hey everyone. Welcome to another episode of Good Hang. I am Amy Poehler and I'm very excited to introduce our guest today. It is Michelle Obama. Wow. We talk about some really cool stuff today. We talk about HGTV and how much we love it. We talk about the time that I drooled in front of her. We talk about bedtime. We talk about allergies, which is what I currently have right now, which is why I'm sounding so sexy and sophisticated. But before we start this episode, we do what we always do, which is we ask someone that knows our guest really well or is a fan of our guest or is familiar with our guest's work to give me a question to ask them. And who better to ask about Michelle than her older brother Craig? So Craig Robinson is joining us, the co host of their new podcast, imo, in my opinion. So let's welcome Craig Robinson to the studio.

[Michelle Obama]

Woo hoo hoo.

[Amy Poehler]

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[Michelle Obama]

So.

[Amy Poehler]

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[Michelle Obama]

Get up.

[Amy Poehler]

What do you say everyone? I'm very, very excited to have Craig here. Who is Mrs. Obama, Michelle Obama's brother. Do you call her Mrs. Obama?

[Craig Robinson]

See, this is what I mean. You just quickly make me laugh. I only call her Mrs. Obama when I'm mad at her.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, exactly. When you're. Or yes, when you're. When there's a formal request.

[Craig Robinson]

And I don't call her that. I call Her. I don't even call her Michelle. I call her Miche.

[Amy Poehler]

That's right. I heard that. Miche.

[Craig Robinson]

So it's been that way for. Since she was a kid.

[Michelle Obama]

Yeah.

[Craig Robinson]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

And you guys are close in age.

[Craig Robinson]

We're 20 months apart. And let me. I wanted to back up and say, you know, every time we have somebody on our show, they're trying to figure out what to call her. And it's really entertaining to watch. People either say Mrs. Obama or the first lady or. And she wants them to. She wants them to call her Michelle.

[Amy Poehler]

Okay, good. I got it.

[Craig Robinson]

But if anybody. But if anybody asks me, I always say call her Mrs. Mrs. Obama.

[Amy Poehler]

It's funny though. You know, what that brings up for me is, in an interesting way is. And kind of what you guys do in your podcast, which I love so much, is there's like the public version of everyone. Everyone has a front facing version of themselves, and then they have the family version of themselves. And like, doesn't matter how. What changes in your life. Your. The family version pretty much your whole life.

[Craig Robinson]

Yes.

[Amy Poehler]

And you're the oldest.

[Craig Robinson]

I am the oldest.

[Amy Poehler]

Shout out to the oldest. I'm the oldest too.

[Michelle Obama]

Ooh.

[Amy Poehler]

And the oldest. Hardest job.

[Craig Robinson]

It's tough.

[Amy Poehler]

Noblesse oblige.

[Craig Robinson]

I know my mom had favorites, and I was.

[Amy Poehler]

Okay, so you were your mom? Yeah. The brother. The boy is the brother.

[Craig Robinson]

I was the one. I was the one. And Meesh always jokes about the fact that my mom lived in the White House. She went on all of these wonderful trips, state dinners and all that. And all she wanted to know is all, when's Craig coming? He pisses her off. Love it.

[Amy Poehler]

So as the eldest child, we know the responsibility we have.

[Craig Robinson]

Absolutely.

[Amy Poehler]

I have a younger brother.

[Craig Robinson]

Okay.

[Amy Poehler]

And he's three years younger. And you. You guys have the same situation I have, which is just like boy, girl, you know. So you grew up together, but apart. Like, you know, you had. You were this. You were together all the time, but you probably had different friends, different interests. Like, you didn't have to share a lot. Well, did you?

[Craig Robinson]

We actually shared a lot.

[Amy Poehler]

Oh, okay.

[Craig Robinson]

We shared toys. We shared a bedroom.

[Michelle Obama]

Okay.

[Craig Robinson]

We shared a bedroom from the time I can remember until I got to high school. And my parents were like, all right, we gotta get this big dude his own bedroom. But we used to have beds that the heads were head to head and there was a little table in between. And then when we got a little older, my grandfather built in the same room a paneled T. So we had separate bedrooms. But it didn't go all the way to the ceiling so we could hear each other. And then we had a playroom in the front for the two of us. And we would spend hours at night just talking and laughing.

[Amy Poehler]

Is it tough being so tall? Because I feel like you have to be nicer than maybe you wanna be sometimes.

[Craig Robinson]

Sometimes. Sometimes you do. But it is great being tall. Except in a couple of situations like airplanes and. And buying clothes off the rack.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Craig Robinson]

It's really hard.

[Michelle Obama]

Yeah.

[Craig Robinson]

But for the most part, it is.

[Amy Poehler]

It's so good.

[Craig Robinson]

It's so good. And you know. You know what people do to you when you're tall? They assume you are in charge and are smart.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. They're like, come on. They're like, finally, a real leader is here.

[Craig Robinson]

Yes.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Craig Robinson]

Yes.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Craig Robinson]

Unfortunately, we can make mistakes and.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Craig Robinson]

In society. You know what I'm talking about.

[Amy Poehler]

What do you mean? I don't know. I trust every tall person in government.

[Craig Robinson]

But it. No, it's really fun. But I do, you know, every now and then I'd like a cute pair of shoes instead of a size 15. But you know what? 15, 15, 15. It's embarrassing, but I'm used to it. I'm used to it. But if you notice.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Craig Robinson]

When we sit together, you are taller than I am because my torso is very short. It's all legs.

[Amy Poehler]

It's all legs.

[Craig Robinson]

It's all legs. That's why the plane is a. Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

It's a nightmare.

[Craig Robinson]

And, you know, some guy. I mean, if I could afford, like, one of those fancy sports cars, I wouldn't be able to fit in it.

[Amy Poehler]

You should have, like, a business card that says, I'm all legs, baby.

[Michelle Obama]

People would be like, oh, wow, I've never heard that.

[Craig Robinson]

And it's the funniest thing I've heard. That's great. I'm all legs.

[Amy Poehler]

He's all legs, you know, so, you know those kind of people.

[Craig Robinson]

All legs, baby.

[Amy Poehler]

I've got what I would give to be all legs. If I was all legs, it would just be legs up to my neck and then a head, and that's it. Okay, so we have this. We do this thing here where we kind of talk to somebody before we talk to our guest about any questions that you think I would be, you know, the right person to ask today. Anything big or small that you think I should ask your sister.

[Craig Robinson]

Yeah. So I was thinking about this because I watched your show and I was absolutely thrilled to be here. So I was thinking about what would be a good question. For you to ask her. Because, see, my sister is when she gets asked a question, you ask her, what's the one thing she gives you? Six things. I was like, we didn't ask for six things. Give us one thing. So maybe if you do it, she might obey. Okay, I would say, ask her, what is the one thing that she would share with the rest of the world that our parents gave her? So let me rephrase it. What is the one thing that our parents gave you, Michelle, that you would like to share with the rest of the world? One thing.

[Amy Poehler]

And if she starts to do two.

[Craig Robinson]

Things, I go, eh, you can say, see, your brother was right.

[Amy Poehler]

You said you were gonna give.

[Craig Robinson]

You said you were gonna give 15 things. You can make up whatever number feels good at the time. I can't wait.

[Amy Poehler]

Did you ever coach Michelle on any team?

[Craig Robinson]

No, ma' am. Are you kidding? She can't be coached. She's uncoachable. She's not coachable. No, I'm just kidding. The only time I coached her is when we were playing together.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. Does she. You know, sometimes, as the oldest, sometimes I have a younger brother. No, he doesn't always want to hear my ideas.

