Talk:Michelle Obama/Archive 4

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Michelle Obama

Doesn't she have a show on Netflix Animelover42 (talk) 15:02, 30 June 2021 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 30 July 2021

Add hyperlink to Partnership for a Healthier America's wikipedia article to "Partnership for a Healthier America" in article.

Add in reference section "https://www.ahealthieramerica.org." ShokutheCat (talk) 14:39, 30 July 2021 (UTC)

 Done ––𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗗𝘂𝗱𝗲^(talk) 18:13, 30 July 2021 (UTC)

"a 99-page senior thesis"

This description seems unusual to me, since aren't college theses usually measured by word count rather than page count? The cited source is her alma mater's library's catalogue, where it makes more sense to use the page count, but in a biographical encyclopedia article it feels somewhat weird. Anyone have a problem with removing "99-page" and the catalog.princeton.edu citation? Ideally a secondary source discussing her thesis in the context of her biography, giving a word count, could be found, but the Wallace obituary seems to be the closest we have to that, and it doesn't mention the work's length. Hijiri 88 (聖やや) 02:53, 5 January 2022 (UTC)

Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment

This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 2 February 2021 and 14 May 2021. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): Mbern016.

Above undated message substituted from Template:Dashboard.wikiedu.org assignment by PrimeBOT (talk) 04:02, 17 January 2022 (UTC)

Juris Doctor

Would it be appropriate to add the Dr prefix to her name since she does have a JD. Juris Doctor of Law? Ahunter02 (talk) 19:19, 17 January 2022 (UTC)

Ahunter02, no. See MOS:CREDENTIAL. – Muboshgu (talk) 19:25, 17 January 2022 (UTC)

Thanks, sorry about that! Ahunter02 (talk) 19:57, 17 January 2022 (UTC)

Ahunter02, no need to apologize for asking a question! – Muboshgu (talk) 20:34, 17 January 2022 (UTC)

Michelle’s salutatorian status

Michelle graduated salutatorian of her 8th-grade class at Bryn Mawr as according to “Michelle” by Liza Mundy and in the top 10% of her class at Whitney Young according to her autobiography, “Becoming.” 2600:6C54:507F:90C:408B:5ACD:4663:D0F (talk) 19:23, 9 October 2022 (UTC)

Law License

According to the State of Illinois Bar dept of licensing verification reads as 'REVOKED.' Taken away, not surrendered or inactive. Why was it revoked, what happened? 2601:602:B00:E2C0:CF7:651B:4D67:34C0 (talk) 07:36, 18 October 2022 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 19 January 2023

Correct under Early Life and Education, that Michelle graduated Salutatorian of her class as she graduated salutatorian of her 8th grade class as stated in pg. 35 of “Michelle” by Liza Mundy and 32nd of her high school class at Whitney Young as stated in pg.57. Also in Michelle’s autobiography, “Becoming” she says she was on track to graduate in the top 10 percent of her class on pg.65 consistent with Liza’s book. Anesanbo-2000 (talk) 02:18, 19 January 2023 (UTC)

Change “She graduated in 1981 as the salutatorian of her class.” to “She graduated in 1981 in the top 10 percent of her class.” Anesanbo-2000 (talk) 02:25, 19 January 2023 (UTC)

 Not done: Noting that she graduated as the saluatorian (meaning second-best) of her class already communicates that she had academic success. Not sure how changing it to the more broad 10-percent stat would be an improvement. Throast ^{{{ping}} me!} (talk | contribs) 09:23, 5 February 2023 (UTC)

It’s simple how changing it would be an improvement, the evidence shows that she graduated in the top 10 percent of her class and not as the salutatorian, so we should have the accurate information replace the incorrect one. |answered= no Anesanbo-2000 (talk) 04:34, 13 February 2023 (UTC)

Some context is clearly missing. Need to mention the backlash/negative reaction to her sleevelessness and other negative attitudes/polarized treatment faced by Obama

The article does not really delve into how Michelle was (especially in Obama's first term) treated as a lightning rod by right-wing media for anger. No mention is given to how there was widespread discussion in conservative punditry early into the Obama presidency criticizing her decision to wear sleeveless dress. I think there also might not be sufficient mention of how her school lunch and childhood obesity initiatives saw conservative backlash.

