Yaay Michelle Obama can Hula Hoop

Posted on 25. Oct, 2009 by in Uncategorized

The media’s been kind of obsessed with kid’s games lately. Think about it. We chased a balloon for over a week. Depending on what publication you read, we’re still chasing it. That damn balloon overshadowed the president’s first visit to New Orleans, it got more mention than advances in the first semi-functional AIDS vaccine.
So we stick with our new obsession, we need another set of games to overshadow the real news. This week’s games of choice? Why Hula Hoops and double-dutch haven’t you heard?

Need some proof?

The AP reported last Thursday that the first-lady managed 142 swivels on the Hula Hoop. 142!!! Her attempts to jump Double Dutch were far less successful, they reported. To be fair, I’ll provide some context. She did this during the “Healthy Kids Fair” to promote healthy eating habits for an audience of 100 school kids and their parents.

Charles Blow’s op-ed piece on Saturday “The Magic of Michelle” was saturated with accolades for the first lady and her jump rope skills. Which he kind of blew up for no reason, considering her hula hoop skills were far more impressive. Blow has a point. Picturing Hillary Clinton swiveling a Hula Hoop round and round is just too much of an oxymoron to spend much time with. Laura Bush + Hula Hooping= Thing of Nightmares. Michelle Obama can get away with it, and she does it well. She isn’t just playing a game. We find this so much more acceptable with her, than we would with the previous two first ladies, because Michelle is grounded. Michelle is a mom before anything. Michelle is approachable. Michelle isn’t robotic. With these qualities she can get people to listen to her, I believe just as easily as her husband did, at least during his campaign. So let’s try to pay attention to the message behind the games.

As cool as it is for the first lady to kick off her shoes and run around the front lawn with her kids, it would be great if we could focus on what she’s trying to accomplish through these games.

Michelle’s Hula Hoop antics were impressive. But far more interesting was the reason behind why she was playing games on the White House lawns with other parents and their kids. She was there to bring attention to the dietary crisis that is afflicting the entire nation. Approximately 40 million Americans are suffering from obesity. Diabetes rates have increased by 13.5% between 2005 to 2007. Michelle told parents that day, Look, my favorite food in the whole wide world are french fries,” she said. “I love them. Dearly. Deeply. I have a good relationship with french fries and I would eat them every single day if I could. I tell my girls this: If you’re getting the right foods for most of the time, then when it’s time to have cake and french fries on those special occasions, then you balance it out.”
Balanced diets, nutritious food, excercise, that was the message behind the now infamous hula hoop.

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