[Craig Robinson]

Isn't that something?

[Amy Poehler]

It's like. And I have good ideas.

[Craig Robinson]

Not only do you have good ideas, but he probably thinks he has good ideas.

[Amy Poehler]

Of course.

[Craig Robinson]

But he wants you to listen to.

[Amy Poehler]

His ideas, and he'll listen to my idea if it comes out of someone else's mouth.

[Craig Robinson]

Sounds like we have the same sibling.

[Amy Poehler]

But if it's not said by me, he'll. But sometimes he doesn't want me to, like, tell him anything.

[Craig Robinson]

Oh, listen, it was perfect yesterday. I was glad we were on set.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Craig Robinson]

And there were four people left around, and we were talking about something, and I said something to my sister, and as soon as I said it, she gave me a look. And then three minutes later, she said the exact same thing. Fortunately, our four camera people over there were cracking up. Because I was like, I just said that. What is going on?

[Amy Poehler]

She said it again.

[Craig Robinson]

Yeah, it's that little sister thing.

[Amy Poehler]

It is true.

[Craig Robinson]

She will tell you that it was hard growing up being a little sister because she used to be Craig Robinson's little sister. And now I'm Michelle Obama's big brother. And it is way easier being Michelle Obama's big brother. Way easier.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. That's nice to have a big brother. I always wanted an older sibling. Didn't you? Don't you wish you had an older sibling? Older sibling to take care of you. Craig all legs, baby. All legs.

[Craig Robinson]

Craig all legs baby is here to be your older sibling if you need one.

[Amy Poehler]

Oh my God.

[Craig Robinson]

I am here. I am here for it. You can always reach out to us.

[Amy Poehler]

And also, don't you wish the last thing I'll finish up with is you're a two kid family. I am too. Don't you wish there was one more sibling so you could talk about the other sibling too? Just one more. Just occasionally you could call up and.

[Craig Robinson]

Go, that's funny, I never thought about that. But that is a great idea.

[Amy Poehler]

I'm sure my younger brother wants that. Just one more person.

[Craig Robinson]

Well, Mish always wanted. She wanted, like the Brady Bunch family. Yeah, I was happy with the way our setup was, but that was because I was the oldest and the favorite.

[Amy Poehler]

So we're not worried about that.

[Craig Robinson]

But that's a great. That is a great take. I hadn't thought about that.

[Amy Poehler]

Just one more.

[Craig Robinson]

But then what about what happens when.

[Amy Poehler]

It'S two on one and you can get a dud? The third one can be a dud. We know that. You know, you're playing with fire. Like, you guys did really well. Two successful and interesting, smart, curious people. The third one could have been. You never know. But we'll see. We'll ask, we'll see. Okay. I am so appreciate you coming here. Thank you so much. And congrats on your podcast.

[Craig Robinson]

Thank you.

[Amy Poehler]

In my opinion, which we're gonna talk about today, and I think we got everything we need. Right? Are we going to do our. Our switcheroo? This episode is brought to you by Uber Eats. Summer is almost here and you can now get almost anything you need for your sunny days delivered with Uber Eats. What do I mean by almost? Well, you can't get a summer blockbuster delivered, but you can get a block of cheese. A cabana that's a no. A banana that's a yes. A day of sunshine. No. A box of fine wines. Yes. Yes. Uber Eats can definitely get you that. I'm very excited to use Uber Eats this summer. I'm going to order grapes and then I'm going to put them in the freezer. And then I'm going to have frozen grapes and I'm going to feel very classy and very refreshed. Get almost, almost anything delivered with Uber Eats. Order now for alcohol. You must be legal drinking age. Please enjoy responsibly. Product availability varies by region. See app for details.

[Craig Robinson]

Woohoo.

[Amy Poehler]

Okay, I want to start with allergies.

[Michelle Obama]

Because and I feel some people she's emotional. It's like, no, I have allergies.

[Amy Poehler]

I wanna start with allergies, too, because I have allergies. Too bad out here in Los Angeles.

[Michelle Obama]

Yeah. I got off the plane and.

[Amy Poehler]

Did you take anything for it?

[Michelle Obama]

I take allergy medicine every day.

[Amy Poehler]

Does it trip you out? Like, does it make you feel.

[Michelle Obama]

No, it doesn't. But I find that when I get off of it, you know, you have to build back up. So I just stay on it. We travel so much. We're everywhere all the time. So you never know. It's spring. Somewhere, something's blooming.

[Amy Poehler]

Have you ever done a neti?

[Michelle Obama]

I have done that, but I don't do it. I've done it, but it doesn't make a huge difference. Doesn't work. I like Nasonex. I like the nose spray.

[Amy Poehler]

I love the nose spray.

[Michelle Obama]

If I do that every day, I don't know if there's a limit to how much you're supposed to do it, but I keep going.

[Amy Poehler]

I'm sure it's on the bottle somewhere. But why read that?

[Michelle Obama]

I should look at that bottle. I haven't looked at that bottle in years.

[Amy Poehler]

It's funny that we talk about allergies because I lost my voice a couple days ago, and I had a. It was like a living stress dream that I would not have my voice for this podcast. And now you and I are both doing podcasts.

[Michelle Obama]

That's crazy.

[Amy Poehler]

First of all, it's crazy. Thank you for being here.

[Michelle Obama]

Thank you for having me, Michelle Obama. And also, I haven't seen you in a second.

[Amy Poehler]

Incredible.

[Michelle Obama]

Thank you.

[Amy Poehler]

I know that that's not as important, but you look incredible.

[Michelle Obama]

Thank you. It's called peace of mind.

[Amy Poehler]

You look hot. Sorry.

[Michelle Obama]

So let's say that again.

[Amy Poehler]

Okay. I know it's early in the day, but. Yeah, we're both doing jobs now where we have to talk a lot.

[Michelle Obama]

Lots of talking.

[Amy Poehler]

How's it going?

[Michelle Obama]

You know, my mom passed last year, but she would say this is exactly what you should be doing, because I talk a lot. We talk in our family.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, I've noticed that.

[Michelle Obama]

It's the Obama family. Everybody talks. Malia, Sasha. We all have many opinions.

[Amy Poehler]

Yes.

[Michelle Obama]

And we share them openly. So why not have a podcast where I'm sharing my opinion?

[Amy Poehler]

Well, when we saw each other, I mean, I have such many, many memories, of course, of getting to do. Luckily, getting to do a bunch of things with you. And one of the most fun things, when you came into Parks and Recreation, which was so cool.

[Michelle Obama]

I was just my. My assistant who's young. She's a baby. We were just saying. I was saying in the car ride over, I said, I haven't seen. I don't think we've seen. Seen each other since Parks and Rec. And she was like, you were on Parks and Rec? I was like, yeah, I'm kind of a big deal.

[Amy Poehler]

I mean. Okay, do you have a memory of that day? I'm sure you didn't. Cause you were probably the middle of your workday. But I have a very strong memory of something.

[Michelle Obama]

It was a blur. Because the thing is, I'm not an actress, and I'm running lines and trying.

[Amy Poehler]

To figure out she's not fair. I mean, you can't be a good actress on top of everything else.

[Michelle Obama]

But I was nervous. I was like, you know, I want to get it right, but I want to be myself in a natural way. So it was very much a blur. What do you remember about it?