It is important for people to understand that Michelle faced this backlash and criticism in order to fully understand what her time in the White House was like and what contemporary attitudes were like. The article gives a false impression to those with no firsthand recollection of those attitudes she endured. It gives an impression that she was as widely popular as she is now.

As the article stands, it sounds like she was universally praised/set trends by wearing sleeveless dresses. It's important to outline the criticism she went up against.

Some of many articles and other items outlining the reaction to her choice to wear sleeveless dresses and which demonstrate how it it is an important illustration of polarized treatment of Obama:

https://www.essence.com/fashion/mrs-michelle-obama-right-bare-arms/

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/08/style/michelle-obama-white-house-portrait.html

https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=6986019&page=1

https://www.sfgate.com/living/article/Michelle-Obama-s-bare-arms-stir-controversy-3247209.php

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2009/mar/04/fashion-michelleobama

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/michelle-obamas-sleevegat_b_171172

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/first-ladys-bare-arms-steal-the-spotlight/ SecretName101 (talk) 06:22, 26 January 2023 (UTC)

"sleeplessness" What does this topic have to do with insomnia? Dimadick (talk) 13:28, 30 January 2023 (UTC)

Clearly was sleevelessness. Evidently, phones don’t like that and autocorrect it SecretName101 (talk) 00:52, 26 February 2023 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 28 December 2023

Remove the "role model to women" reference as that is only an opinion and not a fact. 72.231.132.133 (talk) 13:41, 28 December 2023 (UTC)

The claim is well sourced, and even if it wasn't, it's obvious that the first lady in the USA will always be a role model. What you think of that role is irrelevant. HiLo48 (talk) 22:17, 28 December 2023 (UTC)

Wiki Education assignment: Communication and Culture

This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 2 February 2021 and 14 May 2021. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): Mbern016 (article contribs).

Fully protected edit request on 31 may 2024

Michelle Obama has made a guest appearance on the icarly episode imeet the First Lady. This episode is from the original series and it aired on January 16th, 2012. 2600:1702:2340:3020:A54C:3CC7:BFEA:3CDD (talk) 20:53, 31 May 2024 (UTC)

 Not done We don't post everything somebody does. If this is notable by content, that may be different, but just doing a show is non-notable. - FlightTime (open channel) 21:51, 31 May 2024 (UTC)

Sickening hagiography

"This is a good article"?

"Obama has been compared to Jacqueline Kennedy due to her sense of style, and also to Barbara Bush for her discipline and decorum."

"For three straight years – 2018, 2019, and 2020 – Obama topped the Gallup poll asking who is the "most admired woman" in the U.S." Tom Donnelly (talk) 09:54, 30 June 2024 (UTC)

Transgender conspiracy theories deserves its own section or its own article

For the last decade, ever since Joan Rivers’ death, many Republicans both average Joes, notable figures and even politicians have been spreading conspiracy theories that claim Michelle Obama is a trans woman and her real name is “Michael.” The term “Big Mike” is used often by a lot of these people to describe Mrs. Obama. With how well known it is, it needs its own article. It’s easily the most common instance of the transvetigation CTs. Vinnylospo (talk) 01:23, 20 July 2024 (UTC)

Why should we host an article on a set of unproven conspiracy theories or speculations involving a living person's sex/gender? That would be a violation of WP:BLP. Not to mention that she's not the only figure about whom these sorts of conspiracy theories exist. Brigitte Macron and Jacinda Ardern are other examples (Macron is in fact suing the individuals concerned). Start an article like this and soon we'll be having endless number of pages on all sorts of nonsense spewed out by social media trolls. Keivan.f^Talk 01:22, 23 July 2024 (UTC)

Why would we justify WP:FRINGE? – Muboshgu (talk) 01:31, 23 July 2024 (UTC)

THat nonsense tells us far more about the conspiracy theorists than about Ms Obama. If we had an article on those conspiracy nutters, it would belong in their article, but not here. HiLo48 (talk) 02:15, 23 July 2024 (UTC)

