With only a few months left in the White House, First Lady Michelle Obama is rushing to cement her legacy of “healthy living.” To aide in this endeavor NBC’s Al Roker joined her to help promote her nationwide garden tour. If his report Roker presented all of the good looking fluff and none of the ugly controversies on Friday’s Today.
“In 2009, First Lady Michelle Obama planted a vegetable garden on the South Lawn … Sparking a national conversation around healthy living,” Roker says of the First Lady’s initiative. Roker was invited by the First Lady to join her as a guest. The report featured him introducing the First Lady at a stop on the tour, and participating in helping the kids plant seeds and promoting the program.
“They have been enthusiastic about the whole program, and its made them much better eaters in the lunchroom,” said an unidentified school administrator. Roker’s report made it seem as though students around the country are raving about the school lunch program, but that is far from the case.
For years now, students have been sharing photos to social media of the skimpy lunches provided to students through the program. There have also been reports of students leaving hungry even after eating the lunch tailored to the program’s guide lines. Some students have gotten so fed up with the program that their student bodies have staged mass protests during the lunch period. Some school has even stopped being a part of the program. Backlash to the program has gotten so great that some school districts are being threatened with budget cuts for not going along with the First Lady.
Roker’s report also included a less than softball interview with the First Lady. “Give me five words that describe the last seven years in the White House,” Roker pitched. There were no questions about the protests; No questions about the unsatisfactory food or hungry students.
Roker did manage to ask her what she hoped to be doing the first day after her husband leaves office. Her response? To go on yet another vacation.
Transcript below:
NBC
Today
April 8, 2016
8:32:57 – 8:37:21 AM EasternAL ROKER: Well in other outdoor news I came I saw I planted. Thursday, I had the honor of traveling with First Lady Michelle Obama on—in part of her national garden tour. Talking to students about the importance of healthy living. Then after a hard day's work, we had a candid conversation about life at the White House and the future of the first family.
[Cuts to video]
ROKER: White house, green thumb.
MICHELLE OBAMA: Wow, this is exciting.
ROKER: In 2009, First Lady Michelle Obama planted a vegetable garden on the south lawn.
OBAMA: Are we done yet?
ROKER: Sparking a national conversation around healthy living.
PHOTOGRAPHER: Say Vegetable!
KIDS: Vegetable!
ROKER: Now as her time as First Lady comes to a close, Michelle Obama is celebrating healthy eating with a nationwide garden tour. Guess who was invited along for the ride? Our first stop, on Air FLOTUS a Burke Country Middle School in Waynesboro Georgia.
Ladies and gentlemen, the First Lady, Michelle Obama.
OBAMA: Thank you Al. Hey, Guys.
ROKER: A farm to school program that brings fresh fruits and veggies straight to the students, who are writing a cook book.
UNIDENTIFIED SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR: They have been enthusiastic about the whole program, and its made them much better eaters in the lunchroom.
ROKER: The second stop taking us to Philips Academy charter school in Newark, New Jersey.
OBAMA: Hi, guys.
KIDS: Hi.
ROKER: There a rooftop garden and indoor growing lab help plant the seeds of health living in students. The First Lady proving she's not afraid to get her hands dirty.
OBAMA: You know the compost is working.
ROKER: While I was hard at work
OBAMA: Mr. Roker is not doing anything.
ROKER: I was helping. I was helping before.
All jokes aside, we spent the afternoon getting real about life at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
[Cuts to interview]
ROKER: Give me five words that describe the last seven years in the White House.
OBAMA: Hoo. For me, fun, challenging, creative, dynamic and, at times, delicious.
[Laughter]
ROKER: Okay. Looking back at the seven years, there had to have been tough times.
OBAMA: Absolutely. Absolutely. Well you know, adjusting to all of this attention. Trying to make sure I raise girls that are sane in the limelight that is brighter than one could ever imagine. So, yeah, absolutely, there were challenges. By far, the fun that I have in this job far outweighs any challenges that you can imagine.
ROKER: What would you like your legacy to be?
OBAMA: I'll probably have better perspective on it when I get a chance to breathe and step back and think. But, if I have to answer the question right now, I just want people to say, “Michelle Obama was a hard working first lady who impacted people's lives for the better. And made us proud.
ROKER: If you could finish this sentence –
OBAMA: Okay.
ROKER: On Saturday, January 21st, 2017, the day after inauguration day, I will be –
OBAMA: Hopefully, somewhere warm. I think that's the safest thing I can say. Somewhere really, really warm.
ROKER: Are there little drinks with umbrellas involved?
OBAMA: You know, I was going to go in, but I thought, “Oh, let me stop. That'll lead the whole story. That'll be the conversation.” So, Warmth.
ROKER: I've been very lucky to be at a few events at the White House. There is an enjoyable level. That, because I've seen your kids around. I've seen your mom around. That this truly was a time in somebody's home.
OBAMA: I'm constantly trying to say, remember, let's have fun. You know, this is a rare opportunity. Let's not just get something done, but let's enjoy it. And hopefully, you know, we've created that kind of an atmosphere in the White House. We're going to miss everybody when it's time to go. But, don't take me there yet.
ROKER: No.
OBAMA: Not yet.
ROKER: Maybe the warm place.
OBAMA: Let's think warmth. And maybe an umbrella in a drink somewhere.
[Cuts back to the studio]
ROKER: We had a lot of fun with the First Lady. So much so we're going to take the show on the road. "Today" is going to take a great old pickup truck to the white house, plant fresh fruits and vegetables in the back, creating our own mobile garden. And all spring and summer long, we're going to be stopping at schools up and down the coast from Washington to the plaza. And who knows, the first lady just may stop by. So, keep an eye out and follow our progress with the hash tag #GardenOnTheGo.