[Amy Poehler]

Okay, well, I do remember the very first take. So, yeah, we were busy. We were, like, hitting a bunch of places that day. You were perfect. You got your line. You hit your mark. You said your line. And my character, Leslie Knope, is supposed to be overwhelmed by seeing you. And I. Amy Poehler was also very jazzed. And I went to say my line, and I drooled. Do you not remember? I'm so glad you don't remember. I full on drooled.

[Michelle Obama]

And did I say something about. Did I notice the drool?

[Amy Poehler]

Total pro. You just were like. You just look like, okay, maybe this is a choice. And then director yelled, cut. Mike Schur, whoever. Morgan Sackett, whoever was directing yelled, cut. And I was like, did I just drool? And you're like, you did. You did. That happened.

[Michelle Obama]

That happened. I don't. I didn't. I don't know if I saw it, but yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

And I was like, real Drew.

[Michelle Obama]

What. What happened? Why the drool?

[Amy Poehler]

Well, my. I have very active saliv. Salivary glands.

[Michelle Obama]

Do you really?

[Amy Poehler]

I do.

[Michelle Obama]

Okay.

[Amy Poehler]

Like, when I go to the dentist, real active. Not surprised, Michelle.

[Michelle Obama]

Just talking. And drool comes out of your mouth. Now, those are some active glands.

[Amy Poehler]

Active glands. They're right now. And so, yeah, when I go to the dentist, they're always like, whoa, easy.

[Michelle Obama]

Yeah, they have the extra large suction tube for you. They've got an Amy tube. You're joking.

[Amy Poehler]

But they do.

[Michelle Obama]

Do they really?

[Amy Poehler]

They have to put in two tubes sometimes.

[Michelle Obama]

This is. This is some teeth right here. Totally. Breaking news. Heavy jewelry and needs special.

[Amy Poehler]

Special dental supplies. And I don't like the dentist. I've talked about this.

[Michelle Obama]

Well, not if you have drool issues.

[Amy Poehler]

So I remember doing that to you just to make you feel better.

[Michelle Obama]

Well, you did. You did. I figured, well, she's drooling, so I.

[Amy Poehler]

Can'T be any worse.

[Michelle Obama]

What could I do wrong? As long as I just stand up.

[Amy Poehler]

Straight, don't drool, you'll be good.

[Michelle Obama]

I do not remember the drool.

[Amy Poehler]

Oh, my God.

[Michelle Obama]

But I'm gonna think about that.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, I know. I want you to always associate that with me now. But it was such a fun. That was such a fun time because not only was I getting to do the job that I loved, but it was a time when it felt like everybody wanted to stop by and be part of the show. That was about public service. And it was a different time where there was this ability or lightness, I think, in many ways, to just put a bunch of different people together in a room, and they don't agree, and they still find a way to work together. Oh, do you remember those times? I don't. That's a long time ago. Yeah, but I was thinking about that because there is a. There's a. There's a.

[Michelle Obama]

You.

[Amy Poehler]

You just said you're not an actor, but you are constantly speaking and performing. And with the podcast, it's a completely different way of performing. It's almost like unraveling.

[Michelle Obama]

That's right.

[Amy Poehler]

Getting, like, almost unlearning. What are you unlearning about? All this stuff that you're trying to kind of, like, jettison and let go of that you. You know, stuff you had to learn or put on, that now you're unlearning.

[Michelle Obama]

That's a good question. You know, not trying to get things so perfect. You know, as first lady, the eight years, even beyond the stakes were so high. Right. And, you know, Barack and I, our team, we felt like we didn't have room to get anything wrong. And in this setting, you know, I can be loose, I can stutter, I can misspeak sometimes, even though I'm sure that will make news. But I just feel like there's room to breathe. And maybe some of that is my age, maybe some of that is that now that I'm in my 60s, what more do I have to prove? How. How much more do I have to do? And let's just. Let's just live. Let's just talk.

[Amy Poehler]

I think women try to figure it out, improving themselves, I think.

[Michelle Obama]

You know, and.

[Amy Poehler]

And I think we're like, you know, like, when you're in a Race. And you're really, really far ahead and you just want to just pause for a second to let people catch up. It's like, enough. Enough with the improving.

[Michelle Obama]

Yeah, that's. It's too much, you know, and. And fellas, you know, why don't you try it? Just.

[Amy Poehler]

We're just. We'll just take a break. We're gonna walk a little slower, catch on up, and let's keep running. But it's so real. I mean, all we. I mean, we do this to ourselves all the time, which is just like, I gotta get more efficient. More and more and more and more. And I think sometimes, like, we should try less.

[Michelle Obama]

This is more. Yeah, we should try, but we, you know. You don't feel your confidence as a woman. At least I didn't until now. I mean, and I say that out loud because I know that there are young women in their 30s and 40s trying to get that perfection thing right. We always feel like we're not doing enough. We're always harboring guilt. And it's not until now that we can look back on this lifetime of accomplishments and say, look, maybe. Maybe I did know a thing or two. Maybe I can slow down. Maybe I can take a break. But I think we're harder on ourselves than anyone can be. And I'm having those conversations with myself every day. It's like, slow down. It's okay. You don't have to get this right. You can make some mistakes, maybe, and you've got some wisdom to share, finally, you know, I feel confident in the wisdom that I have to share.

[Amy Poehler]

That's awesome. I mean, I wouldn't. Do you agree? I wouldn't go back in time.

[Michelle Obama]

I would not.

[Amy Poehler]

No. You know, 20s and 30s are really hard.

[Michelle Obama]

Would you trade that stomach?

[Amy Poehler]

I would trade the stomach and the collagen and a little bit of the ability to stay up late. Like, I can't believe how I stayed up so late.

[Michelle Obama]

You know, I never did, but you did. I never. I was always sleepy, you know, I just want the ass.

[Amy Poehler]

You sleepy? Are you.

[Michelle Obama]

Are you sleepy?

[Amy Poehler]

Do you love bedtime? I love bedtime. Tell me about your bedtime routine. What time do you like to go to bed? And how do you like to.

[Michelle Obama]

Embarrassing. And I, you know, I go to bed as soon as I can.

[Amy Poehler]

Me too. I'm thinking about bed right now. It's 10:30 in the morning.

[Michelle Obama]

I like Barack and I wait. I agree.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. I can't wait.

[Michelle Obama]

Well, Barack and I, we usually have dinner at around 6:30. Perfect. And he's a night out.

[Amy Poehler]

Oh.

[Michelle Obama]

So if we. If we have guests, I'm good. If I'm with people, I'm up, I'm awake, I can do this stuff. But after we've had our catch up conversation and we've had our together time and all of that, I'm looking at the clock and he's looking at me. He's like, really? It's 8 o' clock. I was like, I just.

[Amy Poehler]

Incredible.

[Michelle Obama]

I'm just so ready, you know? So I'm like, it's not you, it's me. It's time for bed. And I get so giddy.

[Amy Poehler]

Me too.

[Michelle Obama]

I wash my face. I get into the cool sheets of. Because the room has to be cold.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. What temp are we talking?

[Michelle Obama]

68.

[Amy Poehler]

Incredible. Yes.

[Michelle Obama]

Can't be degrees, you know, and then he's freezing. Like, just put on some socks.

[Amy Poehler]

Do you have. Do you have a. What kind of. Do you like, a tempur Pedic mattress or. And what kind of pillow situation?

[Michelle Obama]

I like. I'm not sure the brand of the mattress. I should know, but I don't.

[Amy Poehler]

We need to know that for your podcast, you need to get yourself a free mattress. If you mention it, you can get a free mattress.

[Michelle Obama]

I didn't even think of that. Right, Right.

[Amy Poehler]

Just say it once. Your house will be filled with mattresses.