We do not need to give any attention to such racist nonsense. Acalamari 02:40, 23 July 2024 (UTC)

Everything can be covered in transvestigation. Toadhops (talk) 13:38, 23 July 2024 (UTC)

The notion, that Michelle Obama was secretly originally male, was apparently a joke by Joan Rivers. Joan Rivers apparently didn't mean it seriously. https://www.cnn.com/2014/07/04/showbiz/celebrity-news-gossip/joan-rivers-michelle-obama-gay-transgender/index.html “Joan Rivers jokes Obama is gay, first lady is transgender”. Solomonfromfinland (talk) 21:04, 2 August 2024 (UTC)

No, per Acalamari - FlightTime (open channel) 21:07, 2 August 2024 (UTC)

The Nickname

The article addresses Michelle being smeared as an "angry black woman" by a CNN host. Therefore, the smear in recent years by alternative media host Alex Jones often referring to Michelle as "Big Mike" would also be fair to add. Discuss. 208.38.228.14 (talk) 14:47, 24 December 2024 (UTC)

No. That would simply be the further spreading of political muck, adding nothing of value to the article. HiLo48 (talk) 00:35, 25 December 2024 (UTC)

Image issues

Does anyone else have problems viewing the picture, it gives me an error message

Edit: It got fixed

Peter Jinbin (talk) 02:15, 20 January 2025 (UTC)

Childhood pictures of Michelle

Childhood pictures of Michelle

2601:204:D300:72A0:81D7:991A:ED34:F99A (talk) 08:54, 13 February 2025 (UTC)

Wrong date

Hi

The year of death for Michelle Obama's mother is 2024 not 2025 2A00:23C7:C40F:4E01:686C:51FF:FE46:EE43 (talk) 12:06, 12 May 2025 (UTC)

 Done corrected per the currently cited sourceCannolis (talk) 14:42, 12 May 2025 (UTC)

the year is 2024 70.180.12.36 (talk) 03:07, 13 May 2025 (UTC)

Conspiracy theories about Michelle Obama's gender

This probably qualifies as sufficient media coverage for us to at least have a discussion about mentioning this whole phenomenom in the article. It has been brought up many times beforehand as well according to the talk page's history. https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2025/06/why-do-right-wing-transvestigators-believe-michelle-obama-is-a-man https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OI5VD_ISUMA https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/michelle-obama-black-man/ https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/global-trends/elon-musks-father-unleashes-conspiracy-chaos-claims-obama-is-queer-michelle-is-a-man/articleshow/118275459.cms?from=mdr https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/elon-musks-father-errol-claims-barack-obama-is-married-to-a-man/articleshow/118275101.cms?from=mdr https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-news/elon-musks-dad-reinvokes-bizarre-conspiracy-theory-against-michelle-obama-internet-fumes-101739540825225.html https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/elon-musks-father-joins-far-right-fringe-with-outrageous-claim-that-michelle-obama-is-a-man/articleshow/118220388.cms https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/don-lemon-barack-obama-donald-trump-b2678640.html https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/barack-obama-is-queer-married-to-a-man-michelle-obama-elon-musks-father-errol-musks-bizarre-claim-7716293 https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/no-michelle-obama-didnt-call-herself-a-black-man-viral-clip-takes-her-words-out-of-context/articleshow/120782090.cms https://www.snopes.com/news/2024/08/22/michelle-obama-not-trans/ https://www.thepinknews.com/2025/02/17/elon-musks-father-spreads-baseless-conspiracy-theory-that-michelle-obama-is-transgender/ https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/alex-jones-michelle-obama-man-proof-infowars-conspiracy-theorist-sandy-hook-a7911996.html https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2023/jan/19/instagram-posts/comedian-joan-rivers-was-wrong-about-obamas/ https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/07/22/no-cnns-david-chalian-did-not-call-michelle-obama-big-mike-its-a-doctored-clip/ https://www.thepinknews.com/2020/01/10/right-wing-white-christians-god-michelle-obama-up-front-in-the-prophetic/ https://www.thepinknews.com/2020/01/07/michelle-obama-alex-jones-conspiracy-theory-infowars-debunked-first-lady/ https://www.thepinknews.com/2020/05/18/michelle-obama-transgender-man-video-trans-woman/ https://www.express.co.uk/celebrity-news/486595/Controversial-America-comedian-Joan-Rivers-calls-Michelle-Obama-a-transgender https://www.thepinknews.com/2014/07/06/joan-rivers-refuses-to-apologise-for-claiming-michelle-obama-is-a-transgender/ https://www.newsweek.com/michael-obama-man-transgender-maga-conspiracy-theory-latest-viral-1776518 Alistair McBuffio (talk) 12:24, 1 July 2025 (UTC)

