Michelle Obama revealed one of her favorite guilty pleasures and, in doing so, handed flowers to one of reality TV’s most memorable personalities, Momma Dee. In a recent episode of her IMO podcast, hosted alongside her brother Craig Robinson, the former First Lady invited actress Taraji P. Henson to the table for an intimate conversation that got a little goofy.
The Empire star didn’t even have to think about her answer. When Michelle casually asked Taraji about her favorite reality TV show, she said, “Love & Hip Hop. “She admitted playing “a little bit of all of them” but has a soft spot for Love & Hip Hop. That fleeting reference led to an instant moment of connection and laughter. Michelle didn’t skip a beat before piping with a name that would ring a bell for anyone who ever caught an episode of Love & Hip Hop Atlanta. “Momma Dee.” “Because I know everybody knows a Momma Dee,” Taraji added, referring to Lil Scrappy’s world’s outspoken, outrageous, fiercely loyal matriarch. “They sure do,” Michelle laughed and replied. “You’d have to be lying to say otherwise.”
The only thing the Harvard-educated, former first lady and global advocate was really doing at that moment was unapologetically loving a show largely dismissed by critics and giving props to a woman who represents a different kind of strength, chaos, and charisma. She also reminded us that Love & Hip Hop is much like life, exaggerated but based on the familiar.
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Of course, Momma Dee was not about to let that one slide. The reality TV queen soon took to Instagram to gush over the surprise shoutout from one of the world’s most powerful women. “For me and my son @reallilscrappy to be recognized by two incredible Women is unexplainable!” she wrote. “Thank you to the former First Lady of the United States @michelleobama & the amazing @tarajiphenson! Much Love from the Palace to you!”
Well, that clip has people on social media buzzing about the legend herself and the cultural impact that Love & Hip Hop has had. But more than for the entertainment value, Michelle’s confession served as a reminder that it’s possible to normalize joy and to do so through unapologetic relaxation. “I told my husband, I was like, ‘You watch golf, I watch unscripted,'” Michelle said, describing unscripted content as her wind-down go-to. “It brings me, I don’t know, it just settles me down.”
That’s saying something, but it also captures the reality that even the most put-together and powerful women need to unplug, which might sometimes involve watching unscripted drama play out on VH1. By confessing her love for Love & Hip-Hop out in the open, Michelle undermines the gatekeepers of so-called “highbrow” and “lowbrow” entertainment and makes room for all kinds of stories to exist within our spheres of interest. More than anything, her shoutout to Momma Dee helps us all recognize that we all have someone in our lives who tells it like it is, lives out loud, and stands up for her family just like Momma Dee.