[Michelle Obama]

Okay, I'm gonna find out. I don't find that. Thanks for the tip.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, you got it. Okay, so you're in bed.

[Michelle Obama]

Got great sheets. You know.

[Amy Poehler]

What do you have on the bedside table?

[Michelle Obama]

It's a. It's a lamp. It's my phone chargers, my glasses, my reading glasses. Water.

[Amy Poehler]

Are we still read? Are you a book reader?

[Michelle Obama]

I cannot read because I love sleep so much. I realized if I want to read, I have to be sitting up.

[Amy Poehler]

Okay. It doesn't mean reading puts me to sleep.

[Michelle Obama]

Like. Yes, it does. Like one sentence, I'm like, end the book. So it's. You know, it's. Then I don't remember where I am. I don't do the. I don't listen to podcasts because I don't hear it. I'm asleep. My head, it's the pillow, and I'm out.

[Amy Poehler]

Any sleep aid? Like, any, like, even, like a ginger tea?

[Michelle Obama]

I don't need an aid. I just need to put my head on the pillow.

[Amy Poehler]

Do you wear socks to bed?

[Michelle Obama]

Nope. Do not like socks.

[Amy Poehler]

And do you like pajamas or sometimes nightgown situations?

[Michelle Obama]

Sometimes. It depends on how hot I am. And we're at that stage. You know, sometimes I Get in the bed. And I'm freezing.

[Amy Poehler]

Yes.

[Michelle Obama]

And other times it's like, oh, my God, take my skin off.

[Amy Poehler]

It's like the change in temperature is wild for any woman anytime.

[Michelle Obama]

Especially it's a battle with a partner, right? Because he's always cold. And I'm like, do not touch. And sometimes I wake up hot and I'll wake him. Did you touch the thermostat? You touched the thermostat, didn't you? He's like, it didn't. I swear to God. He now knows he's afraid of the thermostat. I said, I don't care what you do. Do not touch anything in this room after I do.

[Amy Poehler]

You wear an eye shade or earplugs.

[Michelle Obama]

F to know what's going on. I don't want to.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. Are you a light sleeper?

[Michelle Obama]

No.

[Amy Poehler]

Do you talk in your sleep or snore?

[Michelle Obama]

No. Let's just say that.

[Amy Poehler]

Incredible.

[Michelle Obama]

I don't know.

[Amy Poehler]

You're a really good sleeper.

[Michelle Obama]

I don't.

[Amy Poehler]

Side sleeper. Back sleeper.

[Michelle Obama]

Side sleeper. And now I'm at the age where I'll wake up and my shoulder's sore.

[Amy Poehler]

Don't get me started. I had frozen shoulder a couple years ago.

[Michelle Obama]

Oh, you had the frozen shoulder.

[Amy Poehler]

And guess what? Nobody knows what causes it, and there's nothing you can do about it. You know, like, everybody ailment for women in their 50s.

[Michelle Obama]

They're like, old.

[Amy Poehler]

They're like, yeah, I guess it just hurts. And it's like, how long is it gonna hurt? And they're like, I guess forever maybe.

[Michelle Obama]

Do you do yoga?

[Amy Poehler]

I do yoga. It did, it did unfreeze. It goes through, like a period, you know. But are you. I'm doing this. Can you do push ups?

[Michelle Obama]

Yeah, I, I, I do push ups. Do you do. Well, now I do. I do them on my knees. I, I don't. This is another thing. It's like, I don't need to, you know, do regular push ups. I have nothing to prove, but I can do push ups on my knees. I can do a lot of those.

[Amy Poehler]

But you can do regular push ups too.

[Michelle Obama]

I can, but it's hard. I think my arm length, I don't go all the way down. In fact, you know who pointed that out was Ellen. Because first term, she challenged me to a push up competition. I'm the first lady. I mean, and she heard that I worked out, and she was like, it counts. So I'm on her show doing pushups, and I did more pushups than her, but she still says I didn't go down all the way.

[Amy Poehler]

Well, that's awesome.

[Michelle Obama]

But anatomically, I don't think I really can. My arms are very long. Yeah. And she's a much smaller person than me.

[Amy Poehler]

I was just talking to Craig about this. That smaller people.

[Michelle Obama]

I mean, we like them. Some of the small people are best friends. You're so cute.

[Amy Poehler]

I don't know. I don't trust. What do you mean?

[Michelle Obama]

Pocket people? We love them just right up under our arm. They just fit right there.

[Amy Poehler]

Condescend me a little bit.

[Michelle Obama]

It's just your little pocket people just right here, right up under my arm. It's like, look at you down there, little friend.

[Amy Poehler]

Little friend.

[Michelle Obama]

So what did you and Craig talk about with height?

[Amy Poehler]

Well, basically, like, this idea. It is true. In fact, I heard you talking to Kylie, Kelsey about it. Two tall women. It was like. It is. And I was talking to Quinta recently about being smaller.

[Michelle Obama]

She's a. She's a little.

[Amy Poehler]

She's tiny. We're tiny. And.

[Michelle Obama]

Yeah, you make noise when you move.

[Amy Poehler]

We do not make noise. Okay. We don't. We don't live in the woods.

[Michelle Obama]

I think I thought I heard squeaking.

[Amy Poehler]

Nope. We don't squeak like squirrels. Okay. We don't gather nuts. We don't wear funny hats and do dances in the woods. We're regular people. People. But. But being a tall woman is different than being a tall man. Well, were your parents tall?

[Michelle Obama]

They were not really. They were not. My mom was maybe tall for her age, for that age, for that generation. Maybe she was five, six. Five, five?

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. That's not the.

[Michelle Obama]

My father was five, nine, five, ten.

[Amy Poehler]

No way. Where's the height coming from?

[Michelle Obama]

I think it's nutrition. That's what we told them, you know, and because there's a whole generation of cousins of ours, with a few exceptions, we're all tall. And our parents are kind of average. And then our generation of kids are a little taller.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Michelle Obama]

And our parents, you know, who knows what.

[Amy Poehler]

Remember how much Milky all drank?

[Michelle Obama]

You know, like everything had milk in it. But my. My mom smoked during her. You know, that was when you didn't know about smoking. Seatbelts, drinking. She did all of that. And we always said, you know what? We could have been somebody had you taken care of yourself a little bit better.

[Amy Poehler]

Well, what I like about you and what I feel like is your family is like teasing. Is your love language.

[Michelle Obama]

Oh, for sure.

[Amy Poehler]

Same for sure. Can you explain how important it is to be able to tease people that you love?

[Michelle Obama]

Oh, my God. This is funny. Because both Barack and Craig will say that I don't let them tease me. See, we have a deal, Barack and I in our marriage. And it started very early. It's like, I can tease you, but you cannot tease me. You know? So when he does, I was like, oh, oh, oh, oh, wait a minute. What's going on here? And he's like, I'm teasing you, right? I was like, mm, none of that.

[Amy Poehler]

Cause he likes to tease.

[Michelle Obama]

Oh, my God. Yeah. But when me, Malia, and Sasha are. All of us are together, he doesn't stand a chance. We mercil mercilessly go after him. So, yes, teasing is our love language. And I tell him that I said, when I tease you, it's like me, you know, it's like a love tap.

[Amy Poehler]

It is, but it's kind of true. It's like the more you know someone, the more safe you feel around them.

[Michelle Obama]

That's right.

[Amy Poehler]

The more you can poke. And manners are for people we don't really know.

[Michelle Obama]

Yeah, that's right.

[Amy Poehler]

And it's just like, for me, in my family, when people are being nice, it's like, what's wrong?