No. Those claims tell us absolutely nothing about Michelle Obama, the subject of this article. They DO, however, tell us a lot about the people making the claims. HiLo48 (talk) 00:33, 2 July 2025 (UTC)

Agree 100% with HiLo48. No. This nonsense has no place in this WP:BLP that is subject to the policy rules. Tvoz/talk 04:58, 2 July 2025 (UTC)

I respectfully disagree. Alistair McBuffio (talk) 03:00, 4 July 2025 (UTC)

Why is the photo 12 yrs old?

Update the picture. Didnt she just do a photoshoot? ~2025-36159-78 (talk) 03:50, 25 November 2025 (UTC)

Delete birth name?

Surely 'née Robinson' must be removed? She was never a notable person by wikipedia standards. For many other people it has been very clear in the talk pages that the standard is that former names should only be included if they were notable under these names. What am I missing? ~2025-40093-52 (talk) 16:15, 12 December 2025 (UTC)

Where did you get the idea that we don't include maiden names a person wasn't notable under? See Melania Trump and Jill Biden for the other two most recent FLOTUS. – Muboshgu (talk) 17:49, 13 December 2025 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 13 December 2025

CHANGE: Career Following law school, Obama became an associate at the Chicago office of the law firm Sidley & Austin, where she met her future husband. At the firm, she worked on marketing and intellectual-property law.[3] 3. Rossi, Rosalind (January 20, 2007). "The woman behind Obama". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on February 15, 2008. Retrieved January 22, 2008.

TO:

Career Following law school, Obama became an associate at the Chicago office of the law firm Sidley & Austin, where she met her future husband. At the firm, she worked on marketing and intellectual-property law.[3] First, though, she had to pass the Illinois bar exam. She failed on her first attempt. In her memoir, Obama expressed shock, having failed a test for the first time in her life: "But I had blown it with the bar. I was ashamed, sure that I had let every person who had ever taught, encouraged or employed me." [3] 3. Obama, Michelle, 2018 Becoming. Crown Publishing Group (North America) p. 154.

In her book, Obama describes that she "buckled down" after that point, going on to pass the Illinois bar exam “handily”. [4]

At the firm, she worked on marketing and intellectual-property law.[5]

    4. Obama, Michelle, 2018 Becoming. Crown Publishing Group (North America) p. 155.

5. Rossi, Rosalind (January 20, 2007). "The woman behind Obama". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on February 15, 2008. Retrieved January 22, 2008. Afghasdf (talk) 10:45, 13 December 2025 (UTC)

 Not done: Failing the bar exam on the first try is not uncommon. Pretty WP:ROTM in fact. – Muboshgu (talk) 17:50, 13 December 2025 (UTC)

it is uncommon. Failure rate was about 20% or less for first time test takers in 1989 for Illinois bar. And bar failures are mentioned prominently in your Wikipedia page for JFK Jr. ~2025-40500-78 (talk) 18:05, 13 December 2025 (UTC)

What's included or excluded from other pages is in no way relevant to this one. I don't think adding her quotes adds anything to the page. Also, you should be gaining WP:CONSENSUS for an edit before using the edit request template. – Muboshgu (talk) 18:24, 13 December 2025 (UTC)

 Not done for now: please establish a consensus for this alteration before creating an edit request. – Muboshgu (talk) 18:24, 13 December 2025 (UTC)