Another NBC Donation: Michelle Obama to Work Out on 'The Biggest Loser'

March 30th, 2012 7:38 AM

The new issue of TV Guide magazine has this headline on the top of the cover: "Exclusive: The Biggest Loser Works Out With The First Lady!" Inside, TV Guide spotlighted the latest Michelle Obama pop-up in TV Land -- in two episodes, on April 3 and 10.

"I've been a fan of The Biggest Loser for years," proclaimed the First Lady in a photo caption of her working out with the show's trainers. "Whenever I watch, it always makes me want to get active!" In the article is this: "Confirms Obama, 'I don't think it's in Bob's or Dolvett's natures to 'take it easy'...It was such an incredible experience to work out with the trainers...they really put me to the test, and I'm happy they did!" But the goo scooped up for Michelle on the NBC show is more favorable than this spread:

You are about to see someone who is not just a style icon, but an icon to an entire...nation...of people,” cooed stylist Jeannie Mai. Up came Mrs. Obama on video. Women on the show were clapping and screaming. That was before Mrs. Obama congratulated them on their weight loss and invited them to visit with her in person.

(When I looked this up at TVGuide.com, I was literally served an official Obama-Biden reelection ad. Let's not guess that was a happy accident.)

Naturally, if you’re a regular American, you’d be stunned to visit the White House for a personal visit with any First Lady. But this is NBC, which is now owned by Comcast, whose executive VP David Cohen is an Obama bundler and hosted a million-dollar fundraiser for Obama last June, where Obama thanked him and his wife Rhonda for being "such great friends for so many years." The NBC press release explained the White House visit in the April 10 episode:

In part two of the makeover episode, the contestants get to meet First Lady Michelle Obama, whose Let's Move! initiative focuses on solving the problem of childhood obesity. ...

Mrs. Obama also tells the contestants about PALA (Presidential Active Lifestyle Award), the six-week pledge-based program designed to get both adults and children more physically active and healthy.

She challenges the players to see who can get the most people to sign up under their names on www.nbc.com/pala after the episode airs and until April 25, and they later find out that Planet Fitness will donate $30,000 worth of gym equipment to the hometown of the winning contestant -- so that their whole community can get active too! The winner will be announced at the finale.

But it's not just NBC. Washington Post TV writer Lisa DeMoraes adds:

Wednesday’s First Lady Booking comes on the heels of Nickelodeon’s announcement she would stop by its Kids Choice Awards, taped live in Los Angeles on Saturday, to honor country pop singer Taylor Swift with the Big Help Award.

The prize — given to Michelle Obama herself in 2010 — honors people who try to make the world a better place.