[Michelle Obama]

Yeah. It's like, what did I do?

[Amy Poehler]

What did I do? What do you want?

[Michelle Obama]

Well, it started with our parents. They're both silly. My mother was through a period of time where she would just scare us. That was just with pranks. Just scaring, right? She would just pop out of places, and we're little, you know? I mean, it was just a period. I don't know what she was doing, but it got progressively a little more demented. Craig will tell the story that, you know, he was maybe 10, 12. He's taken a shower. We have one bathroom. My mother goes in while he's taking a shower and lays on the floor like she's dead. She just lays out, amazing. And he turns off the shower and opens up, and you just hear the. And I come in, and she's cracking up, and he's wet with a towel. He's like, weepy, mom, that's not funny. She's just like. That was pretty funny. And then one night, and we were little when she did this. We had this voodoo mask. It was a Halloween mask. I mean, it was neon. It had hair and teeth. I don't know. It was the middle of the night. We had long gone to bed, and she just walked to each of our rooms, and she said with the mask on. And said, michelle, no. Michelle, no. And woke me up, and I was like, ah. And then she's like, Shh. I'm going to your brother's room. I'm like, lady, yeah. What are you doing all day?

[Amy Poehler]

She's trying to keep it interesting.

[Michelle Obama]

That was our household. All right, so we, you know, we got it. Honest.

[Amy Poehler]

Marian is coming with the pranks. Marian, can I say something about what I've read about your family, which is. And why, if I may, like, you know, I didn't have the pleasure to meet your mom, but she seemed like such a loving mom.

[Michelle Obama]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

And you're a very loving mom.

[Michelle Obama]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

And I come from a very loving mom, and I talk about it a lot.

[Michelle Obama]

That's a blessing.

[Amy Poehler]

It is. Not everybody gets a loving mom, and a loving mom is like, this warm place to keep coming back to that. It almost is. Like, if you have a loving mom, you're 90% ahead of the game, and it's tough when you don't. And you have to find your love other places, which you do. And you can be certainly be a loving mom if you don't have one. But it feels like your mom was so loving.

[Michelle Obama]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

And what did she teach you about being a mom? Like, when I know you're. She just passed.

[Michelle Obama]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

What?

[Michelle Obama]

So much.

[Amy Poehler]

And she was. She was really with you during a lot of mothering in the wild.

[Michelle Obama]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

Like, what did you learn from her.

[Michelle Obama]

About being a mom? Great question. I love talking about my mom. I love talking about my parents. And I was so glad to have told some of her story in my second book, the Light, before she passed, so that I could give her her flowers when she could see it, you know, but my mom loved kids, and she. I think at the core of her being was this understanding that every kid was special. I mean, she loved us for sure, but she loved all kids that she came in contact with. We didn't have a lot of money, but my parents made the choice that my mom would stay home with us. And she didn't use that time frivolously. I mean, she wasn't just looking after us. She would come up to school and help kids that were struggling, teach kids that, you know, be the room mom before there were room moms, because she just believed in the power and intelligence that little people, as she called them, brought into the world, and she just wanted to feed into that, and we got a lot of that. But you know why I'm such an advocate for kids is it comes from my mom because she fully believes that we underestimate kids and that we, you know, we don't come here. That we, as Adults are the ones that mess them up. That all kids are born into this world really special. And so I felt that right. And I think that's one of the reasons. That's where confidence began for me is sitting at my kitchen table, me and my brother, with a mom who really, really loved our voices. She liked to hear our thoughts. She thought we were funny. We made her laugh. We felt special in her presence. And sadly, we needed that. Because as kids, black kids, poor black kids, there would be a lot of people who would try to dim the light that she was pouring into us. So we had an abundance of it, which allowed us to steel ourselves for what was to come. Probably prepared me in ways I couldn't have imagined for those White House years, that time in the spotlight, because I was still fortified with the light she had given me all my life. So I could handle a lot of the negativity. I could handle the stress and the pressure. So I agree with you. And, you know, I think we were blessed. And to whom much is given, much is expected. So just. I just try to pass it on. And part of IMO is like, it's a way to share a lot of that wisdom that she taught us to pass it on. You know, the girls listening, they're like, man, you know, you're telling everybody things you tell us every day. And I'm like, yeah, now you hear it, right?

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Michelle Obama]

She's like, they're both like, wow, mom, you're kind of making sense. I was like, I've been telling you this for 23, 26 years.

[Amy Poehler]

You've been always saying this with my kids, too. Like, your kids one day are like, you know the guy? Like, what did my kids say the other day that made me laugh? He's like, you met Tim Robinson? Yes. They're like, you know him, Mom. I'm like, yeah, I've met him. They're like. They looked at me like, whoa. Pretty good.

[Michelle Obama]

Impressive. Yeah. Yeah, I do that. Amy, too. You know, every now and then, I make a good point to them. And I was like, do you know who I am? I'm Michelle Obama. People. People line up for my advice, and you're walking away like I'm stupid. It's like, I've written books, I've given speeches. The whole world has listened to me, and I can't get you to just do what I told you to do yesterday.

[Amy Poehler]

No.

[Michelle Obama]

So. No. It happens to the best of us. They keep us humble.

[Amy Poehler]

This episode is brought to you by Degree. Cool Rush Deodorant. I'M a big fan of people owning their mistakes. Like how last year, Degree changed their Cool Rush formula. And men were mad. One guy even started a petition so Degree listened, admitted they messed up. And they're now bringing the OG Cool Rush scent back. It's clean, crisp, and fresh. No wonder it's been the number one men's antiperspirant for the last decade. And it's in Walmart, Target and other stores now for under $4. Just look for the light blue one. Degree Cool Rush is back, and it smells like victory for everyone. This episode is brought to you by Uber Eats. Summer is almost here, and you can now get almost anything you need for your sunny days delivered with Uber Eats. What do I mean by almost? Well, you can't get a summer blockbuster delivered, but you can get a block of cheese, a cabana that's a no. But a banana, that's a yes. A day of sunshine. No. A box of fine wines. Yes. Uber Eats can definitely get you that. Get Almost. Almost anything delivered with Uber Eats. Order now for alcohol. You must be legal drinking age. Please enjoy responsibly. Product availability varies by region. See app for details. I'm gonna take a lip balm break for a second.

[Michelle Obama]

Ooh, lip balm break. And I'm gonna take a tissue break.

[Amy Poehler]

Oh, yeah, it's very important.

[Michelle Obama]

Do you need something for the saliva?

[Amy Poehler]

I'm just gonna spit into a cup.

[Michelle Obama]

Are you ready for this? It's a spittoon. You know, I haven't seen one of those in a while.

[Amy Poehler]

Have you seen the fake. The fake food we have. You know, what do you enjoy?

[Michelle Obama]

It's amazing how I did see that and I just turned around.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Michelle Obama]

You know, but. Yeah, I know.

[Amy Poehler]

I mean, this. I just want it because it's a special day.

[Michelle Obama]

I brought decision here. Why the food? Special day.

[Amy Poehler]

I brought two new fake foods. And thanks for asking.

[Michelle Obama]

Those are new.

[Amy Poehler]

This is a roll that opens up and you can put coins inside. Oh, or I do.

[Michelle Obama]

Oh, we gotta. Okay, we should buy. All right, my team, we should find food and send it to Amy. Oh, this is a candle.

[Amy Poehler]

That's a kissy.

[Michelle Obama]

It's food. That's a thing. It's a thing that is shaped like food.

[Amy Poehler]

And Michelle, we're definitely not gonna cut this out. This is important. The reason why I pick these things, they're all. It's very willy nilly, but it's about texture. It's about hand feel. And now that one is a candle.

[Michelle Obama]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

But squeeze this. I brought this for you.

[Michelle Obama]

You are A strange creature. Yeah. No, it's a thing.

[Amy Poehler]

Right?

[Michelle Obama]

Squishy.

[Amy Poehler]

Squishy. But it's cheeseburger.

[Michelle Obama]

Now, you come across these things in life and you're like, I gotta have this hamburger thing.

[Amy Poehler]

I have a guy who sources. No, I'm just kidding. I have a gentleman who goes across the world and he sources these foods.

[Michelle Obama]

Your travels.

[Amy Poehler]

Yes.

[Michelle Obama]

Right now you're not collecting, like, artifacts or you're looking for food that are things like. What is this?

[Amy Poehler]

What is this? Oh, it's a tiny whipped cream.

[Michelle Obama]

It is. But what does it do something?

[Amy Poehler]

No.

[Michelle Obama]

Okay.

[Amy Poehler]

I guess it gives joy. It brings joy.

[Michelle Obama]

Okay.

[Amy Poehler]

Okay.

[Michelle Obama]

I didn't know if they all had secondary uses.

[Amy Poehler]

Well, one of them. Here, I'll show you this.

[Michelle Obama]

And this is a crochet, I think.

[Amy Poehler]

Cheez it, the company Cheez it sent. Maybe they'll send me more.

[Michelle Obama]

I bet they will.

[Amy Poehler]

This is like.

[Michelle Obama]

You should get a little mattress.

[Amy Poehler]

This is like your mattress. You know what you should do is you and Craig should just have a mattress behind you the whole time. That would be like, I guess. And then. But Cheez it sent me free Cheez its. Cause I talked about this. But this is a box of Cheez it, and there's a Cheez it inside.

[Michelle Obama]

It's a little fake cheese. Fake cheese. Wow. Strange.

[Amy Poehler]

It is strange.

[Michelle Obama]

Very strange. Very strange.

[Amy Poehler]

I'll take that.

[Michelle Obama]

Well, I'm glad you pointed that out, because when I went for the tissue, I was like, it's food. Wow. And then I just let it go.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. It's okay. I'll make sure you see it. So Craig, we asked Craig what to ask you, and it's kind of in the area of what we're talking about, which is he said, what is the one thing that our parents gave us? What is the one thing that you think about when you think about what our parents passed on to us that.

[Michelle Obama]

You wanna, I think, always show up in the world in a way that would make them proud, be the person in the world that they were to you.

[Amy Poehler]

That's two things.

[Michelle Obama]

Oh, okay. I thought that was just a variation on a theme.

[Amy Poehler]

He said you would give more than one thing.

[Michelle Obama]

Oh, he. Did he say that?

[Amy Poehler]

Yes.

[Michelle Obama]

That's because he was mad because we did something yesterday and he only gave one answer and I gave two, and he felt gyp.

[Amy Poehler]

See, I mean, I.

[Michelle Obama]

But he's right. I mean, you know. Yes. So what? I have many ideas in my head. I told you, I like to talk.

[Amy Poehler]

So.

[Michelle Obama]

There is no such thing as a one thing. There's Nobody. Nobody really means that.

[Amy Poehler]

Not only does nobody mean it, but you do. You're really good at this. And I believe this. I don't ever think you have to answer the question that was asked.

[Craig Robinson]

That's.

[Michelle Obama]

Did I answer the question, though? I did answer the question, but I mean, when someone. I wasn't trying to not answer the question. I know, I understand. Well, we learned that in all of the White House so many times.

[Amy Poehler]

And I will ask you something. I always say that to young women.

[Michelle Obama]

You do not have to answer and just keep talking because you know, before you know it, time's up.

[Amy Poehler]

But like, even just in your everyday, when someone's like, you know, if someone goes like, you know, do you come, you know, do you come here often? You know, you don't have to answer that.

[Michelle Obama]

And you go, where's my spittoon? That's always a good distraction for you.

[Amy Poehler]

Amy, when you mention your spittoon if you want to get out of a.

[Michelle Obama]

Date, that'll really throw him. Right.

[Amy Poehler]

Tell me about it. Tell me about it. What are you. Okay, so we're. The podcast is a place where you're connecting. It sounds like you're listening to a bunch of podcasts too, and stuff like that. But what is something that you're listening to, watching, reading, going to when you really want to kind of disconnect, check out, and just have fun, which is.

[Michelle Obama]

Most of the time these days.

[Amy Poehler]

I know. And it's tough to stay in.

[Michelle Obama]

It's tough to stay in.

[Amy Poehler]

So what are you doing when you want to zoom out?

[Michelle Obama]

My version of golf to Barack, because he's got golf on all the time. That's like his best. He says it's my background noise. So my version of that is hgtv.

[Amy Poehler]

I love hgtv. Let's talk about it.

[Michelle Obama]

House Hunters.

[Amy Poehler]

Incredible.

[Michelle Obama]

There's something so soothing about the arc of that.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Michelle Obama]

You know?

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Michelle Obama]

You look for a house. There's, there's. We just like looking at people's houses.

[Amy Poehler]

You're at the bottom of house mountain. You're like, that could be. It could be any house.

[Michelle Obama]

And. But don't you. Do you prefer when the budget is a low budget house or a high budget house? Because sometimes I feel away, you know, especially House Hunters International.

[Amy Poehler]

Okay. I'm obsessed with House Hunters International. First of all, every place looks so I'm like, wow, you can get that for that money. Like, I'm always blown away by what you want.

[Michelle Obama]

I think about that too.

[Amy Poehler]

I'm like, wow, what are we doing here? Move to Morocco, I guess, because, like, but you're like, they're never going to get anything with that budget. And then you see, like, a nice.

[Michelle Obama]

They get something with a budget apartment. And don't you like the way people have such high expectations with a low budget? Like, these aren't marble. It's like, but you want to pay $100 a month.

[Amy Poehler]

You know, I want $100 a month. Why would you get marble?

[Michelle Obama]

And then the real estate agent is, especially in the foreign countries, are incredulous. It's like, oh, you want a yard for a large dog, you know, I love it, though.

[Amy Poehler]

Do you like when people get what they. They want, or do you like when you watch them have to slowly come to the realization that they've overreached?

[Michelle Obama]

Oh, yeah, I love that.

[Amy Poehler]

That's what I love.

[Michelle Obama]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

So they go in too low. They want too many things, and you're.

[Michelle Obama]

Like, oh, it's not going to happen for you. You know, you're going to be living above that bar.

[Amy Poehler]

And then. Do you like any HGTV makeover stuff?

[Michelle Obama]

Oh, love all the makeover stuff. I love Rock the Block.

[Amy Poehler]

What's that? I don't know that.

[Michelle Obama]

Oh, you don't know?

[Amy Poehler]

No.

[Michelle Obama]

Well, this is when they get all the designers from all the other shows, and they come onto one block of newly built houses from scratch, and they compete for rooms to see each week. Like, they'll do the living room and the kitchen, right? So the designers go in, they have a week or whatever to redo that area, and then they're judged by other designers, and then they win, and they collect points until they finish the whole house. It's an amazing concept.

[Amy Poehler]

That seems like the highest budget in the world.

[Michelle Obama]

That's what I'm thinking. It's like, I think that the whole.

[Amy Poehler]

Time, it's like, how do you block the block?

[Michelle Obama]

How are you affording all this? I mean, they are literally renovating. They start with the frame, and they, you know, do the kitchen, bed, master bedroom, the master bathroom, the yard.

[Amy Poehler]

Wow.

[Michelle Obama]

The exterior and the exterior facade.

[Amy Poehler]

Dang.

[Michelle Obama]

I know. I'm weirdly going in.

[Amy Poehler]

I love a reno. I love those kind of shows.

[Michelle Obama]

I love the.

[Amy Poehler]

Why do you think we like it? I know. I like the white.

[Michelle Obama]

What do you like it?

[Amy Poehler]

Just a completion. Like, it's. There's an end where something is done.

[Michelle Obama]

And I like the before and after. I like the. Wow. Those floors look much better. You're an empty nester.

[Amy Poehler]

No, my boys are 14 and 16, so we're just at that the freshman and sophomore.

[Michelle Obama]

Okay.

[Amy Poehler]

Just at that age where we're thinking about college. But they're still teen boys. And I'll tell you something. No one's more tired than a teen boy.

[Michelle Obama]

They're exhausted, and they're hungry.

[Amy Poehler]

They eat, like, three dinners a day. I was just saying to someone, having teen boys is like living with bears. Because when you wake up the next morning, there's just crumbs everywhere, and your cabinets are open, and everything's out in the floor, and there's like, a big chunk out of a cheese, and you're like, what happened? And they woke up in the middle of the night and they ate again.

[Michelle Obama]

That's a good one. They're like, bears.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Michelle Obama]

Yeah. That's. That's scary. It is. Are you scared in your own.

[Amy Poehler]

You know, they're like, nice bears.

[Michelle Obama]

They're nice bears.

[Amy Poehler]

They're like little bears.

[Michelle Obama]

Well, I had girls, and girls are. You know, they're. As I'm learning, I was kind of lucky. They're clean.

[Amy Poehler]

And, yeah, girls, you know, they don't. We're coming back around head and shoulders.

[Michelle Obama]

Yeah. They make sentences. They have thoughts and ideas, and you can rationalize with them.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Michelle Obama]

You know, I know I had it easy. I realized I did. Food bill was a lot lower. I don't know how you do it. I mean, if you. If you don't know the average weekly intake. Yeah. You know, because it shifts with boys. I mean, they have a growth spurt, and they can drink a gallon of milk in a day. I mean, how do you live like that?

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, I know. Literally, I have a lot of moms, you know, like, who are. You know, the cost of living is so high, especially here in California, a lot of places, and they're like, my kids are truly eating more than ever as teens. And it's like, what are we gonna do about it?

[Michelle Obama]

Do you cook?

[Amy Poehler]

I love to cook. I know. You don't cook.

[Michelle Obama]

I do not.

[Amy Poehler]

But, you know, I didn't start cooking until my 40s. It's never too late, Michelle.

[Michelle Obama]

I cooked before.

[Amy Poehler]

Oh, and then you stopped.

[Michelle Obama]

Well, I became first lady, and then.

[Amy Poehler]

You can't come when it comes. They don't let you cook.

[Michelle Obama]

Well, I didn't. I was busy.

[Amy Poehler]

But you can't go down and make an. But you can go down and make an egg.

[Michelle Obama]

There's a kitchen. Yes. And you can go in and you can. But I'm like, they're chefs, and you do that better than me. I mean, I'm not. I don't. Want to put you out of a job. You can make the eggs.

[Amy Poehler]

Right. If you were cooking an egg, they'd be standing next to you, and it would be stressful.

[Michelle Obama]

Exactly. That's right. Unless you told them to leave. They wouldn't be comfortable with that.

[Amy Poehler]

Right.

[Michelle Obama]

You know, I'm sure they're first ladies, first families that cooked in the White House. I'm just sort of like, ah, I'm okay not cooking. I've done it.

[Amy Poehler]

And now. Are you cooking now?

[Michelle Obama]

No. No. It's not on my agenda at all. It's not among the things that I want to do in this stage in life.

[Amy Poehler]

And what are you doing now that you couldn't do before, that you get to do now or that you had to pause Doing? I should say I want to try.

[Michelle Obama]

To do normal things.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Michelle Obama]

You know, going for a walk by yourself never. Ish. But if they're further behind, it's like, I can still see you. I want to be. I want to feel like I'm by myself. A little further.

[Amy Poehler]

They're reading a newspaper upside down.

[Michelle Obama]

That's right. I'm driving a little bit more.

[Amy Poehler]

Excellent.

[Michelle Obama]

So that. And by myself in the car, by myself.

[Amy Poehler]

Excellent.

[Michelle Obama]

Which is such, like. I realized for the first time I was driving with Malia. We were in Martha's Vineyard, and I'm driving. She turns on the radio and starts playing some of our favorite songs, and we're singing at the top of our lungs. I realized I'd never had that experience with her. I'd never had that experience with her from teenagers on, because they learned to drive, but I didn't teach them how to drive. I couldn't drive with them. I mean, just sort of the basic kind of bonding moments, you know, we didn't have time alone in a car, just with me and my daughter playing the music that we wanted at the volume that we wanted. That's why I like the Vineyard. I like the islands where we live, because they're small places, and people, you know, they get used to you. They don't care.

[Amy Poehler]

Right.

[Michelle Obama]

At certain times of the year, I can walk into town and just go shopping. I mean, I just go into a store, try on clothes on my own, go to the register. Sometimes I forget how to use my credit card.

[Amy Poehler]

Well, now you don't have to. Now you just use Apple Pay to see.

[Michelle Obama]

What's that? No, I'm just kidding.

[Amy Poehler]

You know Apple Pay, right?

[Michelle Obama]

I do, but I don't use it.

[Amy Poehler]

You don't use it?

[Michelle Obama]

No, because I do.

[Amy Poehler]

You have a Regular phone. I have a regular phone.

[Michelle Obama]

I do, but I'm trying to not do stuff on my phone.

[Amy Poehler]

Well, that's a little boomery, Michelle.

[Michelle Obama]

I know, but, you know, here. I don't want to be tracked. I don't want. I don't want.

[Amy Poehler]

Okay, this is a boomer attitude.

[Michelle Obama]

It's a. Tell me more about it so that I don't.

[Amy Poehler]

We're done. We're all cooked. We're tracked. It's happening. There's no, like, way to not be where all everyone knows everything.

[Michelle Obama]

What does this mean?

[Amy Poehler]

So you can. I mean, and this is, you know, I'm not that far behind you. So this is the blind leading the blind. Yeah, but you don't even need a credit card anymore. You just go, beep, beep, beep.

[Michelle Obama]

I don't know.

[Amy Poehler]

And it's like, you're not even spending money. It's just like, beep. It doesn't just go, see?

[Michelle Obama]

But that's a problem for me, you know? I want to know. I don't want to be like, beep.

[Amy Poehler]

It's just like, shh.

[Michelle Obama]

You know? And then what if they get your phone information and somebody else can take your information and go beep, you know, and all you. Before you know it, you own a.

[Amy Poehler]

Identity stolen 15 times in their lifetime.

[Michelle Obama]

You know, and nobody worries about that. Nobody.

[Amy Poehler]

We're all very worried. Yeah, it's a disaster. Like, we're in real trouble. Yeah, we're really in big trouble.

[Michelle Obama]

I'm trying to hold on, you know, when all things fall apart, the system just crashes. I know I'm still gonna have cash.

[Amy Poehler]

I do love cash.

[Michelle Obama]

Do you?

[Amy Poehler]

I love cash.

[Michelle Obama]

I have old cash. I have cash that's been in my wallet untouched, probably for a decade.

[Amy Poehler]

My kids make fun of me, but.

[Michelle Obama]

I'm like, don't take it out.

[Amy Poehler]

My dad always taught me that. He was always like, always have cash on cash.

[Michelle Obama]

Maybe I shouldn't have said that to the woman.

[Amy Poehler]

We'll cut it out.

[Michelle Obama]

I don't have cash.

[Amy Poehler]

No, Michelle does not have cash.

[Michelle Obama]

I don't carry cash. But I guess I'm good because I also have this security guy with guns, you know, And I still think like that. It's like, where's my wallet?

[Amy Poehler]

Where are my keys? Your wallet is in your phone.

[Michelle Obama]

I don't need it.

[Amy Poehler]

I know. Okay. But continuing with what we're talking about, you know, I think it doesn't matter what kind of life you live. I think any person can have the feeling like their life is kind of a dream. Like, our lives are a dream. Things happen to us we don't imagine could have happened to us, good and bad. And sometimes we just feel like, how did I get here? Where am I going? All that stuff. What do your friendships, specifically your female friendships, do to keep you from, like, keep your feet on the ground, basically, because your life has been a dream.

[Michelle Obama]

Oh, it's been crazy. Yeah. What. What have they done? It's. What haven't they done? I mean, just, you know, they're the. They're. I love to go to my friends homes just to be normal, to help with the dishes, to sit down in the yard, to, you know, to talk about something else other than whatever is in the news. My friends are the people who know everything about me, and they only know me as Michelle. So it's everything. And my family, my brother doing this podcast with him, the first time we worked together on something, I mean, just seeing his face and having him on the other side of the table, somebody who can humanize me to others and to myself in this sort of position we've been in, that is more powerful and meaningful, probably for me than for a lot of people. So it's the air I breathe, my friendships. That's why I try to really be mindful about maintaining them and pouring into them and making sure there's reciprocity. Reciprocity. That they, you know, and that they feel seen by me in all of this. Right.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. I think what you're doing. I just speak for myself that, you know, the word authenticity is kind of thrown around a lot, but I do think, especially young people, they're really looking for some version of yourself and myself and their selves. It, like, feels real because the world is so crazy. We are in this simulation that just a lot of people want to get out of. And I think that is what's cool about young people, is they keep reminding us, like, be real. Like, we want you. We want realness. Because everything feels so strange.

[Michelle Obama]

Yeah. We want the blemishes and the bumps and, you know, and, you know, they want that, but the message that we delivered to them is that you don't. You can't give that solely on your phone. And I think that's the piece that we can teach them is like, yeah, push us to be real. But, you know, I want to push young people to have real experiences, you know, with real people face to face. Because that authenticity that they see in us comes from that old way of living, you know, where you, you know, you meet a person in a bar and have a conversation that you talk to people in the grocery store line, that you are looking up from your phone and seeing the world, that you're learning about people not through their, you know, TikTok page, but from a conversation.

[Amy Poehler]

And you've lost me.

[Michelle Obama]

What. Tell me where. What. What was. The thing is the TikTok page. You like the TikTok page information.

[Amy Poehler]

I love the TikTok page.

[Michelle Obama]

Okay, so it's both and. All right, have the TikTok page because you do get some real dirt. You get a perspective, or. What do you get from the TikTok page?

[Amy Poehler]

Do we have an hour? I don't know. Community jokes, Laughs. No, but I hear what you're saying.

[Michelle Obama]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

You gotta balance with real. You gotta balance real people, real things.

[Michelle Obama]

It's. It feels like we're shifting to less of that.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. And I also think laughter. I think, like, you gotta laugh.

[Michelle Obama]

Absolutely.

[Amy Poehler]

You gotta laugh, and you gotta laugh with your friends.

[Michelle Obama]

You have, like, laugh at yourself and.

[Amy Poehler]

What makes you laugh.

[Michelle Obama]

I'm not fangirling, but, you know, a lot of rewatching, a lot of Parks and Rec. I mean, that's the kind of humor that I like. Community, Modern Family, old Seinfelds, you know, I mean, that tends to be. I still find myself laughing out loud with episodes that I've seen over and over again. Just clever, clever dialogue, smart plots, you know, just out of the, you know, good characters. That's what I love.

[Amy Poehler]

And you probably watch me and you're like, good job keeping that drool inside your mind.

[Michelle Obama]

Well, now that I know it's an issue, I'll watch you a little differently. Yeah, it's like, whoa, look at her getting. Keeping her. Keeping her saliva inside. Good, good. Way to go. That's my girl.

[Amy Poehler]

That's my training. It's my training. That's where my training comes in. Well, thank you so much.

[Michelle Obama]

Oh, my gosh, this was such fun.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, it's been the best.

[Michelle Obama]

Thank you.

[Amy Poehler]

Really, really great. Congrats on your podcast.

[Michelle Obama]

You as well, and on all your food choices.

[Amy Poehler]

Thank you so much. These are all my food choices.

[Michelle Obama]

We're going to get something like this. And a mattress.

[Amy Poehler]

You are gonna get a mattress.

[Michelle Obama]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

You're gonna get all the mattresses you want. Wow, that was an amazing episode. So exciting to have her here. And, you know, we talked about so many good things, but we talked a lot about sibling relationships, and that is what her podcast, you know, a lot of it is about. And I have a younger brother, Greg. I should have asked Craig if he is ever called Greg because I know my brother Greg is often called Craig, but I guess I just wanted to take this polar plunge moment to speak directly to my brother Greg and say, don't go in my room and don't touch my stuff. It's my stuff. Get out of my room. Mom and dad said I'm in charge and I'm so sick of it. You have to go to bed. I love you, Greg. You're the best sibling ever. I don't want another sibling to talk about you with. I was just saying that to Michelle to be a good host. But seriously, it's so great to be your big sister. And, you know, as the eldest daughter, we know our work is never done. And so we'll just forge ahead and I love you, baby bro. I got your back. Sorry, this has gone off the rails. Okay, thank you for listening. Thank you for listening to this episode. Sorry about my voice. And we'll. We'll be back soon. Bye. You've been listening to Good hang. The executive producers for this show are Bill Simmons, Jenna Weiss Berman and me, Amy Poehler. The show is produced Produced by the Ringer and Paper Kite. For the Ringer, production by Jack Wilson, cat Spillane, Kaia McMullen and Alaya Zaneris. For Paper Kite, production by Sam Green, Joel Lovell and Jenna Weiss Berman. Original music by Amy Miles. This episode is brought to you by Degree Cool Rush deodorant. I'm a big fan of people owning their mistakes, like how last year, Degree changed their Cool Rush formula and men were mad. One guy even started a petition so Degree listened, admitted they messed up, and they're now bringing the OG Cool Rush scent back. It's clean, crisp and fresh. No wonder it's been the number one men's antiperspirant for the last decade. And it's in Walmart, Target and other stores now for under $4. Just look for the light blue one. Degree Cool Rush is back and it smells like victory for everyone. This episode is brought to you by Uber Eats. Summer is almost here, and you can now get almost anything you need for your sunny days delivered with Uber Eats. What do I mean by almost? Well, you can't get a summer blockbuster delivered, but you can get a block of cheese. A cabana, that's a no. But a banana, that's a yes. A day of sunshine? No. A box of fine wines? Yes. Uber Eats can definitely get you that. Get almost. Almost anything delivered with Uber Eats. Order now for alcohol. You must be legal drinking age. Please enjoy. Responsibly Product availability varies by region. C App for